Courteney Cox celebrates boyfriend Johnny McDaid’s birthday with Instagram post after long Covid separation: ‘Happy birthday to my best friend and love’

Courteney and Johnny have been together almost eight years but separated by the pandemic (Picture: Instagram/courteneycoxofficial)

Courteney Cox has shared a birthday tribute to her long-term boyfriend Johnny McDaid on his 45th birthday as the couple get the chance to celebrate together for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020.

The Friends star shared two photos of herself with the Snow Patrol musician and singer, as she called out his qualities and described him as her ‘best friend and love’.

Next to a photo of herself and Johnny sitting snuggled up with each other on the sofa in Monica’s apartment on the set of TV show Friends, a part Courteney played for 10 series, the 57-year-old wrote: ‘Happy Birthday to my best friend and love. He’s the kindest, most patient, best listener, curious, caring, not to mention talented and gorgeous partner. I love you jmd. x’

The second picture of the pair was a close-up selfie with Courteney in thick-rimmed glasses and Johnny in a dark check shirt behind, with his arms wrapped around his girlfriend and gazing adoringly into the lens.

On Johnny’s birthday in 2020, Courteney had shared a screenshot of their Zoom celebration as the pair were forced to separate during the pandemic’s strict travel bans, which saw him stuck in Europe for nine months while Courteney was in LA.

She commented wistfully at the time: ‘It’s been 133 days since we were last together. Covid sucks. Happy Birthday J.

‘I loved our lunch/dinner (LA/London time) zoom date today. I miss you madly. ♥️♥️♥️ #myone’

The couple managed to finally reunite in time for Christmas but were seemingly forced apart again by March this year, when Courteney marked St Patrick’s Day by sharing photos of her ‘favourite Irishman and family’ as she stuck out a second separation with her partner of almost eight years.

Easter saw them together again though, for which the Scream actress dressed up her dogs and joked that they were ‘the only ones who didn’t mind taking these pictures with me’ as she proudly shared a couple of snaps with Johnny, one of which also featured a glimpse of her daughter, Coco, who has since turned 17.

The couple was together again at Easter (Picture: Instagram/courteneycoxofficial)

Coco’s dad is actor David Arquette, to whom Courteney was married for fourteen years until 2013.

Johnny and Courteney first started dating in September 2013 before becoming engaged in June 2014.

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The pair called their wedding off in 2015 but have remained a close couple.

Johnny’s work as a songwriter has seen him collaborate with close friend Ed Sheeran, who often pops up on Courteney’s Instagram, and the pair recently saw success with Ed’s UK number one single Bad Habits and BTS’ Permission to Dance, both of which they co-wrote.

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