Why did Cara Santana and Jesse Metcalfe split? Relationship explored as actress marries Shannon Leto

On May 5, 2025, Cara Santana and Shannon Leto secretly tied the knot in an intimate and star-studded wedding ceremony in Beverly Hills, E! News reported.

Amid news of the actress getting married, some of her fans desire to know about her highly-publicized relationship with Jesse Metcalfe. The couple was together for over a decade. During their courtship, they got engaged; however, they never made it to the altar.

According to a People report, Cara Santana and Jesse Metcalfe split up in January 2020. Despite being together for about 13 years, they were "on and off several times," an insider revealed to E! News that month, as cited by Nicki Swift.

During that time, the Daily Mail also obtained pictures of Jesse getting close to an unidentified woman. It seemed they were showing PDA at a Sherman Oaks bar, People confirmed.

He was also spotted with model Livia Pillmann the same day. They were seen coming out after having lunch and walking together, holding each other's hands.

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A look at Cara Santana and Jesse Metcalfe's relationship timeline

2006

Us Weekly confirmed that they were first linked in 2006. Reportedly, they took a few years to enter a steady relationship and become a couple officially.

In 2009, Cara Santana and Jesse Metcalfe began dating, according to People. They chose to keep their romance under wraps initially. They made their relationship public in 2013 by posting some glimpses together on social media.

2013

In August 2013, Cara Santana and Jesse Metcalfe detailed their relationship while speaking with YouTango. The Chesapeake Shores actor looked back on falling in love with her beau at that time and shared,

"I wouldn't say it was love at first sight. It was more of a slow burn, which I think is a better start for a relationship. I think if it comes on fast and furious, it generally fizzles out just as fast. We were slow and steady."

After his statement, Cara chimed in, explaining,

"We took the time to get to know each other. We've known each other for like 10 years."

That year in March, Cara Santana also met Metcalfe's mother in New York City. He shared a glimpse of their meetup with an adorable caption:

"#NYC with my 2 favorite ladies! @caraasantana & my REAL Mom @nancydemaio2"

2014

On April 6, 2014, Jesse shared a cute selfie posing with his partner and their rescue dog named Dexter.

He posted their group picture on Instagram, captioning,

"Home Sweet Home! @caraasantana #Dexter"

Engagement in 2016

In August 2016, Jesse Metcalfe proposed to Cara Santana with a 5.5-carat diamond ring on a sailboat in the Hudson River, New York, as per Us Weekly.

The actress dropped the Instagram post right after her birthday, expressing in the caption,

"Missing This View And Last Weekend Already // But So Excited For The Future Year."

The Desperate Housewives alum dedicated a special post to Cara for her special day. Uploading a selfie with the NYC skyline in the background, he penned in the caption,

"What a weekend! Meant to get this up yesterday, but was too busy celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my baby!!!🎉❤️😘"

Later, he opened up about his engagement in a conversation with Us Weekly, conveying,

"It’s been a long time coming, but we couldn’t be happier."

Cara Santana shared her wedding plans

In a September 2016 conversation with People, she gave a glimpse into her wedding vision at the WEI Beauty Detoxifying Skincare Line luncheon.

She said:

"I'm going to start planning this time next year. Small, intimate, 80 people, Martha's Vineyard - call it a day."

Pointing to food and accommodations as major priorities, she shared,

"I want to make sure my guests enjoy. But anything else I'm like whatever."

Remarking that Jesse has "great taste," Cara Santana further expressed during the interview,

"Every guy is like, 'No, No,' but Jesse has more opinions than whatever has the most opinions, so he'll definitely be inputting."

Cara also praised the love of her life for her diamond engagement ring, commenting,

"He did a beautiful job."

Looking back on how her life changed after getting engaged, she mentioned,

"I think there's a sense of calm. There's a sense of unspoken security that when you're not engaged maybe there's like an underlying uncertainty. Now that we're engaged I feel this total sense of calmness. Like we'll get to the wedding. We've got the rest of our lives."

In October 2016, Cara chatted in detail about tying the knot in September 2018. Revealing more about the much-awaited wedding nuptials to Amsale, cited by Us Weekly, she elaborated,

"I love the start of fall and taking the nuances that time of year brings. There is a lot of romance for me this time of year. I’ll be taking cues from a lot of ideas like color and design for a romantic fall type of wedding. Nothing too bright or over the top. Just subtle. Soft colors. Really elegant and romantic and whimsical."

Cara Santana even weighed in about her big day, noting the wedding venue. She continued,

"We know we want to get married in Martha’s Vineyard, at a small hotel, where every single person stays with us. We want to create an environment that is quintessentially East Coast and fun at the same time. Not stuffy!"

Cara also stated,

"This will be a weekend getaway for boating and sailing and walking into town for a live band and lobster. We want this to be an experience for everyone, and for them to know that they are all a part of our lives."

2019

In March 2019, Santana spoke about her nuptial plans with Us Weekly, disclosing,

"We’re nowhere! We’re totally enjoying it, so hopefully we’ll find something soon."

That year in November, Jesse also opened up about the wedding in a conversation with Access Hollywood. Calling the arrangements "non-existent," he said,

"It’s taking a while, I know, maybe [2020]"

2020

After a courtship of over a decade, Cara Santana and Jesse Metcalfe called it quits on January 4, 2020, an insider revealed to Us Weekly.

A source offered different insights to People, sharing that Cara and Jesse drifted apart on January 22, as the actress got hold of his partner's cozy pictures with other women.

As shared by the source,

"She [Cara] was wearing her ring yesterday. She had no idea things weren't fine until she saw the photos online today. I promise they never broke up until today."

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Cara Santana and Shannon Leto are married

The newly-married pair kept their wedding small yet grand and exclusive. At a luxe home in Beverly Hills, Leto and Santana celebrated their nuptials in the presence of their loved ones and eminent guests.

Reflecting on her dream wedding, Cara Santana shared with Vogue Mexico,

"We invited only 50 people to make it an intimate wedding. It was untraditional, highly personalized, and SO much fun!"

The lovebirds exchanged vows in a celebrity-studded wedding extravaganza. From Olivia Culpo to Jared Leto, the glam-packed guest list also included Ashley Madekwe and Christian McCaffrey.

During the recent conversation, Cara Santana revealed that she "never dreamed of getting married."

Expressing how her husband helped her to realize the meaning and representation of true love, she added,

"Our relationship with Shannon gave me the space and freedom to understand that true love is a place of balance and grounding; a foundation that gives me the courage and confidence to pursue my dreams, persevere, and be the person I want to be."

Opening up about how love transformed her and her plans, the Santa Clarita Diet actress explained,

"One day, I decided that being married to him was something I wanted for my life. I never imagined a dream wedding, but it ended up being just that."

Cara and Shannon chose the perfect date for their marriage. Weighing on its significance and value, she disclosed,

"5-5-5 represents new beginnings. Five is our lucky number and the years we've been together."

Recounting special moments from this unforgettable day, she chimed in,

"The wedding was perfect. At the table, we enjoyed a menu of dishes, made moving speeches and exchanged vows. Then we danced the entire night."

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