Kaley Cuoco Didn't Marry Karl Cook for His Money—and Vice Versa

"If Karl left me tomorrow, I'd be fine," the Big Bang Theory star tells Women's Health

By Zach Johnson Oct 09, 2018 4:40 PMTags
E! Placeholder Image

Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook are as supportive as they are independent.

In the November issue of Women's Health, Cuoco gives new insight into her marriage to the champion equestrian, whom she met by chance at a horse show in 2016. Back then, Cuoco was—and still is—one of the highest-paid actresses on TV. And yet, he had no idea who she was. "We bonded a lot over having the same kind of outlooks on life, insecurities, dating. He comes from a very well-to-do family, so there's all these [preconceived ideas] of being spoiled, and blah, blah, blah," she says of Cook, whose dad founded Intuit. "And he's just the opposite."

Because Cook was unfamiliar with The Big Bang Theory, he was able to see Cuoco for who she is in real life. "It was great because he never kissed my ass at all, and he never cared about any of that," Cuoco remembers. "He loved that I loved horses. It became a big talking point for us."

photos
Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook: Romance Rewind

Cuoco explains that horseback riding "totally changed my life, for so many reasons." One of those reasons, of course, is that it led her to Cook—and one of the best things about her husband is that neither one needs each other. In essence, being together is a daily choice. "I want to see him. I like knowing, though, that I'm [financially] set, because I've taken it upon myself to do that," she says. "I like to tell my friends, 'Always make sure you have your life going, and that you're No. 1, so that anyone who comes into it—husband, or boyfriend or girlfriend, however you roll—that's just an added bonus to something you're already creating.'"

Knowing they don't need to depend on each other financially makes Cook and Cuoco appreciate each other more. "I don't need Karl for anything. If Karl left me tomorrow, I'd be fine," the 32-year-old actor tells the magazine. "And he knows that, and he would be fine, too."

For more from Cuoco, pick up the November issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now.