Sara McGinnis
posted in CelebritiesWe often refer to the rich and famous out there who marry other stars as power couples, but do you know the stories of how their love came to be?
Take a look at how the relationships of 14 stars and their equally admired partners first got started:
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively
Is it bad form to meet your future spouse while on a date with someone else? We only ask because that's exactly what happened to famous parents Ryan and Blake!
In 2016 he explained to People, “About a year after Green Lantern had come and gone and we were both single we went on a double date – she was on a date with another guy and I was on a date with another girl – and it was like the most awkward date for the respective parties because we were just like fireworks coming across…We were buddies for a long time, which I think is the best way to have a relationship, to start as friends.”
The duo exchanged vows in 2012 and welcomed daughter James in 2014.
Photo: PR Photos
Nicole Richie and Joel Madden
Despite being a star in the music world, it wasn't easy for Joel Madden to get his future wife's attention. He explained in 2013, "I'm not for every woman, you know. Because a lot of women -- I mean, obviously, your first thing is, 'What do you want your guy to look like?' And I'm not the tall, dark, handsome guy, but I think [you like me] once you get to know me -- like how I got Nicole."
"When I first would see her around, we were friends, but I don't think I'm the obvious choice. I'm always like, 'Just give me a shot. Just give me one date.' If I can get my foot in the door..."
Eventually the former reality star agreed, and four years later they married. Today they're parents to daughter Harlow and son Sparrow.
Photo: PR Photos
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith
"I met him when I was 19 at an audition for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," the actress explained to YourTango. "After we had known each other for many years, we went out for dinner one night and I saw that he had grown from this lanky kid to this really responsible man. We started courting each other and our friendship turned into romance."
Photo: PR Photos
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson
Who says blind dates are doomed to fail? This happy husband and wife were set up by friends for a date on what the singer now refers to as "the sexiest day of her life."
Writing on Instagram about the anniversary of their first dinner she shared: "The sexiest day of my life was 5yrs ago when Johnson came into my home #MAY21. We are awesome."
With a nod to those who first introduced them she added: "Fortunate for these two @laurenz422 and @bretharrison for the unexpected intro #MAY21 #JOHNSON."
Jessica and Eric are now busy parents to daughter Maxwell and son Ace.
Photo: PR Photos
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel
Though they're admired as one of Hollywood's hottest young couples, the story of how Justin and Jessica first met isn't the stuff movies are made of.
"There was nothing starry about the way we got together," he explained during a press conference for Trouble With the Curve in 2012. "It was very un-Hollywood-esque, in fact. We met and got talking. Afterwards I asked my friend if I could call her and ask her out. My friend called Jessica and Jessica said yes, and so I called her. I did it the old fashioned way -- by telephone."
They married in 2012, and welcomed son Silas in 2015.
Photo: PR Photos
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
Long before the Brangelina brood grew to include six children, this Hollywood power couple locked eyes on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It was 2004, and the only trouble was Brad was still married to Jennifer Aniston.
"I didn't know much about exactly where Brad was in his personal life," the actress said in Vogue's January 2007 issue. "I think we were the last two people who were looking for a relationship. I certainly wasn't."
Photo: PR Photos
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
It was infatuation at first sight for Ellen and Portia, who first met on a photo shoot back in 2004.
"I instantly adored her," the Arrested Development actress, who used to carry a few more pounds and the secret of her sexuality, said during a 2011 interview. "But I was very closeted and very heavy, and I thought that no one would ever love me if they knew I was gay and especially if they saw I was fat."
But according to Portia, Ellen didn't mind one bit. She went on to share, "The fact that she noticed me at that point and liked who I was, was kind of significant. Yeah, it was great."
Photo: PR Photos
Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen
This famous couple was set up on a blind date by a mutual friend in 2006.
"This friend told me he knew a girl version of me," the NFL star said in Details magazine's July 2009 issue. Gisele, who was nearby, chimed in from the background: "And he said to me he'd found a boy version of me."
Infamously, Tom had only just split from Bridget Moynahan when he agreed to their dinner in NYC. The couple are now parents to daughter Vivian and son Benjamin, and Tom is also dad to his and Bridget's son, John.
Photo: PR Photos
Jay-Z and Beyonce
In hindsight, this celebrity power couple was just a couple of kids when they first met!
"I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we started dating," the singer, who was still a part of Destiny's Child when she met her future husband, explained to Glamour magazine. Speculation they were dating began in 2002 after the duo collaborated and starred in his "Bonnie & Clyde" music video, and it was in 2008 they tied the knot.
Their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, was born in early 2012.
Photo: PR Photos
David and Victoria Beckham
Even before the soccer star and Spice Girls singer first met, David had his eye on Victoria. Officially they met at a Manchester United charity match in 1997, but he has admitted to The Sun his infatuation with Victoria began when he watched her band's "Say You'll Be There" music video.
The man who went on to welcome four children with his Posh wife explained his thinking at the time, recalling he thought: "That's the girl for me and I'm going to get her! She's my idea of perfection. I knew that if she wanted me, we would be together forever."
Photo: PR Photos
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Two years after her marriage to Brad Pitt ended, Jennifer Aniston met Justin Theroux on the set of Tropic Thunder.
"I thought he was very sweet and he was always very nice," Aniston told PopSugar of her first impression of him back in 2007. "But I remember thinking he was very dark...At first you think he could be like a serial killer, but he is actually the nicest person in the world."
The two tied the knot in 2015.
Photo: PR Photos
Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes
This power pair had met a time or two before co-staring together, but it was on the set of the Place Beyond the Pines they fell in love.
Derek Cianfrance, director of the film they're pictured in here, let it be known it was the actor that actually suggested his future wife for the role. "He said, 'You should meet with Eva because she's great, I think she's got a lot to offer that maybe people haven't seen, which would be great,'" Derek explained to Moviefone. "So I said 'okay.'"
Ryan and Eva became parents in 2014, with the arrival of daughter Esmerelda.
Photo: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock
Bill and Giuliana Rancic
Before facing years of fertility struggles and heartbreak, Bill and Giuliana were both young television regulars. The Fashion Police co-host first met the winner of The Apprentice at an NBC Upfront party and thought he was a "cutie pie." She later interviewed him on E! News and after the segment he asked her out in the parking lot.
As she explains it, "And the rest is history."
The pair married in 2007 and welcomed son Duke via surrogate in 2012.
Photo: PR Photos
Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman
Once again, friends are responsible for playing matchmaker.
The actress and her husband first met through friends in late 2008, which was a few months after her drama-filled split from Raffaello Follieri. Ann and Adam's romance quickly blossomed, and in November 2011 the actor popped the question.
The two married in September 2012, and in early 2016 Anne confirmed she is pregnant with their first child.
Photo: PR Photos
My own spouse and I were close to the same ages as Beyonce and Jay Z when we "met." Technically I can't say it's when we first met, because we were in elementary school together (I have our second and fifth grade class pictures to prove it), but considering I don't think we ever even spoke to each other as young kids I'm not sure those early days count.
However, once we met (or re-met, you might say) at the end of high school the sparks flew. Not literally, because it was debate class, not metal shop, but you get the idea. Our history is kind of a fun story to tell our elementary-aged kids, but at the same time it freaks them out a little bit to think they might be sharing a class with their future spouse!
Photo: PR Photos
Check out what more stars have had to say about marriage:
“We’ve been together for 20 years and you have good days, you have decent days, and you have bad days. That’s a marriage. That’s a relationship. That’s a friendship, even. If you’re in it for the long haul and you want meaningful relationships you are going to go through lots of difficult periods.... Kids can really distract you from your relationship. Maybe in good ways and bad ways. It’s important to have all eyes on all parts of the relationship. It’s something you really have to pay attention to. But you figure it out.” ~ Sarah Jessica Parker on her marriage to Matthew Broderick (PR Photos)
"You have to keep the fights clean and the sex dirty." ~ Kevin Bacon on his marriage to Kyra Sedgwick (PR Photos)
"This is what I find difficult about talking about my marriage: It's hard to sum up something that's so vital and means everything to you in a sound bite. Do you know what I mean? All I can say is that it's an effing blast." ~ Emily Blunt on her marriage to John Krasinski (PR Photos)
"My husband is a natural born leader. I quickly learned that I had to find a way of honoring his take-charge personality and not get frustrated about his desire to have the final decision on just about everything. I am not a passive person, but I chose to fall into a more submissive role in our relationship because I wanted to do everything in my power to make my marriage and family work." ~ Candace Cameron Bure on her marriage to Valeri Bure (PR Photos)
"Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do so. This does NOT mean we have an open relationship... this means we have a GROWN one." ~ Jada Pinkett Smith on her marriage to Will Smith (PR Photos)
"Family is all we have in life, but I don’t know how I feel about marriage. Obviously, I’m not far enough out of being married to think about doing it again. You sort of reconstitute your family. You find a family, with people who come into your life for a reason." ~ Reese Witherspoon, after her divorce from Ryan Phillippe (PR Photos)
"I have a terrific marriage, but unlike a lot of relationships where they ebb and flow, no matter what happens you fall deeper and deeper in love every day. It's the best thing that can happen to you. It's thrilling." ~ Hugh Jackman on his marriage to Deborra Lee Furness
"We got hit with the same lucky stick. From the very first time we spoke, we were on the same page. We love each other, respect each other and try not to sweat the small stuff. And we really make each other laugh." ~ Melissa McCarthy on her marriage to Ben Falcone (PR Photos)
“We still love each other like we did when we first met. We’ve got amazing children…and we’re very happy. We manage it perfectly. Me and my wife–we’re very hands-on… We juggle our lives with our work and in our family, children always come first. So, it’s as simple as that.” — David Beckham on his marriage to Victoria Beckham (PR Photos)
“Pay attention, listen. Those are the basics, got to get those down. I’m lucky that – well, I don’t know if it’s lucky – but I’m with someone whose very low maintenance. If I were to buy her a bunch of jewelry, she wouldn’t know what to do with it. It sounds cliche, but we’re really good friends and have a good blending of giving each other space, but also enjoying each other’s company as well.” ~ Will Ferrell on his marriage to Viveca Paulins (PR Photos)
"We want to be married to each other. That's the main point. You've got to want to be married to the person you're married to. We still like each other a lot." ~ Rita Wilson on her marriage to Tom Hanks (PR Photos)
“Marriage is like a game of chess, except the board is flowing water. The pieces are made of smoke and no move you make will have any effect on the outcome.” – Jerry Seinfeld on his marriage to Jessica Seinfeld (PR Photos)
"My wife tells me that if I ever decide to leave, she is coming with me." ~ Jon Bon Jovi, on his marriage to his high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley (PR Photos)
“Anything that’s supposed to be for the rest of your life is going to bore you from time to time. People make a big deal out of my saying marriage is boring. Everything in America, when you live in a country where food and shelter aren’t your biggest concerns, bores you after a point. You have to do it artificially. You go on trips and go on dates to shake it up. Just try to get some time alone. Just remember why you’re together in the first place.” ~ Chris Rock, whose 18-year marriage to wife Malaak ended in 2014(PR Photos)
"I asked my dad once, 'How did you and Mum stay married for 33 years?' And he said, 'Well, we never wanted to get divorced at the same time.' And I think that's what happens. When two people throw in the towel at the same time, then you break up, but if one person's saying: 'Come on, we can do this,' you carry on." ~ Gwyneth Paltrow, who split from her husband of 10 years Chris Martin in 2014 (PR Photos)
"There's a big difference between falling in love with someone and falling in love with someone and getting married. Usually, after you get married, you fall in love with the person even more." ~ Dave Grohl on his marriage to Jordyn Blum (PR Photos)
"I do not joke when I say she is my better half. She really is. I cannot believe what a fantastic life I have today. Ultimately, we both changed a lot. So now I cannot imagine a life before her. I've certainly come to believe that Mrs. Downey and I together are infinitely better than me alone or me and anybody else." ~ Robert Downey Jr on his marriage to Susan Downey (PR Photos)
How did you and your partner first meet?