The Big Bang Theory Creator Raised Eyebrows With Certain Kaley Cuoco & Johnny Galecki Scenes

Showmances — meaning, when two actors meet on the set of a project and end up dating — can be difficult, especially if their characters are dating. (In fact, some actors who played on-screen couples couldn't stand each other, which brings a whole new level of stress to the process.) All of this is to say that, on "The Big Bang Theory," Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki — who played the on-again, off-again couple Penny and Leonard Hofstadter on Chuck Lorre's hit sitcom — ended up dating in real life but ended up splitting even as their characters continued their relationship, and the pair were both convinced that Lorre added specific scenes to episodes just to be a little stinker.

In Jessica Radloff's book "The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series," Cuoco and Galecki explained their entire relationship timeline — including the early days when they kept their tryst "secret" from the cast and crew — and regarding their split, she told the author that she and Galecki were suspicious about some scenes they were handed after their breakup. "All of a sudden, we started noticing there were extra makeout scenes for our characters, and/or sex scenes," Cuoco recalled. "I was like, "I think Chuck is f***ing with us!" We were convinced. Convinced! Like, 'Yeah, they want to date and break up on my show, well, here you go!' and he was writing all the little doodads in there."

Galecki agreed. "Even though it was organic for the characters, I think he would f*** with us," he said. "If it was an accident, it was a very timely accident."

According to Chuck Lorre — who also spoke to Jessica Radloff about this "issue" — it was a matter of being a "timely accident." As Lorre told Radloff, he genuinely did not write more romantic scenes featuring Leonard and Penny just to mess with two actors who just went through a breakup (which is honestly a relief, because that would be such a crappy thing to do).

"No. Not at all," Lorre confirmed. "Making a good show has no room for f***ing with anybody. There's no, 'Let's mess with Kaley and Johnny.' The goal was to make a great show and make every minute of every episode count. And that was the only goal. We don't have that kind of freedom to risk a TV series that you put your heart and soul into to mess with somebody's head. No."

Lorre had a good attitude about the whole thing, though, even joking that he found it amusing that Cuoco and Galecki came up with this whole conspiracy theory of sorts. "I think that's charming that they think we had the mental capacity to mess with them," Lorre told Radloff while laughing. "Penny and Leonard having difficulty sustaining a relationship was one of the reasons to keep watching — to see if they could make it. You were rooting for them to find happiness."

After Chuck Lorre's admission in Jessica Radloff's book, both Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco had to eat crow just a little bit and admit that their theory was totally off-base — and that they were actually silly to think of it at all. "I guess that was pretty egotistical of us to think that," Galecki said. "We were reading into things a little too much. I'm going to sleep easier tonight."

"You are right, that's so self-involved of us," Cuoco agreed. "But I am glad we know now because Johnny and I have joked about that for a long time. He's right, though — he was too busy to f*** with us! I'm glad we don't have to bring that up anymore."

Cuoco and Galecki did manage to stay friends after their split — thankfully for "The Big Bang Theory" — and in the end, their characters Penny and Leonard do end up together. In fact, the two get married twice and, in the show's series finale "The Stockholm Syndrome," they find out they're expecting a baby, providing an ending that neither Galecki nor Cuoco expected (or particularly loved) at first. Still, Lorre clearly did everything he could to make sure that Leonard and Penny's relationship was as dynamic as possible, even if it put a totally absurd idea into Galecki and Cuoco's heads.

"The Big Bang Theory" is streaming on Max now.