Pharrell is a textbook example of playing the long game. The music producer had been trying to woo his now-wife for years before they finally tied the knot in 2013. Turns out that Lasichanh, a model and stylist, wanted to make sure they were both good and ready before they took the plunge, and she made Pharrell work for it!
Her determination paid off, and the two have a strong and stable marriage because of it. And not for nothing, Pharrell’s patience must surely come in handy, given that the couple welcomed triplets back in 2017.
Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman
Picture it: it's your first day of college. You're nervous, you're lost, you're signing up for every club. Suddenly, you meet a cute guy, and not long after, he asks you out! Sounds like the makings of a Hollywood romcom, no? Well, this is exactly what happened to Elizabeth Banks!
Banks and her husband met at UPenn and left with more than their degrees. While Banks obviously went on to be a star, her husband had a slightly different path laid out. Handelman is a sportswriter, blogger, and producer. Decades later, this couple is as strong as ever.
Prince William and Kate Middleton
Is there anything a little girl dreams of more than becoming a princess and living in a castle? It turns out dreams can come true, as Kate Middleton (ahem, Princess of Wales) found out. While Prince William has lived his life in the spotlight, Kate was just a regular old commoner when she met him at college.
Their relationship is well-documented, and despite a short break in 2007, the pair are now living happily ever after with their growing family.
Snoop Dogg and Shante Broadus
Rappers aren't exactly stereotyped as the doting husband type and are often pictured by paps with multiple women who don't hang around for very long. But Snoop Dogg isn't your average rapper, anyway. Snoop and his wife met in high school, and they've been through it all together.
While the rapper was out there making a name for himself, his wife was always right by his side, out of the spotlight. Broadus is an entrepreneur and has been Snoop's business partner for decades. In 2021, they made it official — business-wise, that is, when she became her husband's career manager.
Woody Harrelson and Laura Louie
All those years we spent watching Harrelson on "Cheers", and we had no idea that his wife-to-be was right there too! Kinda! Louie was Harrelson's personal assistant on set, and that's where the couple met. They started dating in 1990, and three years later, they welcomed their first child together.
Louie is a businesswoman, and she and her husband share a passion for sustainability and eco-conservation. The pair and their family even lived in an eco-village in Hawaii for some time. Not bad for a cliche office romance.
Jack and Kim Johnson
When you listen to any love song by Jack Johnson, you can tell right away that there's someone special behind those lyrics. Turns out, Johnson has been crooning over his college sweetheart for decades now.
Johnson and his wife met in their freshman year of college (on the beach, in case you were wondering if the story could get cuter), and the pair have been making sweet music ever since.
Jude Law and Phillipa Coan
Coan is Law's second wife, and while his first marriage was pretty well-publicized, the actor and his current wife are committed to staying out of the spotlight. Coan is a business psychologist and runs her own company, so while she may not be famous, she was already pretty established before Law entered the picture.
The couple has two kids so far, and Law has gushed in interviews over his marriage. Maybe more celebrities can take note of the benefits of staying out of the public eye!
Pharrell Williams and Helen Lasichanh
Pharrell is a textbook example of playing the long game. The music producer had been trying to woo his now-wife for years before they finally tied the knot in 2013. Turns out that Lasichanh, a model and stylist, wanted to make sure they were both good and ready before they took the plunge, and she made Pharrell work for it!
Her determination paid off, and the two have a strong and stable marriage because of it. And not for nothing, Pharrell's patience must surely come in handy, given that the couple welcomed triplets back in 2017.
Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson
If you're looking for what may be the best example of a married couple in Hollywood, the Jacksons are definitely up there. Cards on the table — LaTanya isn't technically "not-famous" and is an actress herself, but we included this iconic couple on our list because she's considerably less famous than her husband. Not to mention, the Jacksons are maybe the most down-to-earth couple in Hollywood.
The pair met in college and married in 1980. Their secret to a successful multiple-decade marriage? A stubborn commitment to always making it work, no matter what life throws at them.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter
Sadly for many, this British heartthrob is off the market. Luckily, however, he's head-over-heels in love, and who can stay mad at that? Cumberbatch met his wife, theatre director and playwright Sophie Hunter, back in 2009, and the couple tied the knot in 2014.
The British lovebirds mostly keep their relationship under wraps, but all sources indicate that they're as in love as ever.
Anthony Mackie and Sheletta Chapital
Although this couple called it quits in 2018, they *technically* have the earliest-starting romance, going all the way back to grade school, where Mackie formed a crush on Chapital. The couple dated on and off since then and made it official in a quiet ceremony in 2014.
By 2018, however, the romance had fizzled out, and the Marvel star and his makeup artist wife decided it was better to part ways.
Bonnie Wright and Andrew Lococo
While Ginny Weasly married Harry Potter, real life looks a little different for actress Bonnie Wright. Her on-screen husband is the most famous name in the wizarding world, but her real-life husband is so normal that... we actually don't even know what his job is.
What we do know is that they said "I do" in 2022 and that Bonnie's frequent Instagram posts prove she's on Cloud 9. Good enough for us!
Heather Morris and Taylor Hubbell
Are you ready for the most early-2000s meet-cute you've ever heard of? Long before Tinder, Hinge, or FarmersOnly (yes, that's real), there was MySpace. Hubbell hit up Morris on MySpace in 2008, and now they're married with children. That's all it takes, folks. No need to over-complicate things.
While Morris made a name for herself on the hit show, "Glee," her husband works in the country club industry.
Rainn Wilson and Holiday Reinhorn
The award for "Couple With the Coolest Names That Sound Made Up But Aren't" (a highly-acclaimed award, we'll have you know) has to go to these two. Together for over 30 years, the couple shares a love of the arts and fighting climate change.
Reinhorn is a fiction writer, and the two met in the '80s during an acting class. Little did they know that Wilson would go on to become the most famous assistant to the regional manager the world has ever known.
Robin Thicke and Paula Patton
The Blurred Lines singer met his (now ex) wife when they were just 14 and 15 years old. Even though they called it quits in 2015, the two were an item for just over 20 years, and that's got to count for something, right?
Patton is an actress, though she hasn't really made a splash. (No offense, just telling it like it is!) After a 9-year marriage, the long-standing romance came to an end.
Taylor Lautner and Taylor Dome
It's fair to say that Taylor Dome is living every 2010 teenage girl's dream. Dome is a nurse and part-time social media influencer, and the pair got engaged in 2021.
So, how did Dome become the second Taylor Lautner in the family? Apparently, Lautner's sister called him and told him, "Dude, I found your future wife. You need to meet this girl." You've got to hand it to her, she clearly knows her brother!
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
Mark Zuckerberg might not be a traditional 'celebrity,' but he's certainly a household name. Zuckerberg met his wife when they were both attending Harvard in the early 2000s; they bumped into each other at a frat party.
Chan is a licensed pediatrician but mostly works alongside her husband as a philanthropist. The Zuckerbergs are expecting their third daughter in 2023, which is a pretty fun 20-year anniversary present if you ask us.
Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins
Alright, while Rhett is definitely the bigger name here, we get that Akins isn't just a regular store clerk herself. But it's also fair to say that Akins probably wouldn't have found as much success as she did without the help of her husband.
Plus, the two started dating in high school and reconnected in college. By that time, Rhett had already made a name for himself while Akins was still under the radar.
Brittany Snow and Tyler Stanaland
While Snow has been gracing our screens since the late '90s, her husband, real estate developer Tyler Stanaland, only recently entered the public eye on the reality show, "Selling the OC." The two met in 2018 after Stanaland sent Snow an Instagram DM with a cheesy pick-up line (seriously, we challenge you to write a more modern-day love story).
The two were inseparable since and married in 2020. Sadly, in 2022, the pair used the same platform that started their relationship to announce that it had reached an end.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Okay, sure, the *name* "Yoko Ono" is famous, but it's hard to call the woman behind it 'famous' when she's best known for breaking up a band, rather than her own career. In reality, the controversial Ono was a performance and conceptual artist who created alongside her definitely-famous husband, John Lennon.
While their relationship ended with Lennon's untimely death in 1980, Ono never remarried. Despite what the critics say, these two were certainly in love, and their musician son carries on their story today.
Jimmy Fallon and Nancy Juvonen
Funnyman and TV host Jimmy Fallon certainly has come a long way since his first Saturday Night Live days. Videos of Fallon show a gawky young guy, hamming it up! But hey, clearly, his charm worked on a particular woman there - Nancy Juvonen - who was a guest of the host at the time, Drew Barrymore!
Juvonen is actually good friends with Barrymore, who’s described Nancy as “one of the loves” of her life! She’s a successful producer, co-founding Flower Films production company with Barrymore back in the mid-90s!
Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond
Tina Fey and her husband, Jeff Richmond, have been together for two decades, can you believe that! But while Fey is a star comedian and actress, Richmond was not quite the same level of A-lister. The composer, director, actor, and producer actually worked on "30 Rock" and "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," both produced by his wife.
The pair met while they worked at “The Second City” and dated for almost a decade before they tied the knot! They have two girls together and a very strong relationship!
Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer
Spider-man, Spider-man, does whatever a spider-man does... alright enough with our catchy jingles. You probably remember Maguire from his role as the Marvel hero. Though he was a bit before the time of Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. Anyways, he married a lady by the name of Jennifer Meyer, a jewelry designer. Through Maguire, she became good friends with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston.
But it seems that even with two kids and counseling, the pair couldn’t make it work, with Meyer filing for divorce in 2020. We were really rooting for these two!
Jesse Williams and Aryn Drake-Lee
We forgive you if you’ve never heard of Aryn Drake-Lee, but you may have heard of her famous husband, Jesse Williams. Drake-Lee is a former broker in the real estate game and got married to Williams in 2012. However, the marriage did not last - even though she wasn’t a celebrity and pressures of the limelight couldn’t be blamed for the breakdown.
No one really knows what happened - but rumors suggested Williams may have been unfaithful. The pair have two kids together… let’s hope Williams and Drake-Lee can both move on and be happy.
Chris O’Donnell and Caroline Fentress
Na na na na na na na na…Batman! Or, rather, Robin. Mr. Chris O’Donnell did not decide to share the limelight with another A-lister, but rather with a… school teacher. O’Donnell married elementary school teacher Caroline Fentress. The pair met in Boston at college - and actually got married pretty young, in 1997.
The other thing that may surprise you is that they have five kids together! That’s something that’s even crazier for us to believe, than the fact he married someone who wasn’t a celeb!
David Schwimmer and Zoe Buckman
Wait, Ross didn’t actually marry Rachel? You mean "Friends" exists in a different universe? Anywho, Schwimmer decided he didn’t particularly fancy marrying an A-lister, and went a little more private, tying the knot with Englishwoman Zoë Buckman. The artist, writer, and photographer wed Schwimmer in 2010, before welcoming a daughter with him a year later.
However, their marriage was not to last, with the pair separating in 2017. So the recent dating rumors around Schwimmer and Aniston came out because they are both, in fact, single!
Eva Longoria and Jose Antonio Baston
The original Desperate Housewife, Eva Longoria has long been in the lights and glamour of Hollywood. But while she’s always been surrounded by A-listers, she ended up marrying a “normal” dude. Well, he’s a wealthy businessman. Same same, right? Jose and Eva wed in 2016, and Eva wore a dress designed by her bestie Victoria Beckham.
The pair are so very much in love that they’ve kept relatively quiet about their lives. The pair have a bub together, too, Santiago. She must have a lot of energy, having a three-year-old running around at age 46! Or she has some help.
Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel
Australian supermodel and Kora Organics skincare founder Miranda Kerr has certainly come a long way from the Girlfriend magazine cover she once graced at a young age! Where is she now? Married to the founder of Snapchat, Evan Spiegel, and with a few kids, it’s definitely a story.
She used to be married to an A-lister, who now has a baby with Katy Perry (yes, Orlando Bloom). But she decided she wanted someone more “normal” - so why not a billionaire while you’re at it?
Karlie Kloss and Josh Kushner
The supermodel, who is known for her extremely long legs and overall runway presence, did not opt for a fellow model as her spouse or even an A-lister at that. But while he doesn’t have Hollywood fame or model status, he is a very successful venture capitalist. Well, real estate heir. Lucky… both of them!
Looks, dollars, and love - seems that the model and Project Runway judge hit the jackpot! For those interested, Kushner is Ivanka Trump’s husband’s brother! Guess big wealth runs in the family…
Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley
Whether you know her as the Aussie gold who portrayed Tonya Harding, the infamous figure skater, or as the edgy and wild Harley Quinn in the DC universe, or maybe as the gorgeous blonde wife in The Wolf of Wall Street, you’re bound to have seen Margot Robbie’s face somewhere.
The Australian star captured many hearts and garnered quite a few crushes - only for them to be well, crushed by the news of her engagement and wedding. The lucky man? Tom Ackerley, a British filmmaker. The pair actually have their own production company together!
Marcia Cross and Tom Mahoney
One of the favorites on the Desperate Housewives television series, and also someone who was crushed on by Daniel Radcliffe, is gorgeous redhead Marcia Cross. The actress, who for sure could’ve charmed any A-lister she wanted, found love with a “normal” guy. Well, surely he's not just any ordinary guy; he did catch Marcia’s eye after all!
The former stockbroker met Cross through a mutual friend, and the pair have twin daughters together.
Corey Feldman and Susie Sprague
Feldman, who you might remember from “The Goonies,” among other films (yes, he was the child actor who portrayed “Mouth”), was definitely a celebrity of sorts but opted out of the spotlight when it came to his relationship.
The pair first met when Susie Sprague was out partying for her nineteenth birthday with some pals! The former Playboy playmate was relatively anonymous (though some fans of the magazine will disagree!), but was also a fan of Feldman’s, which broke his rule. He vowed to never date or marry a fan. Sadly, their marriage ended after a few years.
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon
So while Nick Cannon could be a little more famous than a “normal person”, the reason he and Mariah make the list is because of the great distance in their celebrity status! In other words, Carey is mega-famous, and Cannon was, well, not-so-famous.
The pair had an extravagant wedding and even had a reality TV show together as well as a pair of twins! But sadly, the pair split up after just under a decade together. Maybe the normality was too much for Carey!
Billie Joe and Adrienne Armstrong
How great were the '90s? Seems so far away… but for Billie Joe Armstrong, it probably feels like yesterday. It was, after all, when he met his wife.
It was 1990, and Armstrong was performing with Green Day. Adrienne, a new fan, had seen the band perform and bought their album. She managed to see them at a house party, and this “backstage” meeting left the singer with an unforgettable crush. After a few years, the pair reconnected and got married! Aww!
Danny Bonaduce and Amy Railsback
Ah, Danny! That flaming shock of red hair is definitely unforgettable! Did you know that more recently, he’s been hosting a morning talk and music show in Seattle? Anywho, we’re here for his day love, Amy Railsback.
Railsback was actually a teacher, and she plucked up the courage to talk to Danny and share that she loved his reality series, “Breaking Bonaduce.” He dated her for three years, at the same time finalizing his divorce. Sometimes the “ordinary” fan wins the celeb’s heart!
Steve and Marjorie Harvey
Looks like these two make the adage “third time’s a charm” come true. For Steve Harvey, Marjorie is his third wife (and Steve is hers!), with the pair having been married since 2007.
But their story predates that with the first meeting in 1987, where the budding comedian announced on stage, “I am going to marry you.” Apparently, she had no idea that he was talking to her, and only found out once the pair started dating after a few meetings! She started as a fan and now is a bit of a fashionista and influencer.
Adam Sandler and Jackie Titone
Jackie Titone, now Sandler, was just an “ordinary” budding model and actor. She went for a role (and subsequently won it) in Sandler’s film, “Big Daddy.” They then met and started dating very soon after.
In 2003 they said their vows and have since welcomed two lovely daughters. While she started out as an “ordinary” person like you and me, she definitely ended up with one of Hollywood’s biggest names. She even featured in his more recent Netflix film, “Hubie Halloween.”
Matthew Lewis and Angela Jones
We’re pretty sure that, basically, all “Harry Potter” fans have this fantasy of magically catching a cast member’s eye and being swept off their feet. But this fantasy was no joke for Miss Angela Jones.
She was attending an event at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as an event planner, and who did she bump into? None other than Matthew Lewis, who portrays Neville Longbottom! After their meeting in 2016, they began to date before tying the knot within two years. Pretty amazing!
Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick
Kevin Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, have been in Hollywood’s limelight for many decades, but did you know that she wasn’t an actor or anybody famous when they met? Of course, she’s now got her own career, but at the time they met, she was well... on the younger side.
She first saw him at a matinee of a play when she was twelve and decided to go and speak to him. The story goes that Sedgwick’s brother had dared her to speak to him at a deli after the show! They started dating a few years later when they, by chance, met on the set of “Lemon Sky.” Wow!
Kurt and Brenda Warner
Warner is probably one of the best QBs in the history of the NFL. If not for injuries, we’re sure he’d be joining the Hall of Famers!
Best known for winning a Super Bowl with the Cardinals, he makes our list because he married well, an “ordinary” gal! But there is definitely something extraordinary about Brenda — she’s a former marine! She first met Kurt in college before the pair tied the knot in 1997.
Ringo Starr and Maureen Tigrett
Maureen Tigrett was certainly one very lucky gal when she got a Beatle! The pair secretly dated after he spotted her while gigging at the Cavern Club.
Their relationship wasn’t without its troubles, though. His extreme fame meant that she’d often have to fend off other women! But she stuck by him and even frequented his hospital bed when he was committed due to high fever and tonsillitis. Shortly after that, Starr married Tigrett, and the pair had two kids together. Sadly, they divorced, but it’s a story neither will forget.
Clayton Kershaw and Ellen Melson
You know what’s wild? Earning over thirty million a year. That’s a reality for Clayton Kershaw, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Originally born in Dallas, Texas, he had his path set out for him — in regards to who he was going to marry, that is. He met Ellen when he was a freshman, and the pair were together until she went to college, and he went straight to the MLB. Impressively, the pair made it work and have been married for over a decade with three beautiful kids.
Nicholas Cage and Alice Kim
Now look, we’re not trying to roll Nicholas Cage in the dirt or anything like that, but the man has a thing for marriage (and a few of them).
The actor and Hollywood name was at dinner in Los Angeles when he became quite taken with a waitress who was working at the restaurant. Her name? Alice Kim. Talk about being whisked away by a celebrity! The pair dated and then got married, keeping to their vows for over a decade! However, the pair divorced sadly, going their separate ways in 2016.
Nicholas Cage and Riko Shibata
Riko Shibata and Nicholas Cage made headlines when they tied the knot in early 2021 — mainly due to the couple’s age difference. At the time of marriage, Cage was 57 and Shibata was 26 — that’s a 31 year age difference!
Fun fact: Shibata is younger than Cage’s eldest son, Weston. We’re not wincing; you are. Shibata, who hails from Japan, first met Cage through mutual friends while he was filming a movie. Apparently, the reason Cage knew their marriage could work was that she... uh… keeps flying squirrels as pets.
Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin
Fun fact, one of our editors actually spied this ridiculously cute couple together on a plane from Nashville a couple of years ago — and now that we’re piecing together their love story, it must have been just after they tied the knot!
Lambert, a country superstar, wed ex-NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin in 2019, which even caused her ex, Blake Shelton to gawk. But boy, do they seem happy! How they met? McLoughlin was doing security for her performance on Good Morning America!
John Cena and Shay Shariatzadeh
The world was totally shocked when WWE superstar John Cena announced that he was married! The first question was, “to who?”
Cena, one of THE greatest wrestlers of all time, is now an accomplished actor, bodybuilder, and presenter, and had been dating engineer Shay Shariatzadeh. John saw Shay while he was filming in Vancouver, and he remarks that she, out of all her friends, caught his eye. They began dating, and well, the rest is history!
Joseph Gordon Levitt and Tasha McCauley
Every time we see Joseph Gordon-Levitt, we immediately don’t know whether to think of “10 Things I Hate About You” or “Batman.” But we’re here to talk about his lady love and their story.
Gordon-Levitt married Tasha McCauley, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company Fellow Robots (yep, it’s exactly what you might think it is about), and now has two kids with her. How did they meet, though? They were set up on a blind date that was organized by mutual friends. How sweet!
Jeff Bridges and Susan Geston
Now, this is a true example of an A-lister megastar meeting an ordinary gal and falling in love…and resultantly being married for over four decades! Crazy, right? Well, this actually is the true story for Bridges and Geston.
Jeff Bridges first met his future wife in the '70s, while she was waiting tables to put herself through college. They met in Montana, and Geston was actually sporting two black eyes at the time she met Bridges — only adds to the intrigue, eh?
Lake Bell and Scott Campbell
The A-lister meets the tattoo artist, they get inked, they fall in love, and then get married! Okay, so that’s the short story. Basically, Bell, famous for TV roles on “Boston Legal” and “Surface,” fell for the tattoo artist before marrying him in 2013.
Campbell, while he is more “ordinary,” is, in fact, kind of famous in the world of tattooing. He’s inked celebs like Sting, Robert Downey Jr., and Orlando Bloom. Sadly though, the marriage didn’t quite make it to the decade mark.
Scarlett Johansson and Romain Dauriac
Okay, before you come at us and say that Johansson has moved on from Dauriac, we are well aware that this marriage ended. However, it’s still important to note that the ultra-glamorous Johansson was, in fact, involved with a “commoner.”
The pair have a daughter together — Rose Dorothy Dauriac. As for Dauriac, he’s a journalist and was the editor of French magazine, “Clark.” We suppose now he’s most famous for having been married to ScarJo.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk
You might remember that this isn’t the first Brad that Gwyneth has dated. The difference is, this Brad is a little bit different — he’s a bit less famous and a bit more “ordinary.”
Paltrow and Falchuk wed in September 2018 and maintain that she and her new beau are still going through their honeymoon phase! Falchuk is a TV writer, director, and producer, and seems to make Paltrow over-the-moon happy.
America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams
So you might have seen Ferrera on the TV at some point, or even in a film. You may even recognize her voice in the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise! But you may not have heard of her husband, Ryan Piers Williams.
The director and actor was raised in El Paso, Texas, and first met the budding star when he cast her in a student film he was producing and directing. The pair have been married for over a decade and have two kids.
Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman
Kopelman, who was the son of former President and COO of Chanel, was also an art consultant. Still, he wasn’t anywhere near the celebrity status of his wife, Drew Barrymore. The pair married in 2012 and remained married for what was Barrymore’s longest marriage — just four years.
Barrymore decided to end things with her celebrity ex-boyfriend, Justin Long, and went for her “ordinary” beau. Kopelman was an aspiring actor with a couple of film roles, but didn’t really hold a candle to Drew. The two remained friendly and now co-parent their daughters, Olive and Frankie.
Kelsey Grammer and Kayte Walsh
Kelsey Grammer, who you’ll remember as the face of “Frasier,” is definitely a man who loves being married! Over a decade ago, Grammer wed his fourth wife, Kayte Walsh. As for what Walsh does, or what Walsh did, she was a flight attendant — a rather humble, “normal” profession, which charmed Grammer and ended up with his surname.
At the time they met, the actor was performing in New York City and was actually married. The crazy part of this story is — Grammer said “I do” to Walsh a mere two weeks after finalizing his divorce. Wild.
Julia Stiles and Preston Cook
Gee, remember Julia Stiles? Okay, not like, remember, but wow, we can’t believe the gal who brought us a strong female lead in “10 Things I Hate About You” is wed to her beloved!
Stiles certainly has her claim to fame, starring in many movies over the past two decades. She has definitely met many fellow celebs in her line of work. Still, she chose to marry Preston J. Cook, an actor and a camera assistant. They first met on the set of “Go With Me” before tying the knot just two years later!
Lea Michele and Zandy Reich
Now, Lea Michele definitely has quite a name in the world of acting and musical theatre, as well as some serious pipes. The singer and actress, however, decided that she’d spend the rest of her days (hopefully) with businessman Zandy Reich.
The pair wed in a cute ceremony in the Napa Valley in CA, after they had rekindled a friendship that became something more. We really do love a classic love story.
Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston
Now a dancer and yoga instructor may not seem as ‘ordinary’ to most of you folks, but in contrast to the celeb status that Jeff Goldblum has under his belt, there is quite a difference. Not to mention the age gap between this pair — over thirty years!
The pair wed in 2014 and now have a couple of kids together. At the time of their nuptials, fans around the world were shocked at the age gap, but hey, love is love.
Miles Teller and Keleigh Sperry
You might remember his face from a few films but can’t quite place the name, but his love story is definitely a standout.
Teller, who’s featured in films such as “Whiplash” (great film, by the way, get on it, cinephiles) and “War Dogs,” has had a pretty steady career so far, but we’re here to hear about his “normal” wife, Keleigh Sperry. The pair wed in 2019, and some may disagree that she’s “normal,” as she is, after all, a model!
Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson
So when a commoner meets royalty and ends up a princess in the end, that’s a pretty incredible love story, eh? In Australia in 2000, Mary Donaldson (then a sales director for a property group) met Prince Frederik at a bar — unbeknownst to her who he was!
Things moved pretty quickly after that. By 2004, the pair married and Donaldson was the Crown Princess of Denmark. She became fluent in Danish, and now, the pair share four children and over two decades of marriage.
Julie Bowen and Scott Phillips
Ah, Julie Bowen. The crazy thing about this actress is that she almost looks younger now than she did when she first appeared alongside Adam Sandler in “Happy Gilmore”! We want the secret, Julie!
Bowen, who has risen to household name status with her role as Claire Dunphy on “Modern Family”, decided to marry someone who was pretty far away from her own profession. She married Scott Phillips, a real estate investor and software developer. The pair share three sons. Sadly, the two split after over a decade together.
Steve Martin and Anne Stringfield
Looks like sometimes writers do end up falling for each other, as was the case with comedian Steve Martin and his wife Anne Stringfield.
Martin’s wife, a former employee of The New Yorker, first met Martin over the phone. At the time, she was assigned to fact-check a comedy piece of Martin’s. The pair ended up chatting over the phone for a year before finally meeting in person! The pair dated for three years before getting married at a surprise party.
Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza
Alright alright, we really love how this love story is basically the premise for a great rom-com!
Riz Ahmed, the British actor and rapper (you may remember him from “Venom”), was in New York City, preparing for “The Sound of Metal” when he chanced upon his future wife. At the time, he was at a cafe and was trying to use the same electrical outlet as Fatima. From there, the rest is history!
Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery
While Pompeo on the show Grey’s Anatomy might have had a few fellas knocking on her door, in real life she’s nothing of the sort! The man who’s had her heart since 2003? Chris Ivery.
He’s not on TV, but he is involved in entertainment — he used to be a record producer and a writer for a quarter of a century, but never earned the same type of spotlight that Pompeo did. He’s now embarked on a fashion journey, which is pretty cool!
Seth Meyers and Alexi Ashe
Smart and strong — two words that Seth Meyers uses to describe his lovely wife, Alexi Ashe! She’s a human rights lawyer and works for free for a New York organization. She does it all with a smile, and it’s something Meyers greatly admires about his wife.
The “normal” Ashe and comedian Meyers, met at Chris Kattan’s wedding, and her sister actually worked on SNL’s set! It was clearly just a matter of time.
Cynthia Nixon and Christine Marinoni
Cynthia, Miranda, Cynthia, Miranda. Whether you know the actress best from her role as the hard-working, career-driven lawyer Miranda in Sex and The City, or from her running for governor of New York, you know who she is! But do you know her wife, Christine Marinoni?
The pair met back in 2001 while campaigning for education. They then went official in 2004, before tying the knot in 2012! Both now work alongside one another as a power couple of sorts in NYC, as activists for LGBTQ rights and for a better city.
Ken Jeong and Tran Ho
Comedian Ken Jeong is the type of guy that you would want to be friends with. But rather than rubbing shoulders with just other A-listers, Jeong found himself a lovely wife who wasn’t in that crowd. Tran Ho, a physician, is as intelligent as she is gorgeous, and has been by Jeong’s side for a few years.
The pair met when they were working at the same place - Kaiser Permanente. Also, did you know Ken Jeong is also a qualified doctor who left his job to pursue acting? Amazing!
Kevin and Danielle Jonas
Ah, the Jonas brothers. With fame like theirs and the millions of female fans they garnered over the years, it’s no surprise Kevin Jonas found a “normal” person to date and then marry! The pair have now been together for over ten years - with the pair meeting in 2007 while they were both vacationing in the Bahamas!
Just two years later they tied the knot, and now have two kids together! The former hairdresser has now leveraged her husband’s fame and is a model and TV personality!
Terry Crews and Rebecca King-Crews
This pair is truly a power couple - just so supportive and loving and caring of one another. In Hollywood and amongst all of the drama and scandals, they’ve made their way through some tough times. The pair met in the 1980s, while Crews was pursuing football and King was studying music and theatre!
King let people in on a secret - that he was almost left in the friend zone because he was “too nice.” Now they have 5 kids and have been married for 30 years!
Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith
The name’s…Brosnan, Pierce, Brosnan. While he’s best known as one of the most dapper and suave actors to take on the iconic action-spy-thriller role, he found love and left MI6 for none other than Keely Shaye Smith.
The American journo, author, TV host, AND actress (accomplished, much) has had the heart of Brosnan for over 25 years after the pair met in 1994 on a Mexican beach. Seven years later they tied the knot. They have two boys together, who have actually gone on to model as well!
Paul Rudd and Julie Jaeger
Seriously, this guy does NOT age. Paul Rudd was cute as a button in Clueless as Cher’s “daddy’s” understudy lawyer - yeah, remember that? Ok so that was 1995, and Rudd was 26 years old. He’s now “Ant Man” and he still looks hunky - except he’s 52…that’s double! Crazy. But the woman who’s been with him since 2003? Julie Yaeger. The pair met in NYC when Rudd was a “nobody” and fell in love.
Yaeger was from his publicist’s office and was looking after his things while he ran to an audition. A lunch later and a few dates... and they then got married!
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita
These two met in a way that people kinda hope will happen, but it rarely does. That’s at the gym! It was during the time that Tyler Ferguson was starting out on “Modern Family” and they were both in the gym’s locker room. No, don’t think that way folks - they were fully clothed and exchanged a few words!
At the time, the lawyer had a man, but they maintained their friendship and then ended up getting married. They now have a kid together!
Julia Roberts and Danny Moder
These two met on the set of a film. But scandal: Danny Moder, a cinematographer was already a married man! Yep, he was married to makeup artist Vera Steimberg. Roberts had a man herself - Benjamin Bratt. The sad thing is that Moder’s marriage to Steimberg wasn’t an unhappy one - at least that’s what Steimberg thought.
Moder and Roberts were even trying to make the wife sign the divorce papers, but she wasn’t having it. Seems pretty rough - but the two eventually married in July of 2002, and have been married for two decades.
Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego Saldana
Okay, so we had no idea that Zoe Saldana had three kids. Seems wild, and she looks so so amazing in that suit for “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Marco Perego also…in a modern twist, took his famous wife’s last name! We dig it. The artist has quite a name in art circles and was already established by the time he met Saldana on a flight.
The Italian former soccer player found his way in the art world, and when Saldana met him, she says the moment was life-changing: “it was a vibration.” He turned to look the same time she did - crazy!!
Christian Bale and Sibi Blažić
Sibi Blažić was working as an assistant to Winona Ryder when she met Christian Bale. Once they met they fell hard and fast before romantically eloping and marrying in Las Vegas in 2000. Crazy that 2000 feels so far away now! So basically, Bale has Ryder to thank for his wife!
Blažić had a profound effect on Bale, and until he met her he was totally against getting married. Looks like he found the right person - model and make-up artist Blažić.
Jon Stewart and Tracey McShane
Fun fact: did you know Jon Stewart is now vegan? “The Daily Show”’s former host is now totally plant-based, and it’s thanks to his “non-famous” wife, Tracey. The pair got hitched in 2000, after meeting three years prior while she worked on the film “Wishful Thinking” (she was a vet technician at the time).
A blind date was set up, and the rest is history. Stewart has now turned his 45-acre farm into an animal sanctuary - we love it!
Vince Vaughn and Kyla Weber
Wow, Vaughn has been married for a decade, can you believe that? And not to an A-lister, say what? Vaughn met the Canadian realtor at a wedding of a mutual friend. Now that’s something we find pretty hilarious, given his role in “Wedding Crashers” with Owen Wilson.
If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll understand. If not, ask the internet. They met in 2008 and were married pretty soon after - in 2010. Guess Vaughn can thank his movie producer friend for the intro!
George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin
Not to say that Amal isn’t a celebrity these days - particularly for her stunning fashion sense and lawyer brain - but she wasn’t AS well known as the heartthrob for many decades, George Clooney.
“Gorgeous George” was held under scrutiny for many years, with fans around the world asking how a man like him wasn’t snatched up! It took him a few years to find her, but when they found each other they knew. The pair have twins together and a very very nice villa on Lake Como.
Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez
Fans were scrambling when Ariana Grande, one of the hottest pop stars of this decade announced she’d been married in a private ceremony. She’s loved and lost - having dated Mac Miller and then SNL’s Pete Davidson. It was looking very serious for her and Davidson, but the celeb coupling just wasn’t meant to be!
Pretty soon after (we’re talking within 12 months), she got her Dalton Gomez, a realtor, and the pair wed. It all happened very quickly.
Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman
Picture this: it’s 2008 and you’re Anne Hathaway, actress, at the Palm Springs Film Festival. You spot Adam Shulman, who you find out is an actor, jewelry designer, and film producer (but by no means a big celebrity!)
You think, “I’m going to marry that man.” Six weeks later, you ask him on a date to New Orleans. You take a chance - and then the rest is history. You marry. You have babies. Okay, we love Hathaway even more now!
Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied
The very lovely Natalie Portman, who has now relocated to Australia, is clearly a fan of keeping a relatively low profile. Do you even know who her husband is? Yeah. So the guy is Benjamin Millepied, whom she met on the set of the terrific “Black Swan” back in 2009.
He worked as the choreographer and also had a role in the film! The pair had a son first in June before Portman married him in August 2012. Crazy huh? Sadly though, the couple were revealed to be separating in 2023.
Wanda Sykes and Alex Niedbalski
Ah, this first sighing is certainly a romantic one - Sykes first saw her future wife, Niedbalski on a ferry over to Fire Island in New York City! The comedian had something of an a-ha moment, with the universe telling her to basically ‘go after that woman, Wanda!’
There isn’t too much info on Niedbalski, but all that’s revealed is that she has the travel bug and is French! Apparently, she used to sell granite counters.
Alec and Hilaria Baldwin
We talk about spotting celebrities, but this is another case of a celebrity spotting a “normal” person and wanting to find out more! He was with a friend having a meal when he saw Hilaria.
He gave her his number - and he waited for her call. The yoga instructor was 28 at the time they married, while Alec was 54. Funnily enough, Hilaria had no idea who he was, but could not deny her attraction to him! Cute!
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean
Not sure if you’ve been keeping tabs on this pair, but we love that after decades of marriage, Parton still has it going on! For her husband Carl Dean’s birthday this year, she decided to re-do a photoshoot from her younger days. And seriously, she puts the young gals to shame!
Dean is well known for…being Parton’s husband. It seems that he didn't know that when he met the 18-year-old outside of the Wishy-Washy laundromat in her hometown of Nashville, he’d met the love of his life.
Lisa Kudrow and Michel Stern
Okay, we did not know this - though we’re sure that “Friends” fans will know his one - Phoebe - sorry, Lisa Kudrow, married her husband Michel Stern a mere week after the first season of the iconic sitcom TV show stopped filming for the season! They’ve been married for over a quarter of a century. Wild, right?
She met him because…he was her roommate’s boyfriend! But they broke up and she didn’t see him again until 6 years later…at the friend’s birthday party! What a story!
Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant
For such a long time, Reeves was the perfect man - and people thought he was perfectly lonely too after losing the mother of his child in 2001. Since then, there were a few women he had been linked to, but he found peace and love in his relationship with Alexandra Grant, an American visual artist who examines language.
Pretty cool! The pair met in 2010 and went public in 2019.
Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney
Lawrence met Maroney in 2018 through a mutual friend. Man, we wish we had friends who could introduce us to the love of our lives. (Don’t quote us, but marriage is usually for love these days!)
Maroney is an art gallerist. We didn’t know that was a term but apparently, it is! The esteemed actress married Maroney in 2019!
Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso
Ahhh, Matt Damon. There’s something so lovely about him, huh? He’s a guy you want to be friends with. Or a least we do. The A-lister and action and drama star did not go down the route of seeking out a Hollywood spouse. Instead, he fell for the charms of beautiful bartender Luciana Barroso, who was working in Miami while he was filming “Stuck on You.”
Damon believes in fate, or “kismet,” and the pair now share four daughters together! Man…as they hit high school, it’s going to be tough!
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley
Looks like the rocker got his dream groupie - just kidding! Instead of falling for a fellow musician or celebrity, Jon Bon Jovi (who is still rocking some seriously good hair), married Dorothea Hurley, a karate instructor and restauranteur! Talk about interesting worlds there - martial arts and food! We love it.
The pair were high school sweethearts and met when JBJ tried to take a peek at her answers on a test!
George Lucas and Mellody Hobson
Lucas met Hobson at a business conference, apparently, back in 2006. She isn’t a celebrity but… she’s got some big names to her own name - including Starbucks and DreamWorks! The businesswoman met Lucas when she was 45, and the filmmaker and former owner of Lucasfilm was 70 at the time!
Despite the age gap, they clicked, and the pair have a child together, too! The pair are worth a pretty penny, especially after Lucas sold his film company to Disney for over $4 billion. Crazy!
Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer
You know how often you’ll be on a date and someone says they can’t cook? Well, this wasn’t the case for Amy Schumer and her hubby! Chris Fischer is a chef! If we heard that, we’d be getting down on one knee, too! Delicious. Anyway, the farmer who hails from the gorgeously scenic Martha’s Vineyard married the comedian and actress in 2018.
How did they meet? Fischer cooked his way to her heart when she was at his family’s farm visiting the area. Cute.
Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn
We know Ed Sheeran to be famously reclusive - but his relationship with wife Cherry Seaborn is something to talk about! The pair have known each other for many years… since they were 11 years old! *swoon* They met as teens again but didn’t rekindle their relationship until 2015.
Marriage followed, and next, a bub, Lyra! Seaborn had been living in NYC when he was on tour, and the pair reconnected through a mutual friend. Seriously though, we need these mutual friends that can connect us to THE ONE.
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves
First up, Camila Alves wasn’t famous when she met McConaughey but boy... she was drop-dead gorgeous (and still is!) These two lovebirds married in 2012, but what’s the story behind it? Firstly, she had no idea who he was when she first laid eyes on him.
At the time, McConaughey was out with buddy Lance Armstrong in Hollywood - he spotted her and eventually plucked up the courage to speak to her. Since then, he hasn’t wanted to date anyone else. We love that kinda love!
Aaron Paul and Lauren Parsekian
Here’s to the Armenians in the room! Lauren Parsekian is of Armenian descent, is a film director, and… an actress. The gorgeous blonde took Aaron Paul’s fancy when they met at Coachella in 2010. Totally LA to meet there right? Anywho, they got engaged in 2012 and married a year later.
They even got John Mayer to perform at their wedding! Apparently, they even flirted with the idea of getting married on their first date in Las Vegas!
Patrick Dempsey and Jillian Fink
Talk about a fated trip to the hairdressers! Dempsey met his wife, Jillian Fink, back in the 90s! Fink was a makeup artist at the time, and Dempsey made an appointment at her salon! That was in 1994. Five years later, Fink took a walk down the aisle, with the dreamy Dempsey awaiting her.
She is now a celeb makeup artist and even has her own line of products! Works well when you’re successful and have a willing investor! Kidding - she’s self-made!
Meryl Streep and Don Gummer
The way these two met was in the light of some dark circumstances. Streep was mourning the loss of her boyfriend at the time, John Cazale, who passed away too early in life. At the time, her brother Harry came along with a friend - Don. Just six months later, the pair said, “I do.”
While he isn’t a “celebrity” in the same way Meryl Streep is, he’s quite a celebrated sculptor! He’s been doing him, winning awards and having his work featured in public commissioned art! Pretty cool!
Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth
Though you may remember Witherspoon being married to co-star Ryan Philippe at one point, Witherspoon and Philippe split (they were probably just too young to be married), and she actually has been married to someone else for a decade! The lucky guy?
Jim Toth, a talent agent who started dating Elle Woods (oops, we mean Reese) in 2010 and married a year later! Their dating story involved Toth saving Witherspoon from a very drunk friend - and well, things got more serious from then on!
Eddie Redmayne and Hannah Bagshawe
The pair were well... undiscovered and unknown at the time they met. They were, after all, just teens at a fashion show for charity! She and her classmates at the time put on a fashion show at the ritzy Eton College (where all royalty go to school basically), and she met her to-be husband, Redmayne.
Bagshawe works as a publicist and probably didn’t expect her husband to rocket to the top of celebrity status in the UK. Well, he did, but it seems the pair are a good fit anyway.
Hugh Jackman and Deborra Lee Furness
Deborra Lee Furness is 13 years older than her hubby of 27 years Hugh Jackman, and the media/fans don’t let her live that down! The pair met in 1995 on the set of an Aussie series called “Corelli.” Furness was an aspiring actor, and Jackman was starting out too! Just four months later, Jackman proposed, before getting married the following year!
Talk about a whirlwind! The pair adopted two kids together. Jackman has frequently mentioned her on his Instagram - and boy, do we love a doting hubby! Despite this though, the couple ultimately separated in 2023, ending their 27-year-long marriage.
Gal Gadot and Yaron Varsano
Israel’s homegrown model and superstar Gal Gadot is a wonder woman to her husband, property developer Yaron Varsano. The pair have been together for a number of years, well before she scored the role of Wonder Woman. The pair met on a soul-searching adventure in the desert - which involved yoga, chakras, and healthy eating in the Israeli dunes.
Gal was only 21 at the time, whereas Yaron was 31 and knew she was “the one.” The pair say they work well together, and their mutual understanding made their match a great one!
Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld
The creator of Seinfeld, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, decided that he would be better off marrying someone who wasn’t also a celebrity or in the spotlight! Also, it didn’t hurt for Jessica that one day she’d be married to an almost-billionaire! Born Nina Sklar, Seinfeld is an author and a philanthropist.
The pair actually met at a gym in the last 90s. Just two months before, she had married her first husband. It was Seinfeld’s ability to make Sklar laugh that made him memorable - and the pair started dating. The rest is..history!
Julianna Margulies and Keith Lieberthal
Talk about a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to make it known! We’re talking about Julianna Margulies, and how she met her husband, who is preeeetty cute! He also has the brains, having attended Harvard Law. However, Margulies initially had some reservations about him - she thought he looked too young!
The practicing lawyer had already been working for 6 years by the time Margulies met him, and just after their wedding, she gave birth to their son, Keiran. What a good-looking couple!