One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton says ‘all moms’ at kids’ school have ‘crush’ on husband

Hilarie Burton has said that since her husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, began hosting Destination X, she has been receiving messages about women having ‘a huge crush’ on him

Hilarie Burton with her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Image: Corbis via Getty Images)

One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton has said “all the moms” at their children’s schools have “a huge crush” on her husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

The 42-year-old actress and the 59-year-old actor share two children – Gus, 15, and George Virginia, seven. The mom-of-two has now revealed that since her husband began hosting NBC’s new reality show, Destination X, he has been on the receiving end of adoring comments.

And she doesn’t mind – in fact, she thinks he deserves it because “he’s great.” Hilarie said, “I have just thoroughly enjoyed all the moms at school having a crush on him.”

Talking to People, she explained, “I keep getting text messages from high school friends, and they’re all like, ‘My wife or my mom has a huge crush on your husband.’” She added she has even heard from friends in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she lived for more than six years while filming One Tree Hill.

The couple attending a photo call for The Walking Dead in Cannes, France, on April 25(Image: WireImage)

The confession comes after The Walking Dead star Jeffrey admitted he was in disbelief after landing his hosting gig. Back in May, he admitted he “never crossed my mind” to host a program during his decades-long acting career.

He told People, “[NBC] called… and I said, ‘I think you have the wrong person, I live on a farm, and I kill zombies, and I’m a dad, and I’m kind of a pain in the a–.’” He joked, “I’m still not actually completely sure how the hell this happened.

“I am not like a typical host. I’m not Ryan Seacrest – who I love, and I think he’s excellent at his job – but that’s not me. I’m a bit on the crass side and I’ve got a very sarcastic sense of humor, and I didn’t picture it.”

But she said his wife encouraged him to accept the gig, saying, “She said – in a very nice way, but much more diplomatic than I’m going to make it seem now – ‘You’re not getting any younger.’” Destination X, which is based on a Belgian competition series, follows contestants as they embark on a blacked-out bus across Europe and try to guess their destination by solving various challenges.

Meanwhile, last month, in a touching Father’s Day episode of the horror series spinoff Dead City, Lucille, a pivotal figure in Jeffrey’s portrayal of Negan on The Walking Dead, made a surprise return. Jeffrey’s real-life wife steps into the role of Negan’s late wife Lucille, whose presence looms over The Walking Dead despite her character’s death prior to the show’s events.

Despite her infrequent appearances, Hilarie hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to the zombie-infested world. In a chat with People, the One Tree Hill actress hinted at her potential return. “Anytime Jeff asks me to do anything, the answer is always yes,” Hilarie shared with the publication.

“He pushes me in a good way. And I really like that group of people. We’ve been with them for so long that it’s always a nice reunion,” she added. Lucille’s legacy extends beyond her on-screen time, as she also inspired the name for Negan’s notorious weapon, his lethal bat.