The cited public reporting does not substantiate that Lucy Hale and Ian Harding secretly dated while making Pretty Little Liars. Hale later said she had a crush on Harding around the time they filmed the pilot and first season, but she also said in interviews published in 2013 and 2014 that they would not date in real life. A crush is not evidence of a mutual relationship.
What Lucy Hale said about dating Ian Harding
In a June 5, 2013 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Hale discussed fans wanting her and Harding to date off screen after their characters’ breakup. She said, “I mean, it’s to the point where they want Ian and I to date in real life … which is not going to happen.” The remark was part of a conversation about audience reactions, not a comprehensive account of the actors’ private lives.
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Pretty Little Liars Complete Series: (Repackage/DVD) | $63.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Pretty Little Liars: The Complete Series Set | $57.78 | Buy on Amazon |
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Pretty Little Liars: The Complete First Season | $11.96 | Buy on Amazon |
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Pretty Little Liars: Season 4 | $13.10 | Buy on Amazon |
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Pretty Little Liars: The Complete Second Season | $13.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Hale addressed the question more directly in a July 1, 2014 interview with Seventeen. Asked whether she and Harding would date in real life, she replied, “No, sorry,” then called him beautiful and charming and added, “we know each other too well.” She also described their on-screen chemistry as effortless. Her comments distinguish the characters’ romance and chemistry from a real-life relationship.
Hale later described Harding as a crush
In 2017, Hale named Harding as her season-one on-set crush during a cast interview game, according to Teen Vogue. She said, “Oh whatever, it was Ian! Ian Harding, season 1,” and added, “Well, whatever, I was 20.”
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Hale revisited the subject in an April 3, 2018 interview with Entertainment Tonight, recalling that she had a crush on Harding when they filmed the pilot. She said they had just met, she was about 20, and she would have had a crush on any cute boy nearby. That account supports Hale having a crush; it does not establish that Harding returned it or that they became a couple.
Why fans connected the actors
Hale and Harding played Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz, whose fictional romance and on-screen chemistry drew fan attention. Hale acknowledged that viewers wanted the actors to date, and described their performance chemistry as effortless. But audience interest and convincing acting cannot show that two performers were romantically involved outside the series.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the public record can—and cannot—show
The interviews establish what Hale said publicly: fans wanted the pair together, she said they would not date in real life, and she later recalled having a crush on Harding early in the show’s run. The cited coverage does not substantiate a secret relationship. Because these are public comments and entertainment reports rather than a complete record of private interactions, they also cannot prove what happened in every private moment.
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