Famous Actors and Artists Who Married Their Fans
We love celebrity gossip, and those stories almost always involve stars who date one another and break up with one another before moving on to repeat the cycle with other celebrities. People often dream about dating their celebrity crushes, but they always know deep down that it’s just a pipe dream.
But what if it’s really not as impossible as you think? It turns out that some fairy tales do come true, and real-world people sometimes end up in relationships with their favorite stars. It’s definitely not the norm, but some actors, musicians and artists have found love in strange places, including among their fans.
Matthew Lewis
Although Matthew Lewis may not be a household name, everyone recognizes his role in defeating Voldemort at the end of the Harry Potter films. When the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in Orlando, Florida, the Neville Longbottom actor made an appearance to commemorate the occasion.
Angela Jones worked as an event planner for Universal Studios in Orlando. The two hit it off right away and immediately became an inseparable couple. After two years, Lewis asked her to marry him on a romantic trip to Paris. The two lovebirds tied the knot in Italy in 2018.
Elvis Presley
Priscilla Beaulieu (Wagner before adoption) was born the daughter of a U.S. Navy pilot and spent most of her youth traveling from country to country. Her father died in a plane crash, and her mother remarried an Air Force officer who adopted Priscilla. At 14 years old, she met Elvis at a party after the Air Force stationed her father in Germany.
The “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” was infatuated with the young girl. She returned home late that night and was forbidden from seeing Elvis again. They didn’t see each other for a couple of years and started a romantic relationship shortly after their reunion. They married in 1967 when Priscilla was 21.
Patrick Dempsey
The Grey’s Anatomy star went in for a routine haircut and met hairstylist and make-up artist Jillian Fink. According to People magazine, Fink was shocked to see him but (of course!) found him to be quite attractive. The feeling was obviously mutual because Dempsey returned to the salon three more times.
Patrick learned Jillian was single and asked her out. After only three months, the young couple moved in together and were married in 1999. Since then, Jillian’s career has taken off, and she is now the hairstylist for Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts. Yes, she still cuts Patrick’s hair as well.
Amber Rose
You might think Amber was a fan of Wiz Khalifa, but it was the other way around. Amber mentioned the rapper on Twitter after hearing him say her name in an interview. The couple eventually met, married and brought a son into the world, but the fairy tale didn’t last.
The two began dating in 2011, became engaged in 2012 and married in 2013. Rose got a tattoo of Wiz’s face on her arm, which she probably regretted when she filed for divorce in 2014. The two share custody of their son, Sebastian, after failing to reconcile their differences in court.
Fergie
In an interview, Josh Duhamel said, “My recurring dream involves the lead singer of The Black Eyed Peas. Oh, my God, I’ve got the biggest crush on her! God, she is hot!” The actor finally met his celebrity crush in 2004 on the set of his show Las Vegas.
During their first meeting, Fergie mentioned his dream about her and asked, “Was it good?” The couple hit it off right away and married in 2009. Fergie gave birth to their son in 2013. Sadly, the couple split up in 2017 but remain united in raising their child.
Nick Lachey
Vanessa Lachey was well on her way to stardom early in her career. Born at USAF Clark Regional Medical Center in the Philippines, she returned to the U.S., specifically South Carolina, with her family and won the title of Miss Teen USA in 1998.
She met Nick Lachey in 2006 after her appearance in one of his music videos. Their on-and-off relationship led to an extravagant wedding at Richard Branson’s private residence in the Virgin Islands. Since then, her acting career has taken off with multiple small roles in television and film.
Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer has experienced a notorious love life. While he was still married to his third wife, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Camille, he met Kayte Walsh. The 30-year-old British flight attendant was serving him on a flight to London. The two spent the evening together before going out for coffee a few times in the following days.
Camille didn’t find out until a friend informed her about his new relationship. Her relationship with Grammer ended through a series of text messages. To add insult to injury, Kelsey married Kayte just 15 days after his divorce from Camille was final.
Tobey Maguire
Jennifer Meyer is the daughter of NBCUniversal Vice Chairman, Ronald Meyer. She studied psychology at Syracuse University and returned to Los Angeles in 1999 to work for Ralph Lauren to design jewelry. She met Tobey Maquire when he was shooting Seabiscuit in 2006.
The two were married in Hawaii, and she considered it to be one of the best days of her life. The honeymoon didn’t last long, however, and their personalities clashed. Maguire, a homebody, and Jennifer, a socialite, filed for divorce in 2016. They remain friends and partners in raising their children together.
Gwyneth Paltrow
During a 2002 Coldplay concert in Los Angeles, Chris Martin referred to his “girlfriend” Gwyneth Paltrow not showing up, even though the two had never met. She caught wind of the comment as the rumors spread and eventually appeared at another show. Martin’s assistant approached the Iron Man actress and asked her to meet him backstage.
Like any good fairy tale, the two reportedly fell in love instantly. They rarely spoke of their relationship but were spotted in public regularly. Gwyneth moved to London after she discovered she was having a baby. Unfortunately, they announced their separation and divorce after 10 years together.
Steve Harvey
Comedian Steve Harvey dated his wife Marjorie more than two decades ago. He first met her at a comedy club in 1987, when she arrived late to the show and sat in the front row. She immediately caught his attention. “I had never seen anybody look like that,” he recalled to a Family Feud audience.
He stopped the show and said, “Lady, I don’t know who you are, but I’m going to marry you one day.” As a struggling entertainer, he didn’t possess the means to travel and return to see her until his Apollo show in 1991.
Mariah Carey
Most people don’t get a chance to meet their celebrity crushes. Nick Cannon had an opportunity when he was asked to present her with the Choice Music R&B Artist award at the Teen Choice Awards in 2005. The diva later wrote “We Belong Together” for Cannon and featured him in a music video.
Mariah and Nick announced their engagement in 2008 and got tattoos with each other’s names. In 2011, they brought twins into the world and seemed to have a fairy tale relationship. Apparently, it was an illusion, as the two are now divorced and only spend time together for their children.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway was in a well-known relationship with Raffaello Follieri — until he was arrested for wire fraud. Determined to remain single, Hathaway was introduced to Adam Shulman at a Palm Springs Film Festival in 2008. She immediately fell in love with her fan and allegedly told a friend that night she would marry him eventually.
The couple’s chemistry was undeniable. When Hathaway found out Shulman was single, she asked him out on their first date to New Orleans. They married in 2012 in a small ceremony with only a few friends.
Billie Joe Armstrong
The pop-punk band Green Day embarked on its first tour in 1990. While traveling through Minnesota, the lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, met the love of his life. Adrienne asked him where she could find a copy of their record, and the two stayed in touch by phone after that.
They shared their first kiss, which led to Armstrong writing “2000 Light Years Away.” He began to deliberately schedule his band’s tours through Minnesota so he could see her. Fortunately, they didn’t have to settle for a long-distance relationship for long. The couple married in 1994 and are happily married to this day with two sons.
Reese Witherspoon
Jim Toth was a talent agent with Creative Artist Agency, the organization that represents Reese Witherspoon. He was known for working with artists like Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr., so he already ran in the same circles as Witherspoon.
One night, the two were at a party, and Jim noticed an intoxicated friend of his harassing Reese for attention. He slyly walked over and said, “Excuse my friend. He’s just broken up with someone” — before moving in on Witherspoon himself. The two started dating, married, had a son, and the rest is history.
John Travolta
John Travolta and Kelly Preston were both actors who met during a screen test for The Expert. Travolta noticed Preston’s beauty immediately and expressed his interest. Preston was a fan of John’s, but her marriage to actor Kevin Gage prevented a relationship.
For a few years following her divorce, Preston dabbled in relationships with George Clooney and Charlie Sheen before starting a long-term relationship with Travolta. The two Scientologists were engaged on New Year’s Eve in 1991 before tying the knot in September of that year. They have three children together — Jett sadly passed away — and are still happily married.
Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba is a well-known superstar, known for her roles in Fantastic Four and Sin City. Cash Warren, a Los Angeles native, was also heavily involved with acting and film production. At the time Fantastic Four was filmed, Alba was engaged to another man, and Warren was working as director Tim Story’s assistant on the production.
After Alba’s engagement ended, the two dated for a few years before she announced her pregnancy. They decided on a small courthouse wedding. As of 2019, Alba said in one of her Instagram posts, “11 years and three kids later, we’re still learning, growing, giggling and loving.”
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock’s godson was a fan of Jesse James’ Monster Garage, and James was a noted fan of Bullock. That made it easy for Bullock to take her godson to tour the set. The pair hit it off and had great chemistry. They dated for a year and a half before marrying in a private Santa Barbara ceremony.
Apparently, James wasn’t a big enough fan, because reports eventually surfaced that he was cheating on Bullock with tattooed stripper Michelle McGee. Later, Bullock discovered that he had engaged in extramarital affairs with multiple women. James blames his actions on his substance abuse.
Tom Brady
Gisele Bündchen knew about Tom Brady’s football talent but never expected to meet the NFL star. The Patriots quarterback was still dating actress Bridget Moynahan when the two met (and he and Moynahan have a son together). Gisele admits Tom had “the most beautiful, charismatic smile I’ve ever seen!”
Since then, the two have been inseparable. They married in 2009 and have two children together, Benjamin and Vivian. Although she admits she wasn’t looking for a relationship at the time, there isn’t a day that goes by where the two don’t speak.
Conan O’Brien
Conan O’Brien is a household name in late-night television. The former Saturday Night Live writer was a well-known bachelor during the early part of his career as a talk show host. He met Liza Powel in 2000 when she was a senior copywriter for Foote, Cone & Belding, an international advertising agency.
The future Mrs. Conan O’Brien appeared on the show for a skit, and the two made quite a connection. They dated for around 18 months before they held their wedding in her hometown of Seattle. They have been happily married with two kids ever since.
Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler’s career took off following Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, and he quickly became an A-list celebrity. Jacqueline Titone was an aspiring actor who landed a small role as a waitress in his next project, Big Daddy, in 2003.
The young couple fell in love and had a beautiful Malibu wedding, where Sandler’s bulldog was the best man in his very own tuxedo. The couple has two daughters, and Adam is well known for being a hands-on father, specifically during story time. He does his best to ensure his daughters don’t let his fame make them spoiled.
Prince William
Kate Middleton met Prince William when they both attended the University of St. Andrews. Kate was modeling in a fashion show when she captured the attention of the young prince, partially because she was wearing a skimpy outfit. The two started dating a year later and then moved in together the following term.
The couple kept their relationship a secret reasonably well, considering his royal status and the determination of the paparazzi. Their romance fizzled in 2007, and the two took a break for a while. However, they eventually gave the relationship another try, and William asked for her hand in marriage in 2010.
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber has experienced a long history of multiple relationships and legal issues. He first met 12-year-old Hailey Baldwin, the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin, at a fan event in 2009. The two crossed paths two years later at a concert of Bieber’s. She was a fan, but she never claimed to be a crazy superfan who screamed in his presence.
It wasn’t until 2014 that the two went on their first “date” to Hailey’s church. They fought off stories about their relationship for as long as they could. In 2015, they got matching tattoos and dated for about a year before splitting. They reunited in 2018 and married in 2019.
Christian Bale
Christian Bale grew up in a dysfunctional family, and that experience made him decide to never get married. He said, “Everyone was divorced in my family, so I didn’t have very healthy ideas about marriage.” Then The Dark Knight star met Winona Ryder’s assistant, Sibi Blazic, and his views changed dramatically.
The couple eloped in Las Vegas in the year 2000. A few years later, they celebrated the birth of their daughter. In 2015, they welcomed a son, but they have mainly kept their kids out of the spotlight. The two are still incredibly committed to each other today.
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts has been part of a lot of Hollywood relationships in her life, including those with actors Jason Patric, Liam Neeson, Kiefer Sutherland and Matthew Perry. She was also briefly married to country music star Lyle Lovett for two years. While she was shooting The Mexican, she met cameraman Danny Moder.
Moder was married at the time, but that marriage didn’t last. About a year later, the two started dating, and they married shortly after Moder’s divorce was finalized in 2002. They have three children together, including twins, and are happily married to this day.
Nicolas Cage
Alice Kim was a cocktail waitress at Le Prive in 2004 when she met actor Nicolas Cage. They started dating almost immediately and announced their wedding within two months. Even a 20-year age difference couldn’t keep them apart. Because of her relationship with the star, Kim landed roles in two of his movies.
She and Cage were seen continuously together throughout their relationship, but in 2016, the couple separated and finally called it quits. They have a son named Kal-El, which was Superman’s Kryptonian name. The marriage was Cage’s third and his longest relationship.
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld have been married for almost two decades. When they met, Jessica was a fashion publicist for Tommy Hilfiger. Her previous marriage collapsed after repeated attempts at reconciliation before she met the famous comedian at a Reebok gym on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Jerry made a few jokes to Jessica, which she ignored. Then “he came around again and said something funny, and I actually had to laugh,” she remembers. He professed his love in a Jewish grocery store, and the two quietly married in 1999.
Matt Damon
Matt Damon is one of the most recognizable actors in Hollywood. While filming the Farrelly Brothers comedy Stuck on You in Miami, Damon went out for some beers with some of the crew members. Luciana Barroso worked as a bartender, and the duo ended up dating for two years before their engagement in 2005.
They were married at New York City Hall when Luciana was already three months pregnant. Later, they held a large ceremony in Saint Lucia, which many of their friends attended. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel served as the officiant.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are often at the top of entertainment headlines for many media outlets. The two met in 2004 while they were both seeing other people. Kardashian was working as singer Brandy’s assistant, and Kanye showed up to a music video shoot. They later worked together on a puppet-based television program.
“We were doing this skit where I was playing, like, a Star Wars character,” Kanye said about their 2008 reunion. “I wanted her to be Princess Leia because she was my dream girl.” The two announced their relationship in 2012. They married a couple of years later in 2014, and the rest is history.
Ringo Starr
Maureen Starkey Tigrett was a simple hairdresser in Liverpool, England. As a trainee, she was a regular at a local club called The Cavern Club. One night, Maureen went to see The Beatles, who already had a substantial local following. She waited in long lines with hundreds of fans before finally getting a chance to meet them.
When she started dating Ringo Starr, she actually received threats from other fans. Ringo proposed to Maureen in January 1965 after finding out she was pregnant. Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein organized a quick wedding. The two separated in 1987 and engaged in a messy divorce.
Tom Cruise
Perhaps no movie star is more famous than Tom Cruise. The Hollywood heartthrob experienced a very public separation from Nicole Kidman in 2001 and remained single for about five years. Cruise met Katie Holmes to discuss a role in Mission: Impossible 3, and they immediately started a very public relationship.
One of the most memorable moments in their relationship occurred when Cruise professed his love for Holmes on The Oprah Winfrey Show and proceeded to jump on the couch. “TomKat” had a baby together, followed by a large wedding in Italy, but then divorced five years later in 2012.
