In today’s celebrity culture, love can be awfully short-lived. Sometimes, it seems like Hollywood couples meet, go out, get married and break up quicker than it takes the coffee creamer in your fridge to expire. Of course, the prickly nature of fame is largely to blame. According to psychologist Donna Rockwell, celebrities are “so used to everyone looking at them, everybody coming to them, everybody giving to them, they forget how to turn around and give it back.”
So it turns out there are downsides to being universally adored.
That said, it’s nothing less than shocking to discover that a celeb couple has been together for multiple years, much less without being married. Of course, getting legally hitched isn’t the only way to have a long-lasting romantic partnership. And here are just a few celeb couples throughout Hollywood’s history who famously proved this point.
Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson
Maya Rudolph, left and Paul Thomas Anderson arrive at the Oscars on March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Jordan Strauss / Invision/AP Photo
Year they started dating: About 2001
Though Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA) may seem like they’re from two different (albeit equally accomplished) worlds — Maya, of course, is a former SNL cast member and all-around comedic genius, while Paul is a lauded film director and cinematic visionary — something’s clearly working for them. They have, after all, remained happily unmarried to this day.
PTA and Maya have four kids together with four of the cutest names imaginable: Jack, Pearl Minnie, Lucille and Minnie Ida. The two are also famously private, rarely discussing each other in interviews.
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell
Actors Kurt Russell, left, and Goldie Hawn pose together at the 2019 “An Unforgettable Evening” benefiting the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Feb. 28, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 1983
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn are pretty much the patron saints of celebrity couples who never married. Each a beloved movie star in their own right, the longtime Hollywood golden couple has been together for more than 35 years, and their blended family includes four adult children: actors Oliver Hudson and Kate Hudson, Boston Russell and Wyatt Russell.
Though their non-traditional lifestyle has been undoubtedly successful, their relationship has reportedly endured multiple counts of infidelity, with Hawn telling “People” magazine that monogamy is “a very tough order”. (You can say that again, Goldie!)
Sara Switzer and Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard, left, and Sara Switzer attend a screening of “Friends with Kids” hosted by the Cinema Society in New York on March 5, 2012. Charles Sykes / AP Photo
Year they started dating: 1998
Comedian Sandra Bernhard (probably best known for her role on “Roseanne”) has been with her partner, writer and former magazine editor Sara Switzer for more than 20 years, though they’ve never felt the itch to get betrothed.
Their daughter, Cicely Yasin Bernhard, was born in 1998, and the couple currently shares a home in New York.
Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham
Oprah Winfrey, left, and Stedman Graham arrive at the Oscars on Feb. 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 1986
Ah, Oprah and Stedman! These two have been together for so long that it’s easy to forget they’ve never tied the knot. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Despite having been engaged since 1992 (and together since 1986), in 2017, Oprah revealed the true reason why they’ve never felt the need to get married, to “Vogue.”
“We would not have stayed together because marriage requires a different way of being in this world,” she said. “His interpretation of what it means to be a husband and what it would mean for me to be a wife would have been pretty traditional, and I would not have been able to fit into that.”
Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes
Left: Actress Eva Mendes attends the premiere of Focus Features’ “The Place Beyond The Pines” at the Landmark Sunshine Theater on March 28, 2013, in New York. Right: Ryan Gosling poses in the press room at the Hollywood Film Awards on Nov. 4, 2018, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Left: Evan Agostini; Right: Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2011
Perhaps the most genetically gifted duo on the planet, Hollywood actors Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes have been together since 2011 but are in no rush to get to the altar. They have two daughters, Esmeralda Amada and Amada Lee, and are known for being super secretive about their partnership, rarely making red carpet appearances together and often flat-out refusing to talk about one another.
According to “People,” Gosling loves how “fiercely independent” Mendes is, though it can also be “challenging.”
Deborah Eisenberg and Wallace Shawn
Left: Actor Wallace Shawn arrives to the premiere of “Southland Tales” in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2007. Right: Author Deborah Eisenberg poses for a portrait at her home in New York on Oct. 15, 2009. Left: Chris Pizzello; Right: Charles Sykes / AP Photo
Year they started dating: 1975
Acclaimed short story writer, actor and teacher Deborah Eisenberg and actor and playwright Wallace Shawn have been together for more than 40 years, and their combined literary prowess is the stuff of legend at this point. Deborah and “Wally,” as she’s prone to calling him in interviews, also genuinely seem to still be head-over-heels in love (and what’s more, genuinely interested in one another) after all this time.
Eisenberg told the “Houston Chronicle” that Shawn has a “certifiably great brain” and is “the most wonderful and generous person.”
Tilda Swinton and Sandro Kopp
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Year they started dating: 2004
Actress Tilda Swinton has been with her partner, German artist Sandro Kopp, since 2004. The two met on the set of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” when she played the White Witch and he played a centaur.
Swinton was previously married to John Byrne, with whom she has two children. At the beginning of her and Kopp’s relationship, Swinton was still married to Byrne and openly dated Kopp. The two got a lot of flack from the media, as Kopp would sometimes come to live in the family’s Scotland home, Harper’s Bazaar reported in 2009. While Swinton is no longer with Byrne, she says that the two remain close friends.
John Corbett and Bo Derek
John Corbett and Bo Derek attend a special screening of “Foxcatcher”, hosted by the Cinema Society with Details and Brooks Brothers, at The Museum of Modern Art on Nov. 11, 2014, in New York. Evan Agostini / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2002
Everybody’s favorite “Sex and the City” boyfriend, John Corbett, and actress and model Bo Derek (best known for her role in the film “10”) have never been married, but have spent the last 18 years as a couple.
According to “Closer Weekly,” the pair recently redecorated their 10.5-acre ranch in Santa Ynez, Calif., with Derek chiming in that, since the couple travels so much, “our favorite vacation place is home.” Home is where the heart is, indeed!
Lauren Graham and Peter Krause
Peter Krause, left, and Lauren Graham arrive at the TV Land Awards at the Saban Theatre on April 11, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Dan Steinberg / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2010
Cutie-pie lovebirds Lauren Graham and Peter Krause rarely walk the red carpet or are seen publicly together, even though they’ve been dating since 2010.
The two played brother and sister on the beloved family drama series “Parenthood,” but Graham is perhaps best known her for her role as Lorelai Gilmore on “Gilmore Girls” and Peter Krause is currently starring as Bobby Nash on “9-1-1.”
Krysten Ritter and Adam Granduciel
Adam Granduciel, left, and Krysten Ritter arrive at the Oscars on Feb. 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Richard Shotwell / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2014
“Jessica Jones” star Krysten Ritter and The War on Drugs’ frontman Adam Granduciel have been dating since 2014, and the couple welcomed a baby boy in August 2019.
Ritter has since taken to her Instagram to post-pregnancy selfies, plus a snapshot of the happy couple with the caption, “Happy bday to the coolest dude I know. Love you, man. @thewarondrugs” — awwww!
Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale
Rose Byrne, left, and Bobby Cannavale attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between” exhibition on May 1, 2017, in New York. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2012
Longtime partners Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale have two children together, and the actors frequently show up on screen together, as well as in films like “Annie,” “Adult Beginners” and “Spy.”
You know what they say: The couple that acts together … well, rarely stays together, but we’ll admit that it seems to be working out for these two!
Dwayne Johnson and Lauren Hashian
Dwayne Johnson, a cast member in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” poses with his girlfriend Lauren Hashian at the Los Angeles premiere of the film at the TCL Chinese Theatre on March 28, 2013 in Los Angeles. Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2007
Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, met Singer-Songwriter and Music Producer Lauren Hashian (daughter of Boston Drummer Sib Hashian) in 2006 when filming “The Game Plan.” When they met, Johnson was married to Producer and Body Builder Dany Garcia. The two split in 2007, and he began dating Hashian soon after.
The interesting part? Garcia asked if she could be Johnson’s manager in 2008 and has held the position ever since. Johnson and Garcia are still going strong and have two daughters together.
Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan
Zoe Kazan, left, and Paul Dano arrive at the 21st annual Critics’ Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar on Jan. 17, 2016, in Santa Monica, Calif. Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2007
Acting, screenwriting, directing: What can’t longtime couple Zoe Kazan and Paul Dano do? The two had met as actors in the off-Broadway play “Things We Want” and have supported each other ever since.
The “Wildlife” creators also had a “secret baby” together in August 2018, according to “Vanity Fair,” which Dano confirmed when he went on “The Tonight Show,” saying, “I’m so tired, and I’m so in love.”
Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor
Sarah Paulson, left, and Holland Taylor pose in the Lindt Chocolate Lounge at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. John Salangsang / AP Images / Invision for the Television Academy
Year they started dating: 2015
The media had a field day when these two got together, due to their age difference and same-sex coupledom (never mind that, when we’re talking about a heterosexual couple and the man is older, it’s not even noteworthy). Both actresses, Holland is 75 and Paulson is 43, and they’ve been together since at least 2015.
Paulson has no time for the haters, though. She recently told “Modern Luxury” magazine, “If anyone wants to spend any time thinking I’m strange for loving the most spectacular person on the planet, then that’s their problem. I’m doing just fine.” Bam!
Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon
Ricky Gervais, right, and Jane Fallon arrive at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 20, 2009, in Los Angeles. Matt Sayles / AP Photo
Year they started dating: 1984
Together since 1984, comedian Ricky Gervais and author Jane Fallon are truly a lesson in unwedded bliss. Gervais recently even joked that he “would fall apart” without Fallon, citing an incident in which Fallon went to visit her mother, and he couldn’t figure out how to operate the boiler: “So I was on the couch under a blanket with the cat listening to internet radio for two nights because I couldn’t get the telly working, and it was like, honestly, it was like ‘Castaway!’”
Something tells us there’s never a dull moment with these two.
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez
“Accessory Designer of The Year” winners Lazaro Hernandez, left, and Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler pose backstage at the 2009 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York on June 15, 2009. Evan Agostini / AP Photo
Year they started dating: About 1999
The ultra-chic (and, we hate to objectify these dudes, but ridiculously good-looking) duo behind famed brand Proenza Schouler have known each other since their junior year of college at Parsons School of Design, according to the “Hollywood Reporter.”
In fact, Proenza Schouler began as their collaborative senior thesis (the collection was named after their mother’s maiden names) and was later bought, in its entirety, by Barney’s. Apparently, it’s possible to be famous, gorgeous, talented and in love. We kind of love (hate) these two.
Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias
Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias are seen during Game 1 of the second round of the NBA basketball playoffs between the New Jersey Nets and the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena in Miami on May 8, 2006. J. Pat Carter / AP Photo
Year they started dating: 2001
The famous tennis player met Iglesias on the set of his music video for the song “Escape” in 2001. The two have been together ever since but remain extremely private — so much so that there have been rumors that they have been married and even divorced in that time.
Iglesias set the record straight, however, telling E! News that the two have never been married and are still, in fact, together. In December 2017, the two welcomed their twins: Nicholas and Lucy. And then they welcomed a baby girl in February 2020.
Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys attend the premiere of the FX television series “The Americans” on Jan. 26, 2013, in New York. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2014
Their relationship was the emotional core of their fake lives on FX’s hit spy drama “The Americans,” and as it turns out, it’s the emotional core of their real lives, too!
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys have been together since at least 2014 (when they officially announced they were a couple), and they have a son together, Sam (how, um, patriotic!) — and zero plans to walk down the aisle anytime soon.
Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton
Actress Helena Bonham Carter, left, and filmmaker Tim Burton arrive at the 85th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. John Shearer / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2001
Known as Hollywood’s most eccentric power couple, film director Tim Burton and British actress Helena Bonham Carter were together for 13 years and had two children — not to mention worked on six films together, including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Big Fish” and “Alice in Wonderland” — before splitting up a few years ago.
Interestingly, not only did the couple never marry, they also never cohabited, choosing instead to live in adjoining homes in London.
Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx
Left: Jamie Foxx arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 24, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Right: Katie Holmes attends the American Ballet Theatre’s 2018 Fall Gala at the David H. Koch Theater on Oct. 17, 2018, in New York. Left: Evan Agostini; Right: Charles Sykes / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2013
Secretive pair Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx were rumored to have been dating since 2013 before calling it quits in 2019 after six years together.
They apparently went (quite literally) to the ends of the Earth to protect their romance, with “Harper’s Bazaar” reporting on their private jet excursions to Paris, Mexico, Malibu and everywhere in between.
Dick Van Dyke and Michelle Triola Marvin
Dick Van Dyke, left, began dating Michelle Triola Marvin in 1976. SuperBHub
Year they started dating: 1976
Dick Van Dyke has been married twice, but he never married his long-time partner, Actress Michelle Triola Marvin. Van Dyke began dating Triola Marvin in 1976, long before his divorce from his wife, Margie Willett, in 1984. Keep in mind, though, that Van Dyke and Willet had been separated for a long time.
Van Dyke and Triola Marvin were together until her death in 2009, 33 years in total. That didn’t stop him from remarrying though. On Feb. 29, 2012, at the age of 86, he married 40-year-old Make-Up Artist Arlene Silver, and the two are still together.
Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis
This Feb. 24, 2009, file photo shows Johnny Depp arriving with his girlfriend Vanessa Paradis for the 80th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Amy Sancetta / AP Photo / File
Year they started dating: 1998
Although they’re not together anymore, actor Johnny Depp and French model and singer Vanessa Paradis were a couple for 14 years without getting hitched. They have two children, Lily-Rose and Jack, and their breakup was said to have been mighty painful.
Depp told “Rolling Stone” that the split “wasn’t easy” on him, Paradis or the kids. (After all, 14 years is basically 75 years in Hollywood!)
Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk
Bradley Cooper, left, and Irina Shayk arrive at the Oscars on Feb. 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 2015
Actor Bradley Cooper and model Irina Shayk were happily together for four years before their split in June 2019. The couple was first spotted out together in 2015. The two have a baby girl, who was born in March 2017.
Of course, rumors that Lady Gaga was the reason for the split were circling in 2019, but that remains to be proven right. While Cooper and Shayk never got married, she told Cosmopolitan that she does believe in marriage. Maybe Cooper just wasn’t the right one?
Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange attend the premiere of “The Darjeeling Limited” on the opening night of the 45th Annual New York Film Festival. Avery Fisher Hall / Star Max via AP Images
Year they started dating: 1982
Acclaimed playwright and actor Sam Shepard and beloved actress Jessica Lange had one of the most famous non-legally binding love affairs in Hollywood history. The two were together for almost three decades and had two children, Hannah and Samuel. They did end up separating in late 2009, eight years before Shepard passed away in 2017.
At one point during the course of their relationship, Shepard told “The Guardian” that he and Lange were “an incredible match,” and she was “the only woman I could live with,” although their relationship was “not without fireworks.”
Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin
British-born movie actress Jane Birkin, left center, and her constant companion, French actor Serge Gainsbourg, right center, pose while they attended the International Film Festival on May 16, 1974, in Cannes, France. Jean Jacques Levy / AP Photo
Year they started dating: 1968
France’s most famous power couple, the English-born actress and singer Jane Birkin and prolific (and ultra-provocative) singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg never married, although they were the picture of romance throughout the ’60s and ’70s. Their relationship is widely considered to be one of the great romances of the 20th century, so it’s safe to say that not tying the knot certainly worked in their favor.
Though Serge was 20 years older than Jane, their relationship lasted for over a dozen years, and their only daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, is a famous singer and actress who’s best known for her work with the Danish film director Lars Von Trier (and has also never married her longtime partner, director Yvan Attal).
Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt
Jon Hamm, left, and Jennifer Westfeldt arrive at The People Magazine Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel on Dec. 18, 2014, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP
Year they started dating: 1997
Though they’re no longer together, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt were a couple for a staggering 18 years before calling it quits. The “Mad Men” star and indie actress broke up shortly after Hamm’s brief stint in rehab for alcohol abuse.
Hamm was pretty broken up about the split when it happened, telling “InStyle,” “It’s hard. It’s hard to be single after being together for a long time. It’s really hard. It sucks.”
Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley
British actor Hugh Grant and his girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley sit next to the runway prior to the start of Gianni Versace’s fashion show in Milan, Italy, on Oct. 9, 1995. Luca Bruno / AP Photo
Year they started dating: 1987
Though they’re no longer together, actor Hugh Grant and actress-model-designer Elizabeth Hurley were one of Hollywood’s most famous unmarried golden couples for 13 years.
Together, they weathered one of the biggest celeb scandals of their time (in 1995, Grant was caught engaging in a “lewd act” with a “known prostitute”). But, judging from Hurley’s Instagram, they’ve clearly since reconciled.
Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon
Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon kisses her longtime companion, actor Tim Robbins, after he spoke during the ceremony commemorating her new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Aug. 5, 2002, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Nick Ut / AP Photo
Year they started dating: 1988
One of Hollywood’s favorite long-time couples who had never wed shocked the masses when they announced they were separating in 2009. The two met on the set of “Bull Durham” in 1988 and have two sons together, Jack and Miles.
Both Sarandon and Robbins have gone on record saying the split was due to a mid-life crisis that Robbins was facing, after 21 years together.
Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga
David Otunga and Jennifer Hudson attend Fox Searchlight’s Jennifer Hudson Star on Walk of Fame Luncheon at Soho House on Nov. 13, 2013, in Los Angeles. Todd Williamson / Invision for Fox Searchlight / AP Images
Year they started dating: 2007
Jennifer Hudson has actually been in two long-term relationships that didn’t turn into marriage. Her first was with James Payton, who she began dating in 1999 when she was 18. The two separated in late 2007, and she quickly became engaged to Professional Wrestler David Otunga in September 2008.
Despite being together for nine years, the two never married and eventually split in November 2017. They do, however, share one son together.
