Did ‘Moonlighting’ Co-Stars Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd Date in Real Life?

Considered one of the most beloved television series of all time, Moonlighting ran from 1985 to 1989. The series was one of the first real “dramedies,” and viewers loved the mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and—above all else—romance.

In fact, the chemistry between Moonlighting actors, Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd has left many wondering for decades if the tension onscreen led to a real relationship offscreen. 

‘Moonlighting’ 

Created by Remington Steele writer, Glenn Gordon Caron, Moonlighting quickly made a name for itself. The series frequently broke the fourth wall, included cold opens, and featured lighting-quick banter reminiscent of vintage screwball comedies.

Shepard and Willis play two amateur sleuths at the Blue Moon Detective Agency. Shepherd’s character, Maddie Hayes, is a former model who inherits the agency (formerly called the City of Angels Detective Agency) after her slimy accountant bankrupts her. Currently in charge of the agency is David Addison (Willis), who convinces Maddie to maintain the business with the pair as partners. 

What followed after that pilot episode was pure chaos, both onscreen and off. 

Did Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd ever date for real?

Onscreen, Willis and Shepherd’s chemistry was off the charts. Right from the start, the pair’s constant arguing was a thin veil for the characters’ real feelings, with the tough-talking Maddie slamming doors and going line for line and punch for punch with David’s smart-aleck comments. It was impossible to watch the show without holding one’s breath and waiting for the moment. 

But the show was not that far from the truth. Willis and Shepherd were known to fight vehemently. According to IMDb, the two actors were as aggravated by each other as their characters, and things only worsened as Moonlighting got into later seasons. As Willis’ fame grew (he was cast in Die Hard during Moonlighting’s fourth season), he became less inclined to be the second-billed on the series. Likewise, Shepherd was notoriously hard to work with on set, often questioning the writers and director, especially during her pregnancy. 

When the big moment finally came for Maddie and David to act on their feelings for each other in Moonlighting season 3, fans were ecstatic. But, after, the show’s audience quickly declined. Without Maddie and David’s sexual tension, fans lost interest. “[Moonlighting] notoriously proved that there’s nowhere for a show to go after its will-they-or-won’t-they pairing decides that they, in fact, will,” according to Best Life. 

In real life, that moment never came. When asked about the possibility of a celebrity relationship between her and Willis, Shepherd told the Scottish Daily Record & Sunday that the actors kissed once, but that “at one point in the show, it had gotten to where we just hated each other,” as Entertainment Weekly reports. 

For once agreeing with his co-star, Willis has admitted he and Shepherd “didn’t get along very well on that show,” according to The Arsenio Hall Show.

Life after ‘Moonlighting’: Where are Willis and Shepherd now?

Following Moonlighting, Shepherd went on to star in the hit series Cybill in the late 1990s. She also appeared as series regular Phyllis Kroll in The L Word and played Linette Montgomery in The Client List in 2012.

While Shepherd became well-established in Hollywood when she began starring in the series, Moonlighting was what launched Willis’ career. He filmed Die Hard in 1988 and became one of the world’s biggest stars. Along with his starring roles throughout the rest of the Die Hard franchise, the actor has over 145 acting credits, including some of big titles. His hits include Look Who’s Talking, The Last Boy Scout, Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, The Sixth Sense, and Unbreakable. 

Decades after Moonlighting went off the air, Willis and Shepherd reunited to record commentary for the series, and both said they can look back fondly on the experience now. However, fans holding their breath for a reunion will likely be disappointed.