Friends actor Matt LeBlanc broke up with his longtime girlfriend Aurora Mulligan in 2020, but the news of their breakup made headlines only years later.

A close source to the couple told MailOnline (via Dailymail) that the two of them hadn't been "together in over a year."

Another insider also gave a similar statement to The Sun, explaining, "Matt and Aurora’s relationship has run its course. It’s all over. It’s a huge shame and Matt has taken the news particularly hard, as anyone would."

The source also highlighted the age difference between the former couple, adding that they were "a really great match" despite the age gap.

Then the insider reasoned that the long-distance relationship between LeBlanc and his girlfriend might have caused their breakup

"When he announced he was leaving Top Gear and took on other work, it was hard for them. He’s mainly based out of LA and was travelling a lot while Aurora was working in the UK," the sourced shared. 

Matt LeBlanc Had Met His Ex Girlfriend on 'Top Gear'

LeBlanc met his girlfriend Mulligan on the set of BBC’s Top Gear, a non-fiction series featuring automobile reviews and races which coincided with his love for motors and vehicles. 

The actor co-hosted the show from 2016 to 2019, which was executive produced by the 35-year-old Irish television producer.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Matt LeBlanc (@mleblanc)

The pair preferred to keep their relationship away from the prying eyes of the media, as they rarely made appearances on each other’s Instagram page. 

Despite keeping their romance under wraps, LeBlanc and his girlfriend soon stepped out publicly in different events, such as the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival in New York and Hickstead Derby

They were also spotted out and about at various places, including a joint appearance at the London premiere of Top Gear’s 25th season. 

In one episode of The Graham Norton Show, the host asked him if he had relocated to the UK after working on Episodes and Top Gear.

The actor sheepishly replied, "It’s half and half. I have a flat here with my girlfriend, but my home is in LA. I spend a lot of time here, so I have to kind of like it!"

Is Matt LeBlanc Married?

LeBlanc has often been seen as a womanizer outside of his role as Joey Tribbiani on Friends.

Before Mulligan, LeBlanc was romantically involved with several other figures in the entertainment industry. In fact, he confessed that the only reason he got into acting was that he was following a “cute girl."

At the beginning of his television career in 1989, the actor dated actress and model Teri Copley for about half a year, and his next high-profile relationship was with Almost Famous actress Kate Hudson, who was just seventeen years old. 

The relationship, however, did not last long.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Matt LeBlanc (@mleblanc)

In 1997, LeBlanc began dating British-American model Melissa McKnight. He proposed to his girlfriend a year later.

The pair tied the knot in 2003 and welcomed daughter Marina in 2004.

However, LeBlanc unexpectedly called the marriage off in 2006.

People reported LeBlanc got involved with a fellow Friends spin-off Joey, co-star, and while McKnight was hoping for a reconciliation, LeBlanc had other plans and filed for divorce. 

Soon after his divorce, LeBlanc began dating his co-star from Joey, Andrea Anders, and their relationship lasted eight years.

But in 2015, the relationship ended after he was caught cheating at a Halloween party, though his representatives denied the infidelity in a statement to E! News.