We read about them; we watch their movies or their sporting events; we catch them on the news. And some of them are fictional characters whose stories made them iconic couples (Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal as Oliver and Jenny in Love Story or Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze as Molly and Sam in Ghost.) And some of these iconic couples are real life heroes.
Now it’s time to go through the lives, loves, challenges, tragedies, and triumphs of these couples.
Dazzling Duos of Hollywood
Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn
These to first met as co-stars in the movie Woman of the Year in 1943. They co-starred in 8 other films spanning three decades, the last one being Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? The relationship remained private and secretive because Tracy was already married, and as a devout Catholic and with two children, divorce was out of the question. And to be open about their relationship would also violate the antiquated “morality clause” in all Hollywood stars’ contracts. Hepburn had her own residence, and Tracy spent much of his time absent from his family, living in hotels and apartments, often close to his movie sets. The one other pair that knew the most about their relationship was Humphrey and Lauren Bacall. When Tracy died, Hepburn did not attend his funeral out of respect for his family, and she never publicly talked about their relationship until after Tracy’s wife had died.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward
If there is a gold standard of romance in Hollywood, it would be the love story of these two. Both icons in the film industry, they married in 1958 and had three children. That marriage lasted about 50 years. They collaborated in films during the 70s and 80s. But to keep perspective, they would retreat to a home in Connecticut to get away from the glitz and media that was Hollywood. They each pursued separate interests, Newman as a philanthropist and Woodward to promotion of the arts. Newman died of cancer in 2008; Woodward, now 92, lives with family in Connecticut and suffers from Alzheimer’s.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fully versatile actress, starring in movies, TV series, and even in the daytime soap opera, “All My Children.” Probably the role that propelled her into fame was the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When she starred in the movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer, she laid eyes on her co-star Freddie Prinze. The attraction wasn’t immediate, according to Prinze, and both were not into marriage at the time. Prinze and Sarah Michelle Gellar had their first real date in 2000, and according to Prinze, he knew he didn’t want to date anyone else. Sarah Gellar must have felt the same, because when he proposed in 2001, she accepted. The couple married in a secular ceremony at a Mexican resort, and the rest is history as they say. 23 years and 2 kids later, this marriage has stood all that Hollywood can throw at them.
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean
Dolly Parton is an icon all on her own, certainly in the musical world, but also as an actress, playing leading roles in two box office hits, “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias.”
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s love story stands out for its simplicity and steadfastness amid the chaos of fame. Unlike many celebrity couples of the era, their relationship wasn’t defined by public appearances or tabloid drama. Married in 1966, Carl Dean remained a private figure, shunning the spotlight while Dolly soared to superstardom throughout the ’70s and ’80s. Dolly often joked about her husband’s aversion to fame, claiming he’d only seen her perform live a handful of times despite her legendary career. Yet, their bond was undeniably strong, built on humor, trust, and shared values.
Throughout the decades, Dolly has gushed about Carl’s unwavering support and love, crediting him with keeping her grounded. Their relationship became a refreshing contrast to the volatile, publicized romances of the time. Fans admired the way Dolly and Carl made their marriage work while living vastly different lives. Even today, their enduring partnership is celebrated as one of Hollywood’s most unique and enduring love stories.
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
These two met, literally, on the street one day. David Burtka was involved in a dying relationship, and Harris was single. Burtka is probably best known for his role in the TV series “How I Met Your Mother” but also as a renowned chef. Neil Patrick Harris was of “Doogie Howard, M.D.” fame, although he played many other roles on stage and screen throughout his career.
After meeting on the street, they had a movie date. From then on, they dated exclusively for 10 years before getting married in 2014, in a private ceremony in Italy with Elton John playing at their reception. They have thus been together for 21 years. In 2010, before they married, they became parents to twins via surrogate.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita
Jessy Tyler Ferguson is probably best known for his role as a gay lawyer in the TV sitcom series “Modern Family” with a cast of acting greats. But his acting roles go far beyond that in film, TV, and live theatre.
In September 2012, Ferguson announced his engagement to Justin Mikita, an actual lawyer with a legal firm that was progressive in the area of LGBTQ+ rights. Their relationship had begun in 2010. In 2013, they were married in New York. They now have 2 children via surrogacy.
Both are politically active in gay rights causes. Together, they even formed a bow tie sales company, using the proceeds to support gay rights movements and organizations, including the ACLU. And so, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita turned their fame into a movement for social justice.
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio
Anyone who has not known about Marilyn Monroe has to have been living under a rock. Her love story with baseball great Joe DiMaggio is now a matter of history, but what a history it was.
They met in 1952 when Monroe was becoming a rising star in the motion picture world. He was 37 and had just retired from the New York Yankees. They married at San Francisco City Hall in 1954 but divorced 9 months later, Monroe charging DiMaggio with “mental cruelty.” It was rumored that he became infuriated during a filming of the movie “Seven Year Itch” when her dress flew up over her head and was made part of the film and that he physically abused her afterward. Whatever the reason, Monroe filed for divorce the following month, claiming “mental cruelty,” a mere 9 months after they were married.
But that is not the end of their story. After the divorce, DiMaggio stayed in her life, even after she married and then divorced playwright Arthur Miller. He was with her when she was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown in 1961; he was there when she had emergency gall bladder surgery that same year; and, when she was found dead in 1962, he made all of the funeral arrangements, barring all Hollywood elite from the funeral. And for 20 years after her burial, he had fresh roses delivered to her grave twice a week.
Prince Rainier III and Actress Grace Kelly
Prince Rainier assumed the throne in 1949, when his grandfather died. He was 25 years old. For years he had been dating a French actress. He ended the relationship not long after he took the throne due to family pressure. He wanted Monaco to be known for more than its casinos and tried to focus on other tourist and investing draws.
He met actress Grace Kelly when she did a photoshoot at the palace. They were both immediately attracted to one another, and a year later, they were married. (1956). It was an internationally media covered fairy tale wedding.
In all, they had three children – Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie.
Grace died in a car accident after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage in 1982. Prince Rainier refused to remarry and set up a Foundation in her name in the US, to support aspiring artists. He died in April 2005 suffering from heart and renal failure.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Afflack
Actress and singer Jennifer Lopez met Ben Affleck on the set of the filming of the movie “Gigli.” Lopez was married at the time, but the chemistry was immediate and apparent to all who observed them.
Shortly after, Lopez filed for divorce, and the couple became a cultural phenomenon with the nickname “Bennifer” – they were the “it” couple of the early 2000’s, followed by fans and media daily. Their everyday lives were completely invaded. When they got engaged, in November of 2002, he presented her with a custom 6-carat pink diamond ring and planned a September 2003 wedding. But just before the wedding, they announced that it was postponed, stating that it would be a media circus and detract from the occasion. The rumor was that there was trouble in paradise, and fans were crushed.
Later, Lopez publicly confessed that she was completely crushed by the breakup and took solace by marrying singer Marc Anthony on the rebound. The couple had twins but divorced in 2014.
JLo fans could only hope that she and Affleck would reconcile. While they remained in touch through those years, it didn’t look like that would happen. Affleck, in the meantime, married actress Jennifer Garner, and they had three kids. They divorced in 2015. Bennifer fans got their hopes up again.
JLo began to date Alex Rodriguez of New York Yankees fame, and they got engaged. Another postponed wedding that never happened – they broke up in the spring 2021. Affleck meanwhile dated others too. But also, that spring fans were thrilled to learn that the two were seeing one another again, and they attended two red carpet events together.
The couple got engaged again in 2022, worked on blending their families, and skipped off to Vegas to get married quietly. In 2024, she released an album, “This is Me… Now” along with a self-funded Amazon movie of the same name and a documentary about her story, “The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.” Both chronicled their love even behind the scenes.
Paradise lost again. By the spring, 2024, all was not well, and they were no longer seen together, living in separate homes. Ultimately, she filed for divorce, saying only that she was tired of waiting – for what is a matter of speculation.
At 55, JLo says she feels free, is not looking for another love interest and prefers to focus on other interests.
Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna
Harry Hamlin is probably best known for playing Perseus in the movie “Clash of the Titans” and for his role as lawyer Michael Kuzak in the TV series “LA Law.” At one point he was considered the “sexiest man in show business.”
He was in a relationship with Ursula Andress after their roles in “Clash of the Titans” in 1979. They had a son, Dimitri, and were engaged, but never married. The relationship ended in 1983. After that, he was married to two actresses, Laura Johnson and Nicollette Sheridan, both TV soap opera stars.
Whatever his fascination was with soap opera stars, it resulted in his 1997 marriage to Lisa Rinna, who has had roles in “Days of Our Lives,” “Melrose Place,” and “Desperate Housewives.” But he obviously found a relationship that would stick.
He met Lisa Rinna in 1992; they were married in 1997 and still are. They have two daughters, Delilah and Amelia who have both appeared in reality TV shows. And Hamlin and Rinna have co-starred in a few of them too.
Their union has lasted 27 years, unusual for Hollywood couples. Obviously, they love one another deeply.
Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams
Hyland is probably best known for her role as Haley Dunphy in the TV sitcom “Modern Family,” for 11 years but had minor parts in in several films before that – Geek Charming, Struck by Lightning, Scary Movie 5, Vampire Academy, and Dirty Dancing. She also had some live theatre roles on Broadway. Her talent moved into the musical realm too, with the release of several singles and a few albums that have hit the charts.
From 2010 – 2014, she dated her Geek Charming co-star Matt Prokop and ended up getting a permanent restraining order against him for physical and verbal abuse. She then dated her Vampire Academy co-star Dominic Sherwood for a couple of years.
In 2017, she moved into a relationship with Wells Adams, a former contestant on “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise” TV series. They got engaged in 2019, but the wedding was postponed due to COVID. They finally married in June 2022 in a California vineyard, a wedding attended by all of her “Modern Family” co-stars. Both state that this union is a forever thing. Plans for children? Not yet, according to both of them who are focused on their careers.
Cassandra Jean and Stephen Amell
Cassandra Jean began her career as a beauty pageant contestant and model. She moved onto guest roles in both film and television. She met Stephen Amell in 2011 after his divorce in 2010. They were married secretly in the Caribbean in 2012 and later at a in New Orleans with friends and family present.
The couple has two children, a girl and a boy.
Amell is best known for his role as Oliver Queen in the superhero series “Arrow” from 2012 – 2020. He quit the role that year, stating that he needed to spend more time being a husband and a dad.
Amell has since taken some TV roles in the series “Heels” and “Suits La,” a sequel to “LA Law.”
The relationship between the two has not been all roses. In 2021, he was asked to debark from a Delta Airlines flight for yelling loudly as his wife. He later admitted that he was drunk at the time.
Despite a sometimes-rocky relationship, the couple has stayed together for 13 years, and it looks like are committed to each other.
Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor
Sarah Paulson has had a wide variety of roles in both film and TV, including the role of prosecutor Marcia Clark in the film The People vs. O.J. Simpson. Other roles include starring in American Horror Story and Oceans 8.” And on Broadway, she had a major role in The Glass Menagerie.” She has been nominated for a number of awards for her roles in hugely diverse works.
From 2004 – 2009 Paulson dated actress Cherry Jones, her first lesbian relationship. Prior to this, she was only involved with men, including playwright Tracy Letts with whom she was engaged but never married.
Paulson is an active member of the Democratic Party and supports many of its causes for diversity, equality, and inclusion.
Paulson openly states that her sexuality is “fluid” and cannot be put in a “box.” But since early 2015 she has been in a monogamous relationship with fellow actress Holland Taylor. Stay tuned – time will tell.
From Film to the Musical World and the Arts
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash
Here’s a man who had more than a few red carpet appearances in his lifetime – 13 Grammies, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction to both the Country and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame.
At his side throughout all of this was June Carter. For many years, they collaborated, singing duets that hit the charts and touring together throughout the 60s and 70s. While Cash struggled with addiction, June was by his side with support.
In 1970, Cash proposed to Carter on stage at one of their live performances. They continued their collaboration and endured plenty of triumphs and challenges. June Cash died in 2003, and Johnny died four months later.
Elvis and Priscilla Presley
Priscilla met Elvis at a party in West Germany while her father and Elvis were both stationed there. She was 14; he was 24 and already dubbed the “King of Rock and Roll.” His tour was up well before her father’s was, but they reconnected when she returned to the states. Their relationship grew, and, at age 18, she moved into Graceland in Memphis. They ultimately married in 1967 and had one daughter, Lisa Marie, in 1968.
Elvis was never faithful to Priscilla. He had numerous affairs with co-starts in Los Angeles while she remained in Memphis. Bored and alone, she had a few affairs herself.
Elvis’s singing and acting career took off. He was a product of Memphis-style music. Though he may never have visited Beale Street, the influence of rhythm and blues is evident in his songs.
Unable to sustain their relationship, the couple divorced in 1973 but remained close friends as they both moved on. Priscilla is best known for her acting roles in the “Naked Gun Film Trilogy” and as Jenna Wade in the TV series “Dallas.”
After his death from a drug overdose in 1977, at the age of 42, his father took over management of Graceland but named Priscilla as the “heir” upon his death. Graceland was horribly expensive to maintain, but Priscilla, ever the good businesswoman, turned it into a tourist destination and a hugely profitable enterprise.
Not all famous couples live happily ever after, and this relationship was certainly that.
Elton John and David Furnish
Elton John is a musical genius with 5 grammy awards, 2 academy awards, 2 golden globe awards, and member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has been a prolific songwriter all of his adult lifestyle, with records and albums that top the charts over and over again.
His love lifestyle began a bit complicated. He was engaged to marry secretary Linda Woodrow but broke it off just 2 weeks before the wedding (interestingly, 50 years later he paid her medical bills after having no contact with her during all that time).
In 1970, during his first tour in Los Angeles, he lost his virginity to John Reid who later became his manager, until 2998.
In 1984, he married female Renate Blauel, and they divorced four years later. At that time, he publicly stated he was bisexual.
In 1993, he began a relationship with Canadian filmmaker David Furnish. In 2005, they entered into a legal domestic partnership, and the pair married in 2014, as soon as same-sex marriage became legal. They have been together 32 years and counting. they have two sons via surrogacy. As both age, they have severely cut back on their work. John completed his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour to sellout crowds in 2021 in order to have more time for his family. He still composes a bit but he and Furnish are definitely homebodies now.
John Legend and Chrissy Tiegan
John Legend is a legend in his own time. He is a singer, songwriter, pianist, and actor and has the rare distinction of being EGOT, someone who has won and Emmy, a Grammy, and Oscar, and Tony Award at least once. He has also been on the reality musical competition TV series The Voice for 10 seasons.
Legend’s first hit single, “All of Me” was actually written for his wife, Chrissy Tiegan.
Here’s one of those iconic couples that just make a person smile.
Legend and Tiegan met on the set of one of his videos in 2006. They literally dated for 7 years before getting married in 2013 and having four children. In a video for People Magazine in 2021, Legend gave a wonderful tribute to his wife, stating, “We’ve been through so much joy and some pain together. We’ve laughed together; we’ve cried together. I wouldn’t want to go through any of this with anybody more than I’d want to go through it with you.”
This iconic duo is that exception rather than the rule in the world of celebrities. Here’s an image of them in a famous couples Halloween costumes as Cleopatra and Mark Antony.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono
A British phenomenon hit the world stage in the early 1960s – The Beatles. Once the band was fully formed it consisted of John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul Mccartney, and Ringo Star. As a group, they achieved world-wide fame with their musicality. This was the four-piece combo until their breakup 1970.
John was married to Cynthia Powell from 1962, and they divorced in 1968. He had already met Yoko Ono at her artist gallery, and they married in 1969. After the Beatles broke up in 1970, he and Yoko sold their estate in England, and moved into a flat in Manhattan New York and became anti-war activists. They had a brief separation between 1973 and 1975 but reunited and continued to produced music together., mostly with political and social themes. They had a son, Sean, and Lennon retired from the music business and became a “househusband,” caring for their son. they moved into the Dakota Apartments in upper Manhattan. In 1980, Lennon was asked to autograph a copy of his and Ono’s album Double Fantasy by Mark David Chapman. After that he and Ono left for a recording session. When he returned, Chapman was waiting and fired three shots into Lennon. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Ono had him cremated and his ashes spread in Central Park. Lennon was 40 years old. Another celebrity couple whose relationship ended in tragedy.
David Bowie and Iman
If ever there was a pop culture a musician of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, it was David Bowie. And if ever there was a celebrity couple that reflected fame and fortune, it was David Bowie and Iman.
Before Inman, Bowie was married to Mary Angela Barnett in 1970 in a civil ceremony in London. They had a son, Duncan, born in 1971. they divorced in 1980, with Bowie getting custody of their child, Duncan.
In October 1990, Bowie met a Somali American model at a dinner party in Los Angeles – Iman. According to Bowie, it was love at first sight. He was so smitten, he said, that he couldn’t sleep the night before their first date. Two years later, they married privately in Lausanne. This union resulted in many songs in his album Black Tie White Noise, such as “The Wedding/Wedding Song,” and “Miracle Goodnight.”
As a married celebrity couple, they lived primarily in New York in London. They had a daughter, Alexandria, and worked very hard to keep their married life private, appearing as a couple in public very rarely.
Their home life was simple. Iman cooked every night that they were home, and Bowie retired from touring in 2004, saying that his marriage came first.
When Bowie died in 2016, no one knew he had liver cancer. According to Iman, she will never remarry because she only has one husband – David Bowie.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel
Timberlake is a singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. For quite a while he was known as the “prince of pop.” He is one of the best-selling musical artists of this century. He has sold almost 120 records across the globe has 10 Grammy Awards, 4 Primetime Emmy Awards, 9 Billboard Music Awards, and several others under his belt.
In the mid-90s, Timberlake was cast for the Disney Channel’s The All New Mickey Mouse Club where he sang, performed in skits for which he was a contributing writer, and danced.
In terms of his love lifestyle, he dated his share of women. First came Britney Spears, a fellow cast member in the Disney show. According to Spears, she got pregnant and had an abortion because neither of them was ready to be a parent.
Next came a British singer, Emma Bunton, and then actress Cameron Diaz. They split in 2006.
He began to date Jessica Biel in 2007. Four years later, they got engaged and married in 2012 in Italy. they had their first child, a boy in 2015 and a second son in 2020.
In 2022, they celebrated their ten-year anniversary by returning to Italy and renewing their vows. Their comments were like a bit of a love letter to each other. “10 years ain’t enough!” Timberlake said. “You make me a better husband and father every day! I love you so much you beautiful human! Run it back!” Biel’s statement: “Being married to you is the adventure of a lifetime! Run it back, baby. RUN IT BACK. I love you.”
Part of what may have helped their relationship was the fact that they left Hollywood and relocated to their home in Montana, away from all of the drama and infidelity. It looks like this pair is in it for the long haul.
Tom Kaulitz and Heidi Klum
Heidi has had a busy love life, with three legal unions and other relationships under her belt. For five years, she was married to Ric Pipino from 1997-2002. She then met the musical artist Seal, and they married in 2005, having 3 kids together, and then separating in 2019. She then dated around and met Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz. They got married in 2019 and are still married today.
Tom Kaulitz is a guitarist from East Germany who actually gave her a piece of the Berlin Wall as a birthday gift. He is 16 years younger than Klum. He is in a rock band with his twin brother and is the lead guitarist. They were first seen kissing on the set of the TV reality show “America’s Got Talent” when he visited her there while she was a judge.
The pair was engaged at the end of 2018 and were married two months later in California, having a second wedding in Italy with a big celebration in the summer 2019, on a huge yacht. According to Klum, this union is first and only time that feels like a real partnership when they can discuss anything.
They have no children of their own, but Kaulitz is heavily involved in all of her children’s activities, calling himself the “extra dad.”
Heidi Klum is heavily into Halloween and costumes for an annual Halloween party (more on that later). In 2018, they dressed in a couple’s costume as Shrek and Fiona. In 2022, Kaulitz was a fisherman, and Klum was a worm on his hook.
This union between Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz has the promise of a lasting one. They really seem like a perfect match. Stay tuned.
Darren Criss and Mia Swier
Darren Criss was launched into fame once had a role in the wildly popular TV series, Glee. But before that, he had roles in film and on Broadway.
Upon graduation from University of Michigan with a degree in fine arts, he co-founded a musical theater called “StarKid Productions” with some friends. They created a a musical comedy called “A Very Potter Musical,” a spoof on the Harry Potter novels. Entertainment weekly named it the top video produced that year.
In Glee, Criss played a gay member of the songsters, Blaine Anderson. Because his character was gay, plenty of people assumed Criss was too. Far from the truth.
While nominated for a number of awards over the year, he had not personally won one until 2025, when he received a Tony Award. In his acceptance speech, he gave the credit for it to his wife, Mia Swier whom he said, took a chance and allowed him to follow his dream while raising two kids under the age of three.
Criss and Swier began dating in 2011, got engaged in 2018, and married in 2019. They have two children, a son and a daughter.
Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo
Diego Rivera was a Mexican painter of large frescos and murals, and art historians have credited him with helping to promote the mural movement in worldwide art in the early-to-mid 20th century. He painted murals all over Mexico and in New York City, San Francisco, and Detroit.
He moved to Paris where he met Angelina Beloff, a Russian artist. They got married in 1911 and had a son who died at a young age. He was not faithful to Angelina, having an affair with another Russian transplant who had his illegitimate daughter Marika.
Rivera divorced Beloff and, after returning to Mexico, married Guadalupe Marin in 1922. They had two daughters.
He was still married to Marin when he met Frida Kahlo. She was an art student who visited his studio hoping to get advice. They began an affair almost immediately, despite the 20-year difference in age.
Diego divorced Marin and married Kahlo in 1929. Neither was faithful to the other, and they divorced in 1939. Unable to remain apart, they remarried in 1940 in San Francisco. Kahlo died at the age of 47 in 1955 of pulmonary embolism, although some believe she committed suicide with a drug overdose. Among famous couples, this pair is probably the least known.
Right after Kahlo’s death, Rivera married his agent, Emma Hurtado. From then on, he lived in Mexico and the US and died in 1957 at age 70. He is buried in Mexico City. It is hard to say whether the union to Kahlo would have lasted over the long haul.
Iconic Famous Couples and Social Justice
Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta Scott King
Obviously one of the most famous couples of the 20th century, these two are synonymous with the American civil rights movement.
They met in Boston Massachusetts when a mutual friend gave King Coretta Scott’s phone number. He was working on his Ph.D. at Boston University’s School of Theology, and she was studying voice at the New England Conservatory of Music. He called her, asked if he could meet her, and she suggested lunch the next day. She wasn’t worried about going out with him because that mutual friend had also told her he would call.
While she claimed it was not love at first site, both discovered that they had a lot in common and both were impressed with each other. They began to date more seriously after that, and soon he made plans to take her to Atlanta to meet his parents. “Daddy King,” as he was nicknamed, performed the ceremony at their home in June 1953, and they spent their wedding night in the home of a mortician friend because there were no hotels for Black people at the time.
King was focused on his mission of peaceful protest to further the rights of Blacks and other marginalized people. He organized marches and protests, primarily in the South, and found himself arrested and jailed in Birmingham. There he wrote his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” where he continued to focus on peaceful protest, the same methods used by Mahatma Ghandi in his struggles to end British rule in India.
Through it all, King and Coretta had 4 children, and he continued to travel, giving speeches and leading protests. In 1957, President Eisenhower signed the first Civil Rights Law. That did not end the anti-Black violence, but some progress was made. The University of Georgia integrated in 1961; John F. Kennedy was elected in 1960 with civil rights a major part of his platform, and, despite his assassination in 1963, his beloved civil rights bill was passed by Congress and signed by President Lyndon Johnson.
They were married for almost 15 years before he was assassinated on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis Tennessee on April 4, 1968. In his memory and as a part of his legacy, Coretta King continued to have an active role in the continuing movement to achieve equal rights for everyone. Coretta died in June 2006 from advanced ovarian cancer and after a series of strokes in 2005. All four of their children are still actively involved in their parents’ work.
Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden
Jane Fonda was raised in the spotlight, given the fame of her father, actor Henry Fonda. As an adult, she had decided to follow in the family legacy as an actress. She met her first husband, film producer and director Roger Vadim, when he first approached about an acting gig. She turned him down. A few months later, at her 26th birthday party, their paths crossed again.
Fonda and Vadim began dating and collaborated in the movie Barberella, and they got married in 1965. He was 38, she was 28. That union produced a daughter, but they divorced in 1973.
Not letting any grass grow under her feet, she met and married Tom Hayden the same year she was divorced. They actually met in a movie theater, the chemistry was instant, and they quickly wed. This was the longest union that Fonda had – 17 years. They both had a passion for common causes, including opposition to the Vietnam War. They had a son in 1973 and adopted a daughter later on. They finally divorced in 1990, and both spoke to their reasons later on. Hayden hated her workout video business, and Fonda stated lack of communication about their feelings. Hayden died in 2016 at 76.
After that, she married Ted Turner, and the union lasted 10 years. She stated that he insisted she be by his side 100% of the time and she felt smothered.
After three marriages, Fonda never married again but had a couple of romantic relationships. At 80, during an interview, she stated she had no desire to be with a man ever again.
Political Power Couples
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Elizabeth met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark three times, in 1934, 1937, and 1939. She later said that she fell in love with him while only 13 years old. He was 18. They began to write letters, became romantically attached, and at age 21, her engagement to Philip was officially announced.
The union was not without controversy. Here was Philip, foreign-born and without money, although he did serve in the Royal Navy during WWII. He also had two sisters who had married Germans with links to Nazism. Even members of the royal family were not too keen about the match. She stood her ground, out of love, and they were married in the fall, 1947. His sisters were not invited.
In the fall of 1948, Prince Charles was born, followed by Princess Anne in 1950. Two more children, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward in the early 60’s.
Elizabeth was not a passive queen by any means. She traveled extensively throughout her empire and to the US twice. Phillip was always by her side. Her reign was often tumultuous, but in November 1997, at a celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary, she stated that through all of it, Phillip was her “strength and stay.”
Prince Philip died in April 2021 during the COVID lockdown, and she was the only one to attend his funeral service. At her Christmas address that year, she said of him, “That mischievous, inquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.”
John F. Kennedy and Jaqueline Bouvier
When John Kennedy and his wife Jackie entered the White House in 1961, it was often called the “Age of Camelot.” He managed the country through a number of crises – forced integration of schools after a Supreme Court decision and the Cuban missile crises, to name just two. Sadly, Camelot didn’t last long as he was assassinated in 1963.
As a first lady, Jackie Kennedy was in a class all of her own. There is no doubt that they loved one another, even though there were plenty of rumors about his infidelities.
They were married in 1953 in a huge affair with over 800 guests – quite the occasion. They had 2 children, Caroline and John Jr. Definitely a power couple.
Barack and Michelle Obama
Here’s a power couple who occupied the White House from 2009 – 2017. Both were attorneys, and both graduated from Harvard Law School. The two were married in 1992.
Because they were both employed by the same law firm in Chicago and Michelle was his mentor, she kept refusing to date him. When he finally offered to quite the firm for her to date him, she relented. They had a day-long date ending at Baskin-Robbins, and they sat on a bench and finally kissed. Michele claims that she “knew” from that moment. Barack said the kiss tasted like chocolate.
During their two terms in office, there was not one personal scandal, and they raised two smart and ultimately independent daughters through it all.
This was a love and a union that will forever be remembered.
Now About Those Costumes
Heidi Klum loves a Halloween party. She herself has a couples costume for every Halloween party she throws – every year except one during COVID. As stated above, she has probably the most creative couples costumes on the scene, but there have been other costumes that her annual Halloween party has inspired. Some of these costumes have included:
- Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf
- The princess bride (Buttercup) and her love Westley
- Mario and Princess Peach
- Basketball player and a hoop
- Mary Poppins and her magical parrot-headed umbrella
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
- Fred and Daphne from Scooby Do
- Kim Kardashian and Johnathan Cheban as Sony and Cher
- Heidi Klum and husband Tom Kaulitz as a fisherman and a worm
- Homer and Marge Simpson
- Sandy and Danny from Grease
- Us
- Pilot and Flight Attendant
- “I Dream of Jeannie” – a great couples costume
- Heidi Klum and former partner Seal as Planet of the Apes couple – another great couples costume
- Elvis and Priscilla – costumes that will always be popular
- Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake in costumes of themselves but with a twist. Justin is inside a microphone
- Cruella Devil and a Dalmation – great costumes for a a great coupls
- Jesica Biel and Justin Timberlake as Cruella De Vil and a dalmatian –
- Rebel Wilson and Carly Steel as Barbies in a Box – creative costuming for sure
- Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka in Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen costumes – hilarious
- Thea and Jay Wolf in costumes honoring British royalty
- Mike Meyers and Kelly Tisdale as the Romes – such realistic costumes
This is quite the list of costumes and pics (thanks to Getty Images. Many of them are easily copied for your next Halloween bash.
Finalizing It All
You are now an expert on celebrities, their accomplishments, their love lifestyles, and their successes and failures in that love department. And you’ve seen a lot of Getty Images showing them in realistic poses. Information worthy of cocktail conversations.
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