Lauren Graham Spills Some Tea On Reason For Split From Peter Krause

Lauren Graham has revealed some unknown details about the breakdown of her longtime relationship with Peter Krause.

Although the former couple's romance did not officially begin until 2010, Graham and Krause managed to keep their relationship relatively private, limiting their public appearances to a few events, including the 2020 Golden Globes. Unfortunately, that occasion would later be referred to as the last time they were together in public.

In a move that no one saw coming, Graham opened up about the circumstances surrounding her split from Krause for the first time since it happened last year. The "Gilmore Girls" actress told PEOPLE in an interview:

"I think part of all the positives of having known each other for a really long time were there. And one of the negatives of that is we almost came into a relationship as people in their 40s without asking any of the questions people in their 40s should be asking."

She explained that even though she and the "9-1-1" actor had "such a good time together," she neglected asking "some fundamental questions" about his values and visions. Graham believed that their fundamental differences "caught up" with them, leading to their breakup.

Since then, the "Someday, Someday, Maybe" author has made changes to her life, including renting a beach house before returning to Los Angeles to focus on her work. Admitting that time has helped in healing her broken heart, the actress added:

"Any pain still really has its moments. I was a contributor in the life of his child, and so we're connected. And yes, I'm in a better place, but it's still just a shame. It's just sad to me."

Despite the pain, the 55-year-old has remained open to finding love again, noting that she wanted a kind man with a good sense of humor. Fans would recall that Graham and her former partner of over a decade kept news of their split private until an insider confirmed it to news outlets, per The Blast.

Graham and Krause first met in 1995 when their careers started on the set of "Caroline in the City," where Graham was a recurring guest star. When Krause joined the crew to shoot an episode, he and the actress developed a connection.

However, it was not until they starred as brother and sister on the NBC hit 2010 drama, "Parenthood," that their connection turned romantic, prompting them to start a lowkey decade-long relationship. Recalling the early stage of their love affair, Graham said:

"I think we liked each other [but] he asked me over to his house to play a board game – and that's exactly what we ended up doing. So I was like, 'This guy doesn't like me. Who actually plays a board game?' The timing wasn't right. I don't think either of us was ready."

Their unreadiness did nothing to stop Graham's "Gilmore Girls" costar, Kelly Bishop, from advocating that they date. She disclosed that Bishop was disappointed in her choice of boyfriends, claiming that she "needed someone who was more my equal, like 'that wonderful actor on Six Feet Under.'"

The pair enjoyed 11 years of love and achieved greatness on screen when Krause made a surprise cameo appearance as a park ranger on Netflix's "Gilmore Girls" revival, known as "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" in 2016. That singular action brought the pair even closer together as Krause admitted later that his then-partner had helped him achieve one of his lifelong dreams. He explained:

"When I was a kid, that was one of the things that I wanted to be — I wanted to be a forest ranger or park ranger. I thought it would be cool to be outside, have the truck make sure everything's okay, save people."

Their relationship began deteriorating during the coronavirus pandemic as Graham could not "come and go" to visit her then-boyfriend due to the quarantine rules at the time. She had been filming "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" thousands of miles away in Vancouver, Canada. 

When she eventually returned home, she was shocked to learn that her beau and his son, Roman — whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Christine King — had set some new rules.