who plays leonard's girlfriend on the big bang theory
List of The Big Bang Theory characters The writers have toyed with a romance between him and next-door neighbor Penny since the series premiere, with their unresolved sexual tension being a major force for drama. Leonard dated Penny for most of season three, although they had dated briefly at the end of season one. Aside from Penny, Leonard has had romantic relationships with co-worker Leslie Winkle, physician Stephanie Barnett, an unnamed French literature PhD, and North Korean spy Joyce Kim. Following his break-up with Penny, Leonard began a relationship with Raj's sister Priya in season four, and it is implied they had a brief sexual encounter before the start of the series. The two attempted a long-distance relationship after Priya moved back to India, but Leonard eventually broke up with her in season five after she admitted to cheating on him with her former boyfriend. In season five's "The Recombination Hypothesis", Leonard and Penny start dating anew, and although their relationship is initially rocky and Penny has doubts, in season six, she works through her doubts and has a stronger relationship with Leonard.