Actors Courteney Cox and David Arquette were married for 14 years, and they co-starred in hit movies together before, during and after that marriage. Their relationship was one of the big celebrity events of its era, and with the Scream franchise trending this Halloween, now is the perfect time to look back on their real-life story.
Cox and Arquette are now 60 years old and 53 years old respectively, and they share one daughter together – Coco Arquette, who is 20 years old. They remain close as co-parents and friends, and over the years their dynamic has given many fans hope that divorce can be handled amicably. Of course, their story comes around most often in October, when fans are likely to revisit the Scream franchise. Read on for their story and how it relates to Ghostface.
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Scream
Cox and Arquette met at a party for the cast of Scream before filming began. The movie began filming in April of 1996, so this was likely earlier that year or in late 1995. Arquette recalled the story in a 2009 interview with Celebrity Baby Blog, saying that he felt love at first sight. Cox, on the other hand, did not, as he joked: “I had to trick her.”
“I was being a little cocky and Courteney was like, ‘Ah, I’ve heard of you,’ and we just kept flirting for a while,” he said. “She’s just so gorgeous and she jokes around so much.”
In the movie itself, Cox played the persistent and at times unscrupulous news reporter Gale Weathers, while Arquette played Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley – a young man who generally seemed to be in over his head. Their characters had an unlikely slow-burn romance in the movie, and it spilled over into their real life. In 2011, Cox told Good Morning America that they “fell in love on the first” movie in the series.
Arquette would later reveal that Scream director Wes Craven had encouraged him to make an earnest try to date Cox. He told PEOPLE in 2022: “Wes had a real impact. [He was] like, ‘David, you know she likes you and you should really get your stuff together.’ He gave me a real man-to-man talk and that had an impact on the course of my life.”
Engagement and Wedding
Craven was the one to break the news of Cox and Arquette’s engagement. In 1998, he told PEOPLE that Arquette had popped the question on a beach on the east coast during a fireworks display. At the time, they were on vacation with Cox’s family.
Cox and Arquette said their marriage vows on June 12, 1999 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The guests included Cox’s Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, as well as Aniston’s then-boyfriend Brad Pitt. This was the summer between Friends Seasons 5 and 6, and binge-watchers may have noticed that the season premiere that fall poked fun at Cox’s name change. Since “Courteney Cox Arquette” added a new last name, that episode added the name “Arquette” to the end of all the cast and crew’s names.
Sequels
Scream 2 was released in 1997, and Scream 3 followed in 2000. Both featured Arquette and Cox reprising their roles, and their real-life romance was definitely a part of the movies’ press buzz. After that, the franchise went on hiatus until 2011.
Children
Cox opened up about her desire to have children in an interview with PEOPLE in 2003, revealing that she had had multiple miscarriages. She and Arquette tried in-vitro fertilization (IVF), although it’s not clear if that is how their daughter was ultimately conceived. However, in January of 2004, they announced that they were indeed expecting a child, and their daughter Coco was born on June 13, 2004.
Separation
Cox and Arquette were a fixture of celebrity coverage for the years that followed, but the next time they really made headlines was in 2010 when rumors of separation began to plague them. Arquette refuted these stories in an interview with PEOPLE, but not long after that, Cox was seen by reporters from InStyle without her wedding ring.
Finally, in October of 2010 Cox and Arquette announced that they were in a “trial separation.” They said: “The reason for this separation is to better understand ourselves and the qualities we need in a partner and for our marriage. We remain best friends and responsible parents to our daughter and we still love each other deeply. As we go through this process we are determined to use kindness and understanding to get through this together. We are comfortable with the boundaries that we have established for each other during this separation and we hope that our friends, family, fans and the media also show us respect, dignity, understanding and love at this time as well.”
Stern
Naturally, the separation announcement led to a lot of speculation, and Arquette shocked fans by calling into the Howard Stern radio show the very next day. In the discussion, Arquette revealed some details about their relationship, including his immaturity and the stagnation of their sex life.
“We’re not having sex, and I completely understand,” he said bluntly. “She’s in a place of wanting to be real and emotional. She’s an emotional being. She’s an amazing woman. If it doesn’t feel right, she doesn’t feel like bonding in that way.”
“She says that to me: ‘I don’t wanna be your mother anymore,’” he went on. “I appreciated that. I respected that. I’ve been going to therapy. I’m trying to grow up.” Meanwhile, he said Cox is “the greatest woman” he’s ever met, but noted: “She’s got her issues. She tries to take on everybody’s problem. That’s why she doesn’t want to be the mother to me anymore.”
Rehab
Arquette entered an alcohol rehabilitation program in January of 2011, and fans assumed this had something to do with the separation. At the time, sources close to Arquette said that he was seeking treatment for depression as well as alcoholism and that the program made a big difference for him. However, shortly after checking out, Arquette appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where he said he still wasn’t sure if his marriage would be saved.
“I want her to be happy,” he said. “If me being the best person I can be doesn’t make her happy in a partner, in who she needs, whatever she’s looking for, that’s still to be answered.”
Scream 4
In spite of their issues, Cox and Arquette both reprised their roles in Scream 4 and put up a united front on the movie’s press run. In the story, Arquette’s character Dewey has risen to become the sheriff of his hometown, while his wife Gale (Cox) has settled in the small town and become an author. They two are at odds as Gale begins investigating the murder spree independently, but by the end both are grateful the other was there to have their back as the mystery and violence unfolded.
Divorce
Cox and Arquette filed for divorce on June 8, 2012. Both filed simultaneously, citing irreconcilable differences and requesting joint physical and legal custody of Coco. In the months that followed, both praised each other at every chance. During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Cox said: “He’s my best friend in the world. I love him,” adding that she appreciated Arquette “more now than I ever did. I mean… it’s hard. I don’t recommend divorce in general, but, you know, he is my best friend and we’ve both grown and changed.” The divorce was finalized in May of 2013.
Arquette experienced a relapse in his alcoholism, again calling into Stern’s radio show to speak frankly about his life in the headlines. However, even in that state he only had nice things to say about Cox, telling Stern he loved her with all his “f-ing heart. She’s the most brilliant, beautiful friend that I’ve ever met.” He also referenced rumors that Cox was dating someone else, saying: “I’m not going to get into her personal stuff. She’s with someone who loves and cares for her. That’s all I care about.”
Arquette himself began dating Entertainment Tonight correspondent Christina McLarty in 2011, and in November of 2013 they had their first child together. They would go on to marry in 2015 and have another son in 2017.
Co-Parenting and Scream 5
Arquette and Cox made it clear that they were still very active co-parents to Coco in the years that followed, often posting together on Instagram. When they reprised their roles in Scream 5, Arquette told Entertainment Tonight that it was easy to work with Cox on a movie because they already work together as a family.
“We co-parent, so we’re in touch quite a bit,” he said. It’s great. But we always love working together. She’s an incredible actress, so it’ll be fun to bring these characters back to life and see where they’re at… costarring’s the easy part.”
Scream 5 was a grim story that found Dewey disgraced and forced to retire from police work, and divorced from Gale as well. He was living alone in a mobile home obsessively watching his ex-wife’s news broadcasts when he was pulled back into the story once again. He and Gale had some nice moments together in this movie, though it’s hard to say if they were intended as meta-commentary on their real-life relationship.
Cox and Arquette are both finished with the Scream franchise, and they seem to have reached some equilibrium as exes and co-parents as well. Fans are still rooting for the duo in whatever comes next in their lives.
