'How did we miss this?' The celebrities you had no clue once dated.

There are plenty of celebrities couples who we know, love and cherish. 

But then there are the couples that were somehow permanently deleted from our collective memories.

Whether it's because they dated yonks ago, or they just didn't get much fanfare at the time, we've collated some truly random couples that escaped us. 

An extra thanks to a Reddit thread about this topic, which provided some incredible suggestions. 

Get ready to say 'what???' a lot. 

Carmen Electra and Simon Cowell.

Image: Getty. 

Yes, you read right. Simon and Carmen dated for a few months in 2012. "I just thought Simon was so much fun and was so smart and he's really interesting," Carmen later reflected to Loaded Magazine.

So why did it end? Ugh, it sounds... messy. It's been reported that she walked in on him in a compromising position with his now-fiancé, Lauren Silverman. 

"Carmen was at Simon's house in L.A. when she literally busted him," an insider told E! News. "Simon called her a friend, but there was nothing platonic about what was going on, if you know what I mean." 

Zac Efron and Michelle Rodriguez.

Image: Getty. 

How did we miss this? Back in 2014, Zac and Michelle had a brief fling, with the teen heartthrobs even photographed having a smooch on holiday in Sardinia, Italy. 

The High School Musical and Blue Crush stars were rumoured to have broken up as Michelle was not over her ex, Cara Delevingne. 

Julia Stiles and David Harbour.

Image: Getty. 

Here's a throwback! Stranger Things actor David Harbour once dated iconic 90s teen movie star, Julia Stiles. The two met in 2011 while filming Between Us — and they were legit. The actors dated for four years while living in New York together. 

Of course, David would go on to meet UK pop star Lily Allen, who he married in 2020, while Julia would marry fellow actor Preston J. Cook in 2017.

Seth MacFarlane and Emilia Clarke.

Image: Getty. 

The Queen of Game of Thrones and the King of Family Guy might seem like an unlikely match, but they dated for six months from 2012 to 2013. 

Clarke confirmed the rumoured romance, revealing she felt external pressure from the public while they were together. 

"You have strangers giving you love-life advice like, 'I'm a big fan of the show, and I'm not sure what you're doing with that guy,' which I didn't react well to," she told Glamour in 2016. 

"That happened in New York when Seth and I were together." 

Jack White and Renée Zellweger.

Image: Getty.

Another pairing no one saw coming! 

The White Stripes singer and Chicago star dated for almost two years from 2002 onwards. They met on the set of Cold Mountain, which starred Zellweger and had White on the soundtrack. 

Justin Timberlake and Fergie.

Image: Getty.

Talk about a Fergalicious match! Apparently, Justin and Fergie had a brief fling after meeting when JT collaborated with The Black Eyed Peas on 'Where Is the Love?' in 2003. 

"One of my good friends was dating J.C. Chasez, and so we'd all hang out with 'N Sync. Justin and I would go out together and have fun and make out," she told Cosmopolitan in 2006. 

"We went to Hawaii together, but we were never serious. He was Mr. Right Now."

Cameron Diaz and Jared Leto.

Image: Getty. 

Neither actor has even spoken publicly about the relationship, but based on the many paparazzi photos they shared together, it's clear Diaz and Leto dated from 1999 to 2003 — they were even reportedly engaged for a year. 

Jason Mantzoukis and Connie Britton.

Image: Getty.

Umm, obsessed with this couple!

Connie and Jason dated briefly in 2009, even walking the red carpet together. The Friday Night Lights star opened up about her relationship with the comedian and podcaster. 

"I have a great man in my life — he's a comedy writer, but I probably shouldn't say much more than that," she said in an interview with Redbook in 2009. 

Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock.

Image: Getty.

After meeting on A Time to Kill is a 1996, these two dated for two years. And it sounds like they ended on good terms. 

"No matter where he is in his life or where I am in mine — he could be married — I know we would stay close," Sandra told Cosmopolitan in 2003.

Scarlett Johansson and Sean Penn.

Image: Getty. 

Scarlett and Sean were romantically linked for several months on 2011. According to US Weekly, they split because Penn feared commitment and 'didn't want to be tied down'. 

But there were plenty of other men who wanted to be 'tied down' to Scarlett Johansson. The actor has a diverse list of exes: she was married to Ryan Reynolds, and she dated Josh Hartnett, Jared Leto, and even Taylor Swift's hit maker, Jack Antonoff, in high school.

Scar-Jo has range! 

Chris Evans and Jessica Biel.

Image: Getty. 

Now THIS is a Hollywood power couple. Evans and Biel dated while the 7th Heaven star was at the height of her fame, and Chris was still trying to make it as an actor, long before he became Captain America. 

They dated for five years from 2001 to 2006, working on two films together — London and Cellular — before calling it quits. While she eventually married Justin Timberlake, at the time Biel had high hopes for her future with Evans. 

"We always talk about [marriage]," she told Cosmopolitan in 2005. "We both want to be married, and we both want to have children." 

Feature image: Getty/Mamamia.