Who Is Jensen Ackles' Wife? All About Danneel Ackles

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After 15 seasons on Supernatural, it's fair to say that Jensen Ackles, who played Dean Winchester on the show for more than 300 episodes, has become comfortable with the spotlight.

The actor — who recently returned to TV for season 3 of The Boys — developed a devoted fanbase while starring on the long-running series, and was voted "Sexiest TV Star" in People's Sexiest Man Alive 2021: Readers' Choice Poll for the second year in a row.

But through it all, one thing has stayed constant: his relationship with his wife, actress Danneel Ackles.

In fact, the two are building the next phase of their careers together and launched a production company in 2020. The first title they're releasing under the company is a forthcoming show called The Winchesters, which builds on the Supernatural mythology. 

But who is Jensen Ackles' wife? Here's everything you need to know about Danneel Ackles and her long-term relationship with the actor.

She's an actress

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Danneel got her big break when she landed a recurring role on One Life to Live, playing Shannon McBain from 1999 to 2004, but really came into the spotlight when she starred as Rachel in One Tree Hill from 2005 to 2009. Since then, she's appeared in Supernatural, How I Met Your Mother and Friends with Benefits, as well as in movies like Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

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Born Elta Danneel Graul in Louisiana, she went by Danneel Harris professionally until she married Jensen. The name "Danneel" comes from Danneel Street in New Orleans, a city where the couple has spent a lot of time and to which they have strong ties. Danneel is involved with the charitable women's group Saint Claude Social Club there, and Jensen has been named "king" of one of the biggest Mardi Gras parades.

Danneel and Jensen met before they were stars 

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Unlike Supernatural costars-turned-spouses Jared and Genevieve Padalecki, Jensen and Danneel were already married when they appeared together on the show. In fact, Supernatural wasn't the first time they shared the screen — the pair costarred in the 2007 film Ten Inch Hero.

Jensen and Danneel were reportedly friends before their relationship turned romantic after they filmed the rom-com. Prior to when the couple started dating, Jensen previously told PEOPLE in 2006 that his ideal partner was someone with a sense of humor. "It may sound cheesy, but someone who can be your best friend as well as your lover," he described.

The two became a couple later that year and married in 2010. On the last day of filming Supernatural in 2020, Danneel posted a photo of Jensen with the message: "You may be shooting your last day...helping to bring Supernatural across the finish line and into television history, but this is not... the End. Supernatural is a show about love, and the love that has been created within the story is eternal. Love between brothers, love between friends, love between co-stars...love for the crew, love for the fans, and love for each other. Thank you to everyone who is a part of this community and those who continue to share their love and talents with us all."

They have three children

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Danneel and Jensen's first daughter, Justice Jay, was born on May 30, 2013. "We are happy to announce the birth of our precious baby girl," Danneel wrote on Twitter, adding that they planned on calling her JJ. "She was born happy and healthy."

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Twins Zeppelin Bram and Arrow Rhodes were born on Dec. 2, 2016. Jensen later revealed that Zeppelin's name was inspired by the baby's birth.

"When the doctor pulled Zeppelin out, his umbilical cord was tied into a knot," he said on Live! with Kelly and Ryan. "Which could be very dangerous but luckily it was a very loose knot and nothing was happening, he was totally fine." Later, while thinking of a name, he went to a website about sailor's knots and found the Zeppelin bend, which is used to tether blimps to the ground.

Just a few months after the twins were born, Danneel shared a photo of Jensen feeding both babies at the same time, captioning it, "#mancrushmonday."

Danneel and Jensen live in Austin, Texas with their kids

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Both southerners by birth — Danneel from Louisiana and Jensen from Dallas — the couple wanted to establish roots in a place that felt familiar but also encompassed their "young, bold, and irreverent" vibe, as architect Paul Lamb described the pair in Architectural Digest.

Jensen and Danneel enlisted Lamb and interior designer Fern Santini to create an aesthetic in their home that Danneel described as "more is more is more," with bold colors and textures.

"The hand-scraped wood floors undulate quite heavily, and we've got these giant beams and wood all around that feel like you're in the hull of a giant ship," Jensen said of their space. "What that does is it creates an amazing acoustic sound. We've always had music in our lives, and we wanted to pass on that tradition."

They launched a production company together

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In 2020, the couple announced they were launching a production company, Chaos Machine Productions. "We are pleased to announce that our home office is getting an upgrade and a title!" Danneel wrote on Instagram.

Danneel and Jensen are also co-owners of the Family Business Beer Co. brewery outside Austin.

She and Jensen are co-executive producing a show

The pair's first show together as co-executive producers, The Winchesters, which is a prequel to Supernatural set to premiere on Oct. 11, 2022.

The concept for the show came about in 2020 when the pair were stuck at home. "It was full pandemic lockdown 2020, Danneel and I with three kids in a house and we're like, uh, we need to do something creative," Jensen told Entertainment Weekly.

Danneel added, "Everybody who's involved in this project loves this show. We have lived this show for 15 years; it's a family member. So just trust us that we're going to take care of it."

Jensen is narrating the series, which his longtime costar Padalecki famously found out about on Twitter. (The two have since publicly commented that they've worked everything out.)

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Danneel said that the character she played, Sister Jo, won't make an appearance in the new show. "From my understanding, her vessel lived in the 2000s," Danneel explained.

However, the couple said they hope to feature other Supernatural favorites in the series, with Danneel adding, "Why else do you make a show if you can't work with your friends? If that is at all possible, it's happening."

She's involved in charities and activism

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Danneel uses her platform — she has more than one million followers on Instagram alone — to raise awareness for issues both close to home and those that affect people around the world. When extreme weather hit Texas in early 2021, Danneel posted resources on how to donate to relief funds.

During a 2021 Pride celebration, she posted a photo posing with her kids in Pride shirts under a rainbow banner. "Our family is celebrating the values we hold true all year," she captioned it. "Inclusion, Diversity, and Love. We strive to always give acceptance to those around us."

Activism also runs in the family. Jensen has been vocal about destigmatizing mental health issues in the past, and has teamed up with Jared Padalecki to raise funds for mental health awareness.

In 2018, Danneel and Jensen hosted a SoulCycle charity event that raised money for Random Acts and Out Youth, which provides support to LGBTQ+ youth in Central Texas.

Danneel and Jensen played matchmaker for another star couple

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While Danneel's One Tree Hill costar Hilarie Burton was visiting the couple in Los Angeles, the three of them decided to go out for drinks to an Irish pub one night. Little did Jensen know that when he invited Supernatural costar Jeffrey Dean Morgan to join them for the evening, he'd be changing their lives.

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"You pulled up in your Harley, and we were sitting there in the front window, and Hilarie sees this guy get off a bike in slow-motion and take his helmet off and throw his hair [around]," Jensen recalled on Burton and Morgan's AMC show Friday Night in with the Morgans. "You walked in, the two of you locked eyes, and that was pretty much the rest of the evening."

Burton and Morgan have been together since 2009 and share two kids. "12 years ago… met this one," Morgan posted. "Blind date. @jensenackles just knew he had the gal for me. Been with her ever since that night."