Jaina Lee Ortiz Says Keeping Romance with Station 19 Costar Jay Hayden Under Wraps ‘Makes It More Spicy’ (Exclusive)

Jaina Lee Ortiz is not one to kiss and tell.

The 37-year-old actress spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about her romance with her Station 19 actor Jay Hayden at the La Cena Los Angeles event in Hollywood on Friday night, which celebrated Latino creatives in film and television in Hollywood.

“Well, you know what’s interesting? We’ve never posted a picture,” Ortiz said of herself and Hayden, 36. “Intimacy, I think, is really sacred, and I think I’ve posted very friendly photos that give the idea, but sure. Use your imagination.”

Noting that she’s someone who likes to keep her “personal life private,” Ortiz then said she likes to “keep PDA” to herself because “what else do I have?”

But when asked again about her recent social media posts with Hayden hinting at a romance, Ortiz was coy, telling PEOPLE, “I mean, you can tell, of course. It just makes it spicier, and I’m okay with that.” She added: “I love me some Jay.”

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Jaina Lee Ortiz attends La Cena Los Angeles at NeueHouse Hollywood on January 5, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty

Station 19 Jaina stars Lee Ortiz and Jay Hayden celebrate Christmas together amid relationship rumors

Last month, Station 19 The costars appeared to welcome the holiday season together, when Ortiz shared a set of Boomerangs on her Instagram, including one that shows Hayden jumping into a frame in front of a Christmas tree.

“Merry Christmas, dirty animals!” Ortiz captioned the shot, also tagging Hayden and actor Eddie Rivera.

Jaina Lee Ortiz photographed with Jay Hayden on the set of ‘Station 19’.

James Clark/ABC via Getty

The pair appear to have spent the summer together on holiday at Lago Specchio di Venere, a lake on the island of Pantellerìa off the Italian coast.

In photos Hayden shared on Instagram at the time, the couple could be seen smiling on the shore while their bodies were covered in natural mud.

Ortiz also posted a photo of their clay-filled outing on her Instagram Story. In the photo, the two grinned widely at the camera as they stood near the ocean.

She wrote on the photo that it was “probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life!”

Shonda Rhimes Shares Heartwarming Post After ‘Station 19’ Cancellation: ‘Thank You For The Magic’

Jaina Lee Ortiz.

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Hayden and Ortiz have been rumored to be romantic off-screen for years, but have yet to confirm their relationship status.

The couple will say goodbye to Station 19 2024, because ABC announced in December that Grey’s Anatomy the spinoff would end after the upcoming seventh season.

“It was a surprise and a shock to everybody,” Ortiz told PEOPLE at the La Cena event at the end of the show. “At the end of the day, it was such an amazing ride. Seven seasons. Woof. I never dreamed of it.”

“The fact that we have seven seasons and we can make the last season the best yet, it feels special and bittersweet,” she added.

As for the moment she plans to keep with her from the show, Ortiz told PEOPLE, “The only thing I’m going to take from the set is my helmet. It’s going to have my character’s last name on it, Herrera, and then captain on top.”

Station 19The final season will premiere on March 14 on ABC.

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