The status quo in Hollywood is that most if not all relationships tend to fail but there are a few couples who not only survive in Hollywood but end up thriving. What is there key to having a happy Hollywood marriage?
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We think we know and apparently, it is marrying your high-school sweetheart! As we researched into Hollywood’s ever-growing relationship issues, we found that couples who had known each other before they were famous tended to last the longest. Click next to find out which famous face ended up doing just that.
Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan
Sometimes, people think that gaining fame and fortune is a hot ticket to being universally adored and love. This may well be true—but in the case of Mark Zuckerberg, with a fortune of almost $70 billion, it would be pretty hard to know who was marrying you for the right reasons!
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Fortunately, Zuckerberg found his other halfway before making his fortune, getting together when they were both students at Harvard. The techy two married in 2012 and welcomed a daughter in 2015.
Ron Howard & Cheryl Alley
Ron Howard is a true Hollywood veteran, having enjoyed a career spanning over a whopping seven decades. Starting out as a child actor, he is one of very few Hollywood stars who successfully transitioned into an accomplished and critically acclaimed director.
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And the longevity of his career clearly extends to his relationships—he has been married to his wife Cheryl Alley since 1975, tying the knot before he even dipped his foot into stardom. The happy couple has four children together, including Jurassic Park star Bryce Dallas Howard.
Peyton Manning & Ashley Thompson
Legendary NFL star Peyton Manning is still one of the most adored quarterbacks in American history. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and five-time NFL Most Valuable Player—but his most heartwarming achievements actually lie off the football pitch.
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Since 2001 he has been married to his college sweetheart Ashley Thompson, who he met during the summer before his freshman year. They are the proud parents of twins Marshall Williams and Mosley Thompson and live in Denver, Colorado.
Rick Hilton & Kathy Hilton
Mega rich hotel magnate Rick Hilton is probably best known as the businessman and heir to the Hilton Hotel fortune—not to mention his super-famous reality TV star daughters, Paris and Nicky Hilton.
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But that’s not the only relationship that has been key to this property superstar’s success—he also credits his wife Kathy with keeping him on the straight and narrow. The two met when they were still in high school, and married in 1979. They have four children together, not to mention a multi-million dollar property and business empire!
Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Brad Hall
It’s not surprising when Hollywood superstars get together and find romance—after all, they must bond over their shared experience of living under the bright lights of showbiz and the media pressures involved.
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So it makes sense that Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus married a fellow comedian, Saturday Night Live star Brad Hall. But actually, they didn’t meet on the showbiz circuit—they began dating when they were both attending Northwestern University and their mutual love for performing led them to both heads into showbiz together.
Snoop Dogg & Shante Broadus
You wouldn’t necessarily expect a gangster rapper like Snoop Dogg to be the poster child for a long and stable marriage, but that just shows you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover! Despite his tough and wild exterior, Snoop is anything but in private.
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He has actually been in a committed and loving relationship with his wife Shante Broadus since first getting together back in high school. The two have had their fair share of ups and downs, with Snoop actually filing for divorce in 2004, but they later reconciled and renewed their wedding vows in 2008.
Jeff Daniels & Kathleen Treado
Jeff Daniels is one of the biggest names in showbiz comedy and has been a Hollywood stalwart for years. And it’s not just on the silver screen that Daniels has proved his longevity and commitment—it’s in his personal life too.
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Daniel has been married to his wife Kathleen Rosemary Treado for over forty years, having grown up together in the same town and attending the same college. The happy couple still lives in their hometown of Chelsea, Michigan, choosing to raise their three children away from the bright lights of Hollywood.
Heather Morris & Taylor Hubbell
Famous for her role as Brittany S. Pierce on Glee, Heather Morris has been on our screens for a number of years and gained millions of fans, but little did you know that her high school romance also took off in a similarly digital fashion.
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Morris and her future husband Taylor Hubbell attended the same high school, but they connected properly when Hubbell asked her out over MySpace. The two have been married since 2014 and have two children together. Truly a fairytale for the digital age!
Ja Rule & Aisha Atkins
Hip hop legend Ja Rule pretty much provided the entire soundtrack to the noughties, particularly with his duets and rap anthems with R’n’B star Ashanti. But even though that was the partnership he became famous for, behind the scenes he had a very different special woman in his life.
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Ja Rule has been married to his wife Aisha since 2001, having first become a couple in high school. “She knows me, she knows my heart,” he gushed about her in a post on his Twitter page.
post on his Twitter page.
Jack Johnson & Kim Johnson
Wholesome crooner Jack Johnson doesn’t exactly seem like the type to party all night and break some hearts, so it’s not so surprising to hear that he has been in a loving committed relationship with the same woman since college.
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Johnson met his wife-to-be while they were both students at The University of California, Santa Barbara, and the two were wed in 2000. The happy couple has three children and lives with their family on the North Shore of the idyllic island Oahu, Hawaii.
Sofia Vergara & Joe Gonzalez
Colombian American actress Sofia Vergara has legions of adoring fans across the world, most recently thanks to her iconic role on ABC’s Modern Family, which has seen her receive nominations for five Golden Globe Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards.
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Despite being every man’s dream, the young screen siren, in fact, tied the knot at a very early age, marring her childhood sweetheart when she was only 18. The pair eventually separated, and Vergara went on to wed actor Joe Manganiello.
Jon Bon Jovi & Dorothea Hurley
When you’re a superstar rock god and heartthrob like Jon Bon Jovi, you could expect he spent his rise to fame wooing and dating hundreds of women. But in reality, the much drooled-over rocker has been married since 1989, to his high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley.
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Hurley and Bon Jovi both attended Sayreville War Memorial High School in New Jersey and started out as friends before falling for each other. Bon Jovi has spoken openly about how his wife has helped him through difficult times and been his rock throughout the heady rise to fame.
Bono & Ali Stewart
Irish rocker and U2 frontman Paul Hewson, better known by his stage name Bono, is one of the biggest names in music, having made history several times over with his award-winning records and amazing charity efforts.
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But behind the scenes, Bono is a committed family man—having been married to his wife Alison Stewart since 1982. Bono and his wife met when they were at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, Ireland, and have been together ever since.
Samuel L. Jackson & LaTanya Richardson
Hollywood legend Samuel L. Jackson has millions of fans across the world, thanks to his iconic roles in classic movies such as Pulp Fiction and Snakes on a Plane. But despite the adoration of millions of people, there is only one love Jackson is interested—his wife LaTanya Richardson.
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The two began dating when they were still in college, eventually tying the knot in 1980. The couple has one child, Zoe, and together launched their own education charity. Jackson has called his bond with Richardson “greater love than I will ever know.”
Eli Manning & Abby McGrew
Eli Manning may be one of the biggest stars of the NFL, but he plays a very different role at home—that of a loving husband and father. Manning met his wife to be, fashion designer Abby McGrew when they were both students at the University of Mississippi, and they got engaged in 2007.
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They tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico in 2008, have since welcomed four children—three girls and one boy. The happy family lives in New Jersey, and could often be spotted in the audience at Manning’s big games.
Rainn Wilson & Holiday Reinhorn
Rainn Wilson became a familiar face to millions of fans thanks to his iconic role as Dwight on The Office. His performance as Dwight was so brilliantly bonkers, that many people are surprised to hear he has such a normal and wholesome home life!
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Wilson met his wife, writer Holiday Reinhorn, while they were both at the University of Washington and later tied the knot in 1995. The showbiz sweethearts live near the town of Sisters, Oregan, with their son, three dogs, two pigs and a donkey. Ok, maybe not that normal…
LL Cool J & Simone Smith
Rap legend James Todd Smith, better known by his stage name LL Cool J, has styled his entire image on being somewhat of a ladies’ man—his name actually stands for “Ladies Love Cool James”!
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But in reality, there’s only one lady that LL Cool J has ever allowed catching his eye. The rapper met Simone Smith when he was just 19 years old, and they started dating and quickly fell in love. They tied the knot in 1995 and have been together ever since, welcoming four children together.
Andy Spade & Kate Spade
Legendary fashion designer Kade Spade met her husband Andy when she was still a student at Arizona State University—the two worked in a men’s clothing store together! Bonding over their mutual love for fashion, the two fell in love and married in 1994, and together established Kate Spade’s wide-reaching fashion empire.
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The Spades stayed together for an amazing 35 years until the fashion designer’s tragic death in 2018. “Kate was the most beautiful woman in the world,” Andy Spade said in a statement. “She was the kindest person I’ve ever known and my best friend for 35 years.”
Timothy Olyphant & Alexis Knief
American actor and producer Timothy Olyphant is one of the most successful and prolific stars in Hollywood. Most media moguls like him are often renowned for being somewhat of a ladies’ man, but Olyphant, in fact, has been married for most of his adult life!
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He wed his college sweetheart Alexis Knief in 1991 at the tender age of 21, and they are still going strong today. The happy couple lives in Westwood, Los Angeles, and have three children—two girls and one boy.
Chris O’Donnell & Caroline Fentress
To many, Chris O’Donnell will always be best known for his role as Batman’s faithful sidekick Robin in the classic movies Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. But behind the scenes, there’s another key partnership that has long been this movie star’s absolute priority.
O’Donnell met Caroline Fentress when they were both still in college, and the pair wed in 1997 in a traditional Roman Catholic ceremony in Washington D.C. They are still going strong today and have five children together.
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Lebron James and Savannah Brinson
Lebron James is one of the biggest names in basketball today. The NBA superstar made his name with his incredible talent and inimitable sportsmanship. But it’s not just on the court that James has achieved some impressive slam dunks—he is also living domestic bliss in his home life.
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He met Savannah Brinson when they were both in high school, and have been together ever since, tying the knot in 2013. The two live in a luxury mansion in Ohio and have three children.
Stephen Curry & Ayesha Curry
NBA superstar Stephen Curry won millions of fans around the world with his sporting prowess and legendary moves. But it was a very different kind of move that would define this basketball star’s life behind the scenes.
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He met his wife, businesswoman Ayesha Curry when the two of them were still in high school, and the bride’s sister recalls the flirting between the two was endearingly awkward. Awkward or not, it clearly worked—Curry and his high school sweetheart have been married since 2011 and are still going strong, living in Atherton, California with their three children.
Thomas Rhett & Lauren Akins
American country music singer and songwriter Thomas Rhett has been breaking hearts for years with his poignant and romantic tunes. But behind the scenes, he has had a pretty stable romantic life ever since high school.
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Rhett met Lauren Akins when they were both in first grade, and apparently, he had a crush on her from the very beginning. Fortunately, she returned the feeling, and the two were married in 2012. They live in Nashville, Tennessee—the home of country music—and have three children together.
Elizabeth Banks & Max Handelman
Hollywood powerhouse Elizabeth Banks is probably most famous for her role as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games franchise and behind the mastermind behind the blockbuster Charlie’s Angels movie remake—but she hasn’t let the fame go to her head.
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This is probably because her home life keeps her grounded; she is married to sportswriter Max Handelman, who she met on her very first day of college in 1992. The couple married in 2003 after 10 years of dating, and have two children together.
Deron Williams & Amy Williams
Three-time NBA All-Star Deron Williams is one of the greatest legends in basketball history. He has won two Olympic gold medals with the United States national team, and gold at the FIBA Americas Championship.
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But behind the scenes, this NBA star struck gold in a very different way—he has been married to his high school sweetheart Amy Williams since 2006, and the couple has four children.
Wayne Rooney & Coleen Rooney
When British soccer player Wayne Rooney burst onto the sporting scene in 2003, he was the youngest ever player to be fielded for the English national team. He quickly became the hero of the moment, rivalling the older stars of the day such as Michael Owen and David Beckham.
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And it wasn’t just his sporting prowess that was making headlines—his relationship with high school girlfriend Colleen McLoughlin gained a huge amount of media interest. The two married in 2008, and have gone on to be one of the most glamorous celeb couples in sport.
Clayton Kershaw & Ellen Melson
Clayton Kershaw made his name as the baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball and is an eight-time All-Star and three-time National League Cy Young Award winner.
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As well as making records on the pitch, he’s also won admiration from fans across the world for his dedication to his family and home life. Kershaw has been married to his wife Ellen Melson since 2010, after falling in love when they were both still in high school.
Kendrick Lamar & Whitney Alford
Legendary rapper and producer Kendrick Lamar has been wowing the world for years with his catchy beats and impressive song lyrics, but he hasn’t let fame go to his head. Lamar has spoken openly about how important it is to him to stay close to his loved ones who he knew before he hit the big time.
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Of course, including his high school sweetheart Whitney Alford, whom he wed in 2015. “Everybody that’s been around me has been around since Day 1,” he said on the radio program The Breakfast Club. “People that have been by your side—you’re supposed to honour that.”
Mariano Rivera & Clara Rivera
Mariano Rivera achieved worldwide fame as a legendary baseball star, but that’s not the only area in his life where he has hit a home run! Rivera met his future wife Clara when they were teeny tots in elementary school. Life long friends, they then started dating and eventually married in 1991.
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They have three sons together, and lived in Panama until 2000, after which they settled in New York. The power couple has stuck together through thick and thin and are still going strong.