Lorelai and Christopher had a bond where they couldn’t tell if they were best friends, brief lovers, or soulmates on Gilmore Girls. After meeting when they were just 6 years old, the two became hot and heavy in high school and conceived Rory when they were 16. From the moment Lorelai got pregnant, the “should we or shouldn’t we?” game began to play between Lorelai and Christopher.

When Rory started high school, Lorelai and Christopher reconnected, which started a second chapter for the pair. Fans couldn’t stand the cat and mouse game between the two because of Lorelai’s bond with Luke. When season 7 rolled around, fans were dying to know: does Lorelai marry Chris? By ‘French Twist,’ the two eloped but their marriage was short-lived. The two rushed into it and ignored all of the red flags that were leading to their demise.

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Updated on January 21st, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: Lorelai Gilmore and Christopher Hayden had a complex relationship throughout Gilmore Girls. The two fell in love at a young age and had Rory, but Lorelai chose to raise Rory alone. By the time Rory was 16, Christopher made more of a presence in Rory’s life, which led to a new spark between Lorelai and Christopher.

The two married, but fans wanted to know one thing: when do Lorelai and Christopher get divorced? Their fallout was undeniable, but what led to their demise? 

Lorelai Wouldn’t Have Handled Christopher’s Good Relationship With The Gilmores

Although it’s refreshing for Lorelai to be with someone that her parents approve of, her marriage with Christopher wouldn’t have worked out because Lorelai wouldn’t have handled Christopher’s good relationship with her parents well.

Lorelai and her parents have a long history filled with disappointment. They had their good moments, and Lorelai and Richard had some things in common, but Lorelai wouldn’t have been able to deal with it being three against one on Friday night dinners. Christopher would have hated not having Richard and Emily’s approval, which would have led to Lorelai fighting for herself.

The Day They Got Married Had Trouble Written All Over It

In season 7, Chris and Lorelai were newly dating and things were going smoothly. They flew to Paris to drop Gigi off with Sherry, which meant the two got to explore the City of Lights through the eyes of tourists.

One morning, Chris and Lorelai enjoyed a lovely Parisian meal where they really connected. Chris randomly asked Lorelai to marry him, which threw her off guard. His eagerness was so sincere that Lorelai couldn’t say no. Without thinking about the logistics of it or even talking about it with Rory, they got married. In fans’ eyes, Christopher got worse and worse for pressuring Lorelai and rushing their relationship. Since the wedding was so rushed, the two were bound for another breakup.

They Didn’t Talk To Rory About Getting Married Before Doing It

In ‘Introducing Lorelai Planetarium,’ Lorelai and Christopher were back in Stars Hollow after eloping in Paris. Lorelai knew that Rory was going to react strongly to the news and was worried. Christopher, on the other hand, didn’t know Rory like he thought he did. When he proposed to Lorelai, he told her that Rory “would be thrilled” that her parents were now together.

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As expected, Rory was anything but thrilled. She was mad that her mom didn’t talk to her about and she thought her parents were rushing things. Knowing how close Lorelai and Rory were, it was a low blow to leave Rory out of such a big decision. Some fans had problems with Rory for making it about herself, but she knew her mom wasn’t ready for a new relationship after being freshly single from Luke.

Rory Never Trusted Christopher With Much

Christopher was not a present dad in Rory’s life. Rory grew up in Stars Hollow and Christopher only went there for the first time when she was 16. Whether it dealt with time, finances, or accountability — Rory never trusted Christopher.

There were times Christopher ignored Rory’s boundaries and showed up at Yale, thinking Rory would go along with whatever plan he had in store, but it never worked. With Rory and Lorelai being so close, Lorelai would choose Rory over Christopher time and time again. That in itself wouldn’t have been okay with Christopher during their marriage.

Christopher Didn’t Seem Too Keen On Living In Stars Hollow

The difference between Luke and Christopher was that Luke could read Lorelai while Christopher thought he could read Lorela. Luke knew after one conversation with Lorelai that she didn’t want to move out of her house and dropped the idea of house-hunting.

Christopher, on the other hand, didn’t seem interested in staying in Stars Hollow. He took her house-hunting in another town because he didn’t love Lorelai’s history with Stars Hollow. However, Lorelai never wanted to leave Stars Hollow, and separating her from the town was grounds for divorce.

…And Stars Hollow Never Accepted Christopher

It wasn’t just Christopher who didn’t love being in Stars Hollow, the people of Stars Hollow didn’t like him much either. ‘Knit, People, Knit’ was the episode where Lorelai was embarrassed to show him off around town because she didn’t know how her friends in town would react to him.

When he donated a large amount of money towards a Stars Hollow knit-a-thon event, it took the fun out of knitting and made it seem like he was trying too hard. In later episodes, Jackson and Christopher were at a bar together and it was day and night compared to Jackson’s interactions with Luke. Lorelai wouldn’t have been able to last with someone who wasn’t accepted (or accepting) of Stars Hollow.

He Wanted To Have Kids Right Away Without Talking About It

In ‘Merry Fisticuffs,’ Christopher was eager to lock a future down with Lorelai in every possible way. Now that they were married and he was trying to win over Stars Hollow, he realized the only other way to keep Lorelai bound to him forever was by having another kid.

Lorelai was thrown off guard because they never talked about having more kids. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted more kids and the conversation made her uncomfortable. Christopher, however, saw Lorelai’s hesitation as her confirmation that their marriage wouldn’t work. Seeing how out of sync they were showed that these two were heading south, and the comparison of Luke vs. Christopher marched on.

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Luke Was Never Going To Leave The Picture

In ‘Knit, People, Knit,’ Christopher realized how out of place he felt in Stars Hollow. Lorelai and Luke’s past were woven into so many aspects of the town. Christopher would never be able to escape him.

Despite Luke and Christopher’s hatred for each other, Luke was Lorelai’s best friend; he helped raise Rory when Christopher wasn’t there, and he served her favorite coffee. How was Christopher able to compete? As long as Luke was in Stars Hollow, Lorelai and Christopher had no chance because Lorelai and Luke’s bond was too strong. Choosing Christopher over Luke was one of Lorelai’s biggest relationship mistakes.

Lorelai’s Involvement With Luke’s Custody Battle

When Luke and Lorelai slowly started talking again, he knew she was the only person that could help him get custody of his daughter, April. She knew his character better than anyone and would go out of her way to help him get his daughter back.

Even though fans rooted for Lorelai and Luke, Christopher was still Lorelai’s husband. When Christopher realized how involved Lorelai was in Luke’s custody battle, his anger drove him to leave. Seeing her true feelings in the form of a letter was the start of a possible divorce.

Did Christopher Know Lorelai As Well As He Thought He Did?

Christopher claims to know Lorelai better than anyone, but realistically, Christopher knows the old Lorelai. The Lorelai in his head and his heart was the Lorelai he fell in love with as a teen. But Lorelai is a different woman in her adult years. His assumptions about their daughter, her points of view, and their future together were just that — assumptions.

When Lorelai breaks the hard truth to Christopher, he has a meltdown. He was upset that Lorelai wasn’t the same girl from their teen years. A painful breakup between the two began to ensue.

Where Did Gigi Fit In?

Christopher was so excited for a second chance at fatherhood when Gigi was born, but his parenting skills were nowhere near what he thought they were.

When he moved in with Lorelai, he immediately told her that they were transforming Rory’s room into Gigi’s room. He told Lorelai that Rory wouldn’t care, which proved he didn’t know Rory (or Lorelai) at all. He started moving all of Rory’s things and it made Lorelai uncomfortable. She didn’t want to swap Rory for Gigi. Lorelai slowed Christopher down, but not talking about where his daughter fit in in their relationship was a lapse in judgment.

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Planning A Wedding With The Gilmores Brought Tension

No one was more thrilled about Lorelai and Christopher’s union than Richard and Emily Gilmore. They had been rooting for the couple to marry for decades and were happy to throw them a party to celebrate.

But as usual, Lorelai hated every second of it and it showed how different she and Emily were. Emily and Christopher wanted to make the party a second ceremony while Lorelai didn’t want a ceremony at all. This brought a huge shift in Lorelai and Christopher’s relationship and made them second guess their union.

Christopher Had An Inkling That Loreali Never Healed From Luke

Christopher thought Lorelai’s character reference for Luke was the end of their relationship, but it was really when he saw Luke at the hospital when Richard had a heart attack.

Lorelai called Christopher when her dad was admitted to the hospital but Christopher was a no-show. Luke soon showed up to support Lorelai and Rory with bags of food while they waited in the hospital. The gesture meant a lot to Lorelai since Christopher never answered her calls. When Christopher eventually showed up, he saw what an upstanding man Luke was and how Lorelai looked at him. Christopher knew that his relationship with Lorelai wasn’t going to work after this.

The End Of An Era

In ‘Farewell, My Pet,’ Christopher and Lorelai were at a crossroads. If fans wondered “why do  Lorelai and Christopher get divorced?”, one of the reasons is because he wasn’t there for her when her dad was in the hospital and he held a grudge over her in regards to her character reference for Luke.

By the end of the episode, it hit Lorelai that Christopher was right — she wasn’t fully in their marriage. She and Christopher no longer fit in each other’s lives and she wasn’t over Luke. They agreed to end their marriage and focus on Rory as co-parents instead of as husband and wife. If it weren’t for Richard’s hospitalization, Lorelai wouldn’t have seen how petty Christopher acted and wouldn’t have called it off when she should have.

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About The Author


Lynn Gibbs
(1645 Articles Published)

Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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