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Hollywood breakups are usually a mess of PR statements and "mutual respect" captions. But the situation between Jason Sudeikis and Keeley Hazell was always a bit more... layered. It wasn't just a rebound after the massive, public fallout of his relationship with Olivia Wilde. Honestly, it was a years-long friendship that turned into a "safe harbor" during one of the messiest periods of Sudeikis’s life.
You've probably heard the rumors. Maybe you saw the photos of them hiking in LA or spotted her wearing his tie-dye hoodie on Instagram. But there’s a lot more to the story than just two people "having fun" in London. From the origins of a certain Ted Lasso character to the reality of their 2022 split, here is the actual timeline of what went down.
It started way before the Lasso biscuits
Most people think they met during the pandemic. Not even close. Jason and Keeley actually crossed paths back in 2014. They were both on the set of Horrible Bosses 2. Jason was the lead, and Keeley had a minor role as an assistant.
They hit it off. Not necessarily in a romantic way—not then, anyway—but they became genuine friends. This matters because when Jason started developing a little show about an American football coach in England, Keeley was right there in the mix.
The Keeley Jones connection
If you've watched Ted Lasso, you know Keeley Jones. She’s the bubbly, brilliant, "famous for being famous" model played by Juno Temple. It’s no secret that the character was literally named after Keeley Hazell.
In her 2025 memoir Everyone's Seen My Tits, Hazell revealed that Jason actually wrote the part for her. She auditioned multiple times. She even did a chemistry read with Jason himself.
"I felt like I’d been punched in the chest," she wrote about the moment she found out she didn't get the part. Juno Temple got the role, and Hazell ended up playing Bex—the girlfriend (and eventually wife) of the villainous Rupert.
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It’s a bit meta, isn't it?
Keeley Hazell playing a character who dates the ex-husband of the woman her namesake character is best friends with. It’s a lot to keep track of.
The "Hoodie" phase and the London lockdown
Flash forward to early 2021. Jason’s world had just imploded. His long-term partner Olivia Wilde was suddenly very public with Harry Styles. The internet was dissecting every "special salad dressing" detail.
Enter Keeley.
In February 2021, sources started whispering to People and The Sun that Jason was finding "solace" with his old friend. He was in London filming Ted Lasso Season 2. She was there too.
Then came the Golden Globes. Jason won for Best Actor while sitting on a couch in a rainbow tie-dye hoodie. A few days later, Keeley posted a selfie to her Instagram Story. She was wearing the exact same hoodie.
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Basically, the cat was out of the bag.
Was it ever "serious"?
This is where it gets tricky. If you look at the reports from 2021 and 2022, the word "casual" comes up a lot. Like, every other sentence.
- June 2021: They were spotted walking arm-in-arm in NYC. They looked happy.
- September 2021: A hike in Los Angeles. The "just friends" narrative was being pushed hard by reps.
- November 2021: They were seen kissing on a beach in Cabo San Lucas.
Clearly, it was more than just "hanging out." But Jason was also dealing with a high-stakes custody battle and the emotional weight of a nine-year relationship ending. Keeley was the person who was "brilliant and incredibly supportive" during that time. She was a familiar face in a city that probably felt quite lonely for him.
Why they eventually called it quits
By May 2022, the "on-again, off-again" cycle finally sputtered out.
The official reason? Hectic schedules. It’s the classic Hollywood excuse, but in this case, it might actually be true. Jason was bicoastal, managing a massive production in the UK and kids in the US. Keeley was busy with her own career and writing her book.
Sources told The Mirror that the relationship simply failed to "blossom" into something long-term once the initial comfort of the rebound wore off. There was even a rumor that they were still "hooking up" for a few months after the "official" split, but by the end of 2022, they had moved into separate orbits.
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Where they stand now
Keeley Hazell has been quite vocal lately about her experience. Her 2025 podcast appearances and her memoir give the impression of someone who has processed the "Ted Lasso" chapter of her life and moved on. She’s focused on her work as a writer and producer—she even co-wrote an episode in Season 3 of the show.
As for Jason, he’s kept his private life much tighter since the Hazell era.
There are a few takeaways from this whole saga that go beyond celebrity gossip:
- Friendship is a solid foundation, but not a guarantee. They had a decade of history, which made the romantic transition easy, but perhaps too "safe" for the long haul.
- Rebounds serve a purpose. For Sudeikis, Hazell wasn't just a girlfriend; she was a bridge back to feeling like himself after a devastating split.
- The "Lasso" legacy is permanent. No matter who they date next, Keeley Hazell's influence is baked into one of the most beloved TV characters of the decade.
If you’re looking to follow their current moves, keep an eye on the credits. Hazell is leaning more into the "Making a Scene" side of the industry, and Sudeikis is rumored to be finally moving toward a fourth season of Ted Lasso (or a spinoff) after years of "will they, won't they."
What to do next:
If you're a fan of the show, go back and watch Season 1, Episode 8. That’s the first time Hazell appears as Bex. Now that you know she was the original inspiration for Keeley Jones, her scenes with Juno Temple feel completely different. You can literally see the two "Keeleys" sharing the screen.