‘NCIS’: Did Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo Ever Date in Real Life?

NCIS is one of the most popular procedural dramas ever to air on network television. From the dramatic confrontations to the clever dialogue, the show seems to have it all. However, many fans love NCIS most for the interesting, dynamic characters that it introduced. Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David are undoubtedly two of the most enduring and popular. Played by Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, respectively, DiNozzo and Ziva were both fan favorites who each endured their own share of trauma. They also shared red-hot chemistry onscreen, which led many fans to wonder if Weatherly and de Pablo ever dated behind the scenes.

Did Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo ever actually date?

According to Nicki Swift, while Weatherly and de Pablo got along smashingly, becoming great friends during the course of their time together on the procedural drama, they never actually dated. De Pablo later joked to Entertainment Weekly that their relationship mirrored that of DiNozzo and Ziva in many ways: “We sort of hated each other immediately, and loved each other immediately. That relationship was established the moment that we met.”

Weatherly noted that he was impressed right away by the focus and intensity of de Pablo’s performance and that he knew she was the right choice for Ziva. “(I) was amazed by the focus and the clarity of (de Pablo’s) performance, and before I knew it, I had fallen hopelessly, desperately into an enchanted spell,” the actor said. What might have hindered romance from forming between the two is the fact that they were both in relationships with other people – de Pablo was dating actor Diego Serrano, while Weatherly was dating his now-wife, Bojana Janković. Weatherly and his lady love would later get married and have two children.

Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David were compatriots and partners

Tony DiNozzo, played by Weatherly, was introduced on NCIS in 2003 and quickly became a fixture. His sarcastic comebacks and his dedication to his job helped DiNozzo stand out from the start. His chemistry with nearly every character helped the show become a smashing success, but it was his relationship with Ziva David, a tough, no-nonsense agent with a complicated past, that really resonated with fans.

Ziva, as portrayed by Cote de Pablo, is an Israeli Mossad officer turned NCIS agent who had no problem standing up to any of the men on the team. De Pablo began her tenure on NCIS in 2005, and she remained on the series until 2013 when the actor opted to step away due to creative differences with the writing team.

Fans loved Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David’s relationship arc

As for Weatherly, he left NCIS in 2016 to pursue other projects. While Weatherly has always expressed his satisfaction with the way DiNozzo’s arc concluded, many fans were left cold with the way things left off between him and Ziva. Throughout the course of the two stars’ time on the show, DiNozzo and Ziva were shown to have a contentious relationship, often bickering with each other and teasing in small ways.

The two agents always supported each other and saved each other’s lives more than once. However, in spite of the undeniable romantic chemistry between them, DiNozzo and Ziva never pursued a relationship onscreen. Writers chose to bypass any obvious signs of a romance by having the two characters be involved behind the scenes, even having a daughter together. Many NCIS fans felt cheated by this, calling out the pair’s great chemistry and wondering if Weatherly and de Pablo might have dated offscreen.