COUPLESJulie Bowen Reveals New 'Lovely' Boyfriend as She Opens Up on Dating Life
Julie Bowen got candid about her dating life while talking about her new 'lovely' boyfriend.
Sept. 29 2026, Published 7:11 a.m. ET
Julie Bowen is opening up about her new dating life four years after saying she had called it quits on dating.
Talking to People, she said, “I have a lovely friend,” while keeping her new partner's identity private.
Julie Bowen Shared the Qualities She Looks For in a Partner
Julie Bowen opened up about her new dating life four years after saying she had called it quits on dating.
The Modern Family alum went on to talk about how her "lovely friend" matches the qualities that she is looking for.
“I need smart and funny,” she said, talking about the features she looks for in a partner.
“I don’t care what people look like—though he happens to be good-looking," she went on.
Bowen added, “I like the brains.”
Bowen Was Previously Married to Scott Phillips
Julie Bowen talked about her new 'lovely' friend in her latest interview.
Bowen's previous partner was her now-ex-husband, Scott Phillips.
The two had tied the knot back in 2004 and spent almost a decade and a half together.
However, in 2017, the pair called it quits. They share sons Oliver, 19, and 17-year-old twins Gustave and John.
After finalizing her divorce from Phillips in 2018, the Happy Gilmore actress even declared that she was “very single” and was closing the dating chapter of her life.
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Julie Bowen was previously married to Scott Phillips.
In fact, at the time, she even gifted herself a new dog to celebrate the end of that era.
In a 2022 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Bowen candidly said, "That dog, that was my retirement gift to me. I was like, ‘I'm done. I'm done.'"
She also talked about how she had learned to flip the script on any potential dates, thanks to her latest feline companion.
"I did go on some dates, and this guy was always like, ‘You have to come to my house because I have a dog.' And I was like, ‘I'm getting a dog,'" Bowen explained.
"That's the trick, man! Now it's on my terms. ‘You can come; I have a dog. You have to leave; I have a dog,'" she added.
Bowen Has Been Vocal About Her Sexuality Too
Julie Bowen was also vocal about her sexuality, admitting she was once in love with a girl.
Besides previously quitting dating altogether, Bowen also got candid about her sexuality.
On a 2022 episode of the "Quitters" podcast, she said, "I'm straight. I've always been straight."
At the same time, she also admitted to a personal confession, saying, "I was in love with a woman for a while, but she didn't love me back. She liked women, but she didn't like me in that way. It never really took off, so I never really had to challenge my concept of my sexuality."
Still, she made it clear that she doesn't believe her sexuality is anyone else's business.
Continuing on the podcast, the 56-year-old unhesitantly added, "I hope people don't always have to come out. What you do with your body should not be the first thing we know about people, or care about—that's your business."
