Marriage is hard work. Whether you’ve been together for two weeks or two decades, it takes dedication and compassion to stay with your partner, even if you are deeply in love. The crucible is even more difficult if you live in the public eye, with journalists and paparazzi digging into your relationship to find the faults. It’s no small wonder most celebrity marriages fail, but some manage to stand the test of time.
Here are five celebrity couples who have stuck it out for twenty years, together.
Hugh Jackman and Debora-Lee Furness, 26 Years
Jackman recently posted a Valentine’s Day tribute to his wife on Instagram, thanking her for her, “humor, generosity, wisdom and spirit shines so bright”. The pair, who married in 1996, when Jackman was 28 and Furness was 41. While age gap couples are usually hit-or-miss, Jackman and Furness continue their stalwart dedication to each other.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guess, 37 Years
Curtis recently joked that she’s “forcing” the “poor guy” to attend the Oscars with her this year, following her first nomination. Considering the pair have moved in tandem for almost four decades, I don’t think he’ll mind! Guest proposed to Curtis, two months after their first date, with a simple and enviable line, “do you like diamonds?”
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, 25 Years
Hill and McGraw are likely the most famous country couple since Johnny and June. They share three grown-up daughters: Gracie, Maggie, and Audrey. The two are certainly smitten with each other, deciding to get married spur of the moment.
“’Look, let’s get married,” McGraw described. “And she says, ‘You’re asking me to marry you at a country music festival in a trailer house?’ And I said, ‘Well, it’s pretty apropos if you think about it.’ She goes, ‘Are you serious?’ And I said, ‘Well, yeah, I’m serious.’ “
Hill said “yes!”, and the rest is history.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, 23 Years
Parker and Broderick met when Broderick directed a play hosted by Parker’s brothers’ theater company. He asked her out with a voicemail, which charmed Parker. Two decades later, they’re still deeply in love, or so says Parker, stating,
“I love Matthew Broderick. Call me crazy, but I love him. We can only be in the marriage we are. We’re very devoted to our family and our lives. I love our life. I love that he’s the father of my children, and it’s because of him that there’s this whole other world that I love.”
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, 22 Years
Though Zeta-Jones and Douglas split briefly, from 2013 to 2015, the two reconciled with the help of couples counseling. With the two’s children now grown and out of the house, they have much more time to focus on each other. Douglas has said, on the subject, “You forget how many conversations you sort of hide behind in terms of talking about your kids and what’s going on next and this and that, and then one day you just look at each other … We’re 20 years now, so all those good years of paying attention to each other are paying off now.”
And a bonus couple:
Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann, 19 Years
In fairness, Hargitay and Hermann have been together for 19 years. They met on the set of Law and Order: SVU, and started dating when Hermann asked Hargitay to go to church with him. From there, they dated for two years, before tying the knot.
Sources:
These Celebrity Couples Have Been Together For 20+ Years (yahoo.com)
Hugh Jackman Shares Valentine’s Day Tribute to Deborra-Lee Furness (people.com)
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Relationship Timeline (people.com)
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s Relationship Timeline (people.com)
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Relationship Timeline (people.com)Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann’s Relationship Timeline (people.com)
