13 February 2022

World Marriage Day: Celebrity marriages that have stood the test of time

13 February 2022

February 13 marks World Marriage Day – so expect to hear the clinking of champagne glasses, see flower sales soar and smell the intoxicating scent of perfume and hormones in the air. Well, maybe not for everyone.

Hollywood stars might seem to have no problem finding dates, but they certainly have their share of heartbreak too, with many celebrity relationships not really managing to stand the test of time.

However, this isn’t always the case. There are some celebrity marriages that prove love only gets richer as the years go by…

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson (Alamy/PA)

Forrest Gump actor Hanks first met Wilson in the early-1980s on the set of the ABC show Bosom Buddies. Despite being married at the time, Hanks later told GQ magazine that “Rita and I just looked at each other and — kaboing — that was that. I asked Rita if it was the real thing for her, and it just couldn’t beCelebrity  denied.”

The pair married in 1988 and had two sons together, Chet and Truman. They both starred in classic 1993 romance movie Sleepless In Seattle, and their own romance is still going strong.

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne (Alamy/PA)

Ozzy and ‘Ssshaarooooon!’ Osbourne first met back in 1970, when Sharon’s father, Don Arden, was manager for Black Sabbath, Ozzy’s band. They fell in love and married in 1982.

The couple’s eccentric life was documented for the world to see as part of their reality show The Osbournes, from 2002-2005, alongside their children Jack and Kelly (they also have daughter Aimee who wasn’t prominent in the TV series). Highlights included the family matriarch throwing a large ham into their neighbours’ garden, and the rock singer catching tin cans and a bird on a fishing trip with his son. Despite dramatic moments along the way, Sharon and Ozzy are also famous for their lasting love.Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas and their children Dylan and Carys (Alamy/PA)

Hollywood heavyweights Douglas and Zeta-Jones share many similarities: they are both Oscar winners (Douglas scooped the gongs for Wall Street and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, and Zeta-Jones for Chicago) and were both regularly labelled ‘sex symbols’ throughout their careers.

They first met in 1998 after being introduced by friends. Despite a 25-year age gap, they married in 2000 and had two children together – Dylan and Carys – and are still going strong.

Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann

Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow (Alamy/PA)

This Hollywood power couple have spent most of their careers together, even if it may not be immediately obvious to movie fans. Apatow produced and directed Knocked Up and This Is 40 for examples – movies his wife starred in – however, Mann was not immediately knocked over by love when she first met Apatow at her audition for 1996 comedy, The Cable Guy.

The movie producer later told Vanity Fair that he could not “believe Mrs Apatow just walked into the room”. But Mann was not as smitten at first sight, so the producer pulled out all the stops by taking the actress on three dates – a basketball game, dinner, and a movie.

They soon moved in together, married in 1997 and welcomed daughters Iris and Maude, who also appeared in Knocked Up and This Is 40.

Victoria and David Beckham

David and Victoria Beckham (Alamy/PA)

Victoria and David Beckham – aka Posh and Becks – laid eyes on each other in 1997 at a charity football match at the Manchester United players’ lounge, and got engaged around a year later. The couple, who tied the knot in 1999, did not remain as a family of two for long, with Brooklyn Beckham arriving that same year, followed by Romeo in 2002, Cruz in 2005 and Harper in 2011.

The celebrity couple, who regularly wear matching outfits, have hinted that this may be the secret to a long lasting marriage. Some of their most popular, and maybe even eyebrow-raising ensembles include matching black leather jackets and trousers on a trip to the Versace Club in 1999, and matching bedazzled white outfits at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards.

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