Gilmore Girls key set costumer Valerie Campbell isn’t having it with negative rumors about her former colleagues. In a recent TikTok video, she shut down claims that Milo Ventimiglia mistreated Alexis Bledel, whom he dated for four years, while the couple worked together on set. Read on to learn more about Ventimiglia and Bledel’s relationship, the rumors that first surfaced around 2006, and what Campbell said about them.
How long did Alexis Bledel and Milo Ventimiglia date?
On Gilmore Girls, Bledel’s Rory Gilmore dated Ventimiglia’s Jess Mariano for several months. Unfortunately for Team Jess fans, their relationship didn’t work out, as Jess left town shortly before Rory went off to college. Ventimiglia and Bledel’s relationship in real life, however, lasted much longer.
As Gilmore Girls fans might recall, Ventimiglia joined the cast mid-season two, in 2002. Both Ventimiglia and Bledel were private about their personal lives, but reports of them dating began sometime in 2003. And even though Ventimiglia left the show (with the exception of some guest appearances) after season 3, his relationship with Bledel continued for much of Gilmore Girls‘ run. Bledel even told People in 2005 that they talked about marriage “down the road.”
However, Ventimiglia and Bledel did call it quits after nearly four years, in 2006. They never shared the reason for their breakup. Unfortunately, this may have added fuel to some nasty rumors surrounding the former couple.
Valerie Campbell shut down rumors that Milo Ventimiglia ‘manipulated’ Alexis Bledel on the ‘Gilmore Girls’ set
In 2006, the controversial celebrity blog Gawker reported on an alleged physical and verbal altercation between Ventimiglia and Bledel at a restaurant. Rumors circulated that Ventimiglia was abusive toward Bledel during their relationship, even on the Gilmore Girls set. However, many people have since regarded these stories as made-up by the paparazzi.
Still, the rumors recently resurfaced on TikTok. One user claimed to have heard that Ventimiglia “degraded,” “manipulated,” and “verbally attacked” Bledel on set. Campbell, who worked closely with Ventimiglia and Bledel as the key set costumer on Gilmore Girls and the costume supervisor on Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, stitched the video to share her perspective.
“Never. And I worked very closely with them both. Never, ever saw them ever have any issues,” Campbell said in the video.
Read Related Also: Police seek to block LGBTQ+ protesters from George Pell's funeral
In the caption, Cambell called Ventimiglia “nothing but kind, funny, and sweet.”
Many fans thanked Campbell for clearing up the rumors. One user commented that the crew of a TV or film production are the “eyes and ears,” to which Campbell responded, “Exactly, I would know if it was said or done [on] Gilmore.”
Are the ‘Gilmore Girls’ co-stars still friends?
Ventimiglia and Bledel haven’t spoken too much about each other or their relationship since the breakup. However, they appear to be on amicable terms, as the two reunited for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life in 2016. Additionally, in 2017, Ventimiglia praised Bledel for her Emmy win for The Handmaid’s Tale.
“I’m very happy for her. She’s always been a great actor and I think as long as she’s been in the business for her to be recognized … I’m very happy for her,” he told The Daily Dish.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
![‘Marie Antoinette’ on PBS: Lamballe Reveals Yolande’s Secret to the Queen [Exclusive Clip]](https://celebjam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/‘Marie-Antoinette-on-PBS-Lamballe-Reveals-Yolandes-Secret-to-the.webp-380x200.webp)
