Zooey Deschanel and HGTV’s “Property Brothers” star Jonathan Scott are happy and engaged, but before the couple met, the actress had been married. Deschanel was married to Jacob Pechenik, whom she split from in 2019. The pair share two children, Elsie Otter and Charlie Wolf, and they remain a big part of each other’s lives as they co-parent.
The family is the perfect example of healthy co-parenting. Not only do they get on, but Scott and Pechenik have also formed an unexpected bond. This is something the “New Girl” actress spoke about in her interview on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast on Wednesday, December 17.
Zooey Deschanel Reveals Co-Parenting Relationship with Her Ex
In her chat with Cooper, Deschanel revealed there was no bad blood between herself and her ex. “I don’t hate anyone that I was with before,” she said. “And you know, it’s awesome because my kids’ dad is a great dad. And I always wanna support him as a parent. We have a group chat — Jonathan and Jacob and I — and my kids thrive when they know that we all care for each other.”
She also revealed that she, Scott, and Pechenik can spend time together for the benefit of their children. “We socialize, and we’ve been on vacations together, and you know, we’ve been through a lot,” she shared.
As for how they managed to make things work? This takes mutual respect and good communication. She also acknowledged that it was important for her to see her ex-husband’s “opinion and his point of view” when parenting their children. “I think it goes both ways,” she said. “So then he’ll respect me, and I respect him, and then the respect just keeps generating and building, you know?”
Zooey Deschanel’s Advice on Dealing with an Ex
Deschanel offers advice to others struggling to co-parent with their exes because of the emotions involved. “I talk to people about this all the time because there are people like, it’s really hard for them to let go of feeling mad,” she said. “You have to let go of any anger you’d feel. And I know that sounds difficult. But it’s actually pretty easy when you just go, ‘Look, the most important thing is that the kids are happy. And that they’re thriving.’”
Deschanel and Pechenik extended their mutual respect to meeting new partners, too. Before they introduced their children to their significant others, they had to make sure it was serious. This means they also got the courtesy of meeting them first. “I wouldn’t want them to get attached to somebody unless I knew they were gonna be in their lives, you know? So it kind of set up a little bit of a protocol so that we took it seriously before we’d introduce a partner to the kids,” she shared.
Scott and Deschanel have been engaged since 2023, and fans are eagerly awaiting their wedding. Luckily, Scott has formed a beautiful bond with Elsie Otter and Charlie Wolf. They are now a happy blended family!
