Hollywood Couples

From LoveToKnow Dating

Hollywood couples are almost as interesting—and dramatic—to watch as the movies they make. We love to hate them, we love to adore them, and we love to watch their ups and downs like real life soap operas. Will they make it or won't they?

Hollywood Couples Going Strong

One thing that seems to be a common thread among successful Hollywood couples is the fact that only one person is in the spotlight. Of course, that's not always the case, but one less tension—competition in career—seems to keep a couple happy. Perhaps it really is the lack of competition. Maybe it's the fact that the paparazzi seems less interested in stars married to average Joes or Jane's than some other screen-worthy face. It could be that all it takes is being in different spots in your career (as Catherine Zeta-Jones said of herself and Michael Douglas in the July 2007 edition of In Style).

Here are some couples who've weathered the storm:

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver
Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith
Julia Roberts and her cameraman, Danny Moder
Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne

The theory that one person in the relationship needs to be willing to hide in the shadows doesn't just apply to Hollywood couples. Have you ever seen two extroverts in a relationship? When you went out with them on a double date, did it seem as if they were trying to one-up each other during the conversation?

And how about two introverts? You may not have ever gone out with them on a double date because they may prefer to stay home. They may not even realize they're bored! The key in a relationship, as with all aspects of life, is balance. When a celebrity falls in love with someone behind the scenes (as with Julia Roberts and Danny Moder)—or removed from the scenes completely—you might just hear a "click."

Those Who Didn't Make It

It's easier to come up with a list of Hollywood couples who crashed and burned shortly after getting together. Some of these couples may have had dueling careers, and one person's success surpassed the others. Jealousy could easily have made for the demise of a good thing, whether it was jealousy of career successes or suspicion related to the involvement of a lover or spouse with other actors/actresses (thanks, tabloids!), actual infidelity, or self-destructive behavior (as Lucille Ball mentioned in regard to Desi Arnaz in an interview with Barbara Walters).

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline
Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillppe
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
John Stamos and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos

Why We Care

Onscreen or off, celebrities are a grand source of entertainment for the rest of us. We love to watch those who seem to have it all lose something. Those who impress us with humble attitudes and big hearts from the shallow trenches of glitz, glamour, and a "me, me, me!" mentality? We want to watch them fulfill their romantic fantasies.

Trends in Hollywood Dating

Whatever the "popular kids" are doing might just set the stage for the rest of us, even as adults, and even for each other in the land of Hollywood (hey, that's why they're trends!).

Short –lived Marriages

Sometimes it seems that marriage is the new dating. When a couple rushes to the altar, chances are good that they'll be rushing to divorce court, too. Here is a list from VH1 with dirt on the shortest celebrity marriages in history. Zsa Zsa Gabor and Felipe De Alba made it one whole day in 1982.

Babies

First comes love—ahem, lust—then comes marriage (not always), and here comes someone with a baby carriage (or at least a hefty number of bags from some of the most upscale baby clothing stores).

May-December Unions

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are the most well-known Hollywood couple when it comes to this type of union. It's a nice, refreshing flip from the older man/young woman combo.

Other Reasons Hollywood Relationships Fail

Absence doesn't always make the heart grow fonder. Being on opposite ends of the globe making separate movies can put a strain on any relationship and open up the opportunity for wandering eyes, hands, and lips. It's no wonder Hollywood couples often give in to the temptation and loneliness.

Celebrities have often been labeled as self-centered. That's a stereotype, of course, but they are used to instant gratification (see above reason). As with all career fields, there are at least a few id-driven kids out there. Dating and marriage are about give and take, so what happens when both parties are takers?

The bottom line is Hollywood couples aren't that much different from the rest of us. Sure, there are some self-centered actors and actresses that can't stay committed to one person whether they're dating or married, but those types aren't exclusive to the Hollywood scene. Opposites tend to attract no matter how glamorous your lifestyle is, so when an introvert finds an extrovert in Hollywood, they stand a better chance at longevity.

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