Are Steve Howey And Shanola Hampton From Shameless Friends In Real Life?

Steve Howey and Shanola Hampton starred as Kevin and Veronica in "Shameless" for all 11 Seasons of the hit series, which ended in 2021. The Showtime dramedy depicted a scrappy, fiercely loyal, and totally unapologetic working-class Chicago family named the Gallaghers. Fans all agree that the beloved couple carried the show, remaining a steady presence in the always-changing show until the very end. As Hampton put it best to Entertainment Weekly, Kev and V are not just married, "they are forever, they are the endgame — it's always been that way."

In an interview with Kulture Popped, Howey opened up about the show ending, saying, "It's bittersweet, you know? Eleven seasons is a rarity. The cast and crew — specifically the cast — we all grew up together." 

With such a fantastic on-screen dynamic for so long, one has to wonder if the two are actually friends in real life now that "Shameless" is over.

In that same interview, Howey called Hampton his partner, explaining how they've developed a very close friendship throughout their journey on the show and that he considers her one of his best friends.

The actress has also spoken on her relationship with Howey, mirroring the sentiment about them being best friends to EW and adding that he is one of her soulmates in this world. "Soulmates come in so many different ways; you can just really see a person, and we see each other in a way that is very, very rare," she expressed. "It's because we've been on this journey together and have this respect for each other, and he's my protector and he's my best friend." 

Since the show ended, the two have continued to get together along with other cast members for reunions. While everyone misses seeing this duo on screen together, they have definitely been busy with new projects, and hopefully, we'll see them work together in the future.