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21 celebrity couples who have actually stayed together for years
10 February 2025, 12:02 | Updated: 11 February 2025, 12:40
It's fair to say that most celebrity couples sadly don't last too long.
Sometimes, it seems as if most high-profile marriages appear to last less time than it takes to watch an episode of Don't Tell the Bride.
But there are many celebrity couples who have stood the test of time and prove that real love does exist, even with the eyes of the world upon them.
Here are some of our favourite long-lasting famous couples...
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Michael and Shakira Caine (since 1972)
Michael met Shakira in the 1970s. Picture: PA After seeing Shakira in a British TV advert for Maxwell House coffee in 1971, Michael Caine became obsessed with finding the woman he considered to be "the most beautiful girl [he]'d ever seen."
The couple married in Las Vegas in early 1973, and have one daughter, Natasha.
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Denzel and Pauletta Washington (since 1977)
Denzel and Pauletta in 2009. Picture: Getty Denzel Washington met his wife Pauletta on a film set in 1977, but the pair only kindled their romance a few months alter after running into each other at a party.
The two actors married in 1983, and have since welcomed four children and proudly celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 2023.
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Sting and Trudie Styler (since 1982)
Picture: PA In 1982, after the birth of Sting's second child, The Police frontman separated from first wife Frances Tomelty and began living with actress and film producer Trudie Styler.
"Neither of us are proud of a situation that happened - it just happened," Trudie once said about the affair which began the pair's long-lasting relationship.
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Sting and Trudie married 1992, and share four children together. Speaking with People in 2020, Sting shared that having a true friendship and not taking their relationship "for granted" is what has allowed for the pair's marriage to last so long.
"We love each other, but we actually like each other - and that's an important distinction there. Love is passion and all of that stuff, but actually liking somebody and enjoying someone's company is something slightly different, and it lasts longer," he explained.
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Martin Kemp and Shirlie Holliman (since 1982)
Aged 20, singer and dancer Shirlie Holliman met Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp through their mutual friend George Michael.
The pair married in St Lucia in 1988, and went on to have two children: daughter Harley Moon Kemp and son Roman Kemp.
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Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan (since 1982)
Richard and Judy presented TV together throughout the late 80s, the 90s and 00s. Picture: PA TV icons Richard and Judy met in 1982 when they worked on separate programmes for Granada TV, though they were both married to other people at the time.
They later married in 1986, and have two children together. After hosting This Morning together from 1986 to 2001, they also had their own self-titled show for eight years.
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Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson (since 1985)
Tom and Rita share a love lasting almost 40 years. Picture: PA Hanks first met actress Rita Wilson on the set of TV comedy Bosom Buddies in 1981, but only began to date after being reunited in 1985 on the set of Volunteers.
The couple married in 1988, and they have two sons.
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Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell (since 1983)
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell met on a Hollywood film set. Picture: PA Hawn and Russell began dating on Valentine's Day, 1983.
They first met while filming The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band in 1966, but only became romantically involved after re-connecting on the set of Swing Shift. They have a son together, actor Wyatt Russell.
Despite never getting married, the pair are an inspiring example of long-lasting love.
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Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates (since 1985)
Kevin wasn't sure about Phoebe after their first meeting. Picture: PA Actor Kevin Kline met actress Phoebe Cates at an audition in 1983.
They began dating in 1985 and married in 1989 - despite Kevin's initial concerns that Phoebe was "too happy" a person to be happy with him!
The pair have two children, Owen and Greta, who fronts the band Frankie Cosmos.
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Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick (since 1987)
Kevin Bacon met fellow actor Kyra Sedgwick on the set of a TV movie in 1987, and the pair married a year later.
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They have two kids together and have starred opposite each other in a couple of TV and film projects, such as 2004's The Woodsman.
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Jamie and Jools Oliver (since 1992)
TV chef Jamie started dating childhood sweetheart when they both just 17.
The couple married in summer 2000, and they have five children: Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela, Petal Blossom Rainbow, Buddy Bear Maurice and River Rocket Blue Dallas.
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Gordon and Tana Ramsay (since 1992)
Gordon first met at a New Years party, but only began dating after destiny reunited them at a friend's flat a little later in their early lives.
The happy pair married in 1996, and now share six children together, ranging from budding TV star Tilly Ramsay, born November 2001, to their youngest, Jesse James, born in November 2023.
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Elton John and David Furnish (since 1993)
Elton and David have been together since 1993. Picture: PA In 1993, Elton began a relationship with Canadian filmmaker David Furnish. In December 2005, the couple were amongst the first in the UK to have a civil partnership.
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After gay marriage became legal in England in March 2014, they converted their civil partnership to a marriage with a joyful ceremony held in Windsor on their anniversary. The pair spend reside at homes based in the UK and California, and have two sons together.
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Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen (since 1993)
Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen. Picture: PA In October 1995, Cheers actor Danson married actress Mary Steenburgen, whom he met on the set of the movie Pontiac Moon in 1993.
Danson also became the stepfather to Steenburgen's children, Lilly and Charlie, from her previous marriage to actor Malcolm McDowell. Despite both Ted and Mary having previously been in marriages which ended in divorce, the pair's relationship with each other has remained long-lasting.
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Gary and Dawn Barlow (since 1995)
Take That's Gary Barlow married Dawn Andrews, who was previously a dancer on Take That's 1995 Nobody Else Tour.
They have three children together: Daniel (born 2000), Emily (born 2002), and Daisy (born 2009).
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Faith Hill and Tim McGraw (since 1996)
In spring 1996, Faith Hill began a tour with fellow country singer Tim McGraw. At the time, Hill had recently become engaged, and McGraw had recently broken an engagement. The pair were quickly attracted to each other, with Faith later defending her choice to leave her fiancé for Tim saying: "I wasn't about to let Tim slip through my hands."
The couple married in October 1996, and share three daughters together. Madly in love to this day, the pair aim to never be apart for more than three consecutive days.
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David and Victoria Beckham (since 1997)
David Beckham started dating Spice Girl Victoria Adams in 1997, after she went to a Manchester United match.
Soon dubbed 'Posh and Becks', they married in 1999 and share four children together.
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Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr (since 2000)
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr visit Disneyland with daughter Charlotte. Picture: Getty Buffy star met husband Freddie Prinze Jr while they were filming the 1997 teen horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer, but they didn't start dating until 2000.
They were engaged in 2001 and married in Mexico a year later. They have two children together, and have starred alongside each other in several projects including James Gunn's Scooby-Doo films the Disney XD series Star Wars Rebels.
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Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova (since 2001)
In late 2001, singer Enrique started a relationship with Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova after they met on the set of a steamy music video.
Despite apparently splitting in 2013, the pair reconciled, and they welcomed twins Nicholas and Lucy in late 2017, and a daughter Mary in 2020.
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John Legend and Chrissy Teigen (since 2007)
John and Chrissy met in 2006. Picture: PA John met model Chrissy in 2006, when she starred in the music video for his song 'Stereo'.
They became engaged in December 2011, and were married two years later in Como, Italy. They now have four children together.
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Robbie Williams and Ayda Field (since 2006)
Robbie Williams started dating US actress Ayda Field in 2006, and they married at his Los Angeles home in 2010.
They have since had four children together, and starred alongside each other as judges on the final series of The X Factor UK.
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Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver (since 2012)
Dick Van Dyke with his wife Arlene in 2016. Picture: Getty Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver's relationship may be a relatively young one compared to many featured on this list, but stands to prove that love can blossom at any age for any of us.
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After meeting make-up artist Arlene - 46 years his junior - at the SAG Awards in 2006, the pair fell in love and married in 2012.
