The Celebrity Couple Everyone Was Talking About In The Year You Were Born

Who would you say the most popular celebrity couple is today? It’d have to be one of those with a silly portmanteau name, like Ben Affleck and Ana De Armas, or BenAna. And there’s a famous romance for every year, of course, so let’s find out who got tongues wagging when you came into the world.

41. 1965: Cher and Sonny Bono

Sonny Bono and Cher are among the most fondly remembered power couples of the 1960s. This is partly because they released several hit romantic duets, including the hugely popular “I Got You Babe.” Though they wed in the late 1960s, they didn’t stay together and divorced during 1975. Their songs, on the other hand, have stood the test of time.

40. 1966: Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman

There’s a reason why people called Academy Award-winners Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman “Hollywood’s golden couple.” Their romance set a gold standard for celebrity pairings at a time when many of them were falling apart. The marriage endured for half a century until death did them part. Sadly, Newman passed away in 2008, though he left three children to continue the pair’s legacy.

39. 1967: Elvis and Priscilla Presley

Celebrities of the 1960s don’t come any bigger than Elvis “The King” Presley, so his marriage to Priscilla rocked the world. It was such a monumental event, in fact, that they spoke to the media as soon as the ceremony was complete. Neither Elvis nor Priscilla stayed faithful and their romance was shaky at best. They still had a strong connection, though, because they remained friends after their divorce five years later.

38. 1968: Johnny Cash and June Carter

Following Johnny’s onstage proposal to fellow country star June, the couple’s romance enamored the public. Fans and the media alike absorbed each detail of their musical collabs and Johnny’s famously emotional love letters. One of those messages even won a 2015 Valentine’s Day poll for “Greatest Love Letter of All Time” in the U.K.! Their marriage endured for more than three decades until Carter passed away in 2003. Johnny himself died within a few months of her passing.

37. 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono became a household name in 1969. That year she wed The Beatles’ John Lennon and participated in the couple’s “Bed-In for Peace” protest. Their romance also made Yoko perhaps unfairly synonymous with the breakup of John’s band in 1970. But you have to concede that it would’ve taken a solid relationship to derail The Beatles’ fame train.

36. 1970: Paul and Linda McCartney

Despite John and Yoko’s wedding overshadowing Paul and Linda’s in 1969, the McCartneys soon gained popularity. Paul even adopted Linda’s child from an earlier relationship as well as having three biological kids with her. They remained together for almost three decades until cancer took Linda’s life in 1998.

35. 1971: Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland

Jane and Donald’s chemistry was palpable in the film Klute and, as it turned out, for good reason. They were apparently dating during the shoot... While Jane was still married to Roger Vadim. It proved to be a whirlwind romance, though, and moving in with each other was the catalyst for their split. Donald told The Guardian in 2008, “It was a wonderful relationship right up to the point we lived together.”

34. 1972: James Taylor and Carly Simon

It was only natural that a marriage between two of the 1970s’ most successful pop singers would garner plenty of attention. But Carly told People in 2015 that she’d actually fallen for James much earlier. After seeing him on the front of TIME, Carly told her sister, “I’m gonna marry that man.” And she did, albeit only for ten years, after which the couple divorced.

33. 1973: Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw

It looked like Ali’s marriage to Steve was a love story of her very own, but unfortunately she had to get away. In 2018 she told People, “There were many times that were just wonderful. And there were many times that were just ghastly.” Their relationship ended in divorce in 1977, though Ali admitted that she still wished they’d “both grown old sober” together.

32. 1974: Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston

After Hollywood legend Jack first encountered Anjelica in 1973, it kick-started an on-again, off-again romance that spanned almost two decades. The relationship would end abruptly, though, when Jack revealed he’d gotten another woman pregnant. Even so, they remained on friendly terms and in 2014 Anjelica whimsically told the New York Post that theirs had been a “hopeless, enduring love.”

31. 1975: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

Elizabeth and Richard started their relationship with a controversial affair back in the early 1960s. It’s a testament to their enduring popularity that people were still raking it over a decade later. That’s partially because they married each other twice. They initially had a decade-long marriage starting in 1964 and then wed again briefly in 1975. You have to hand it to them, they were persistent!

30. 1976: Farrah Fawcett and Lee Majors

Do you recall that celebrity couple jogging alongside each other on the front of People magazine? Well, that was Farrah and Lee, and they were so famous that it contributed to the breakup of their marriage more than decade later. In 2019 Lee told People that “there was a year or so when I think I saw [Farrah] two weeks in one year. It’s very difficult with careers like that.”

29. 1977: Burt Reynolds and Sally Field

Burt and Sally started dating while they were shooting Smokey and the Bandit and stayed together for half a decade. And if it’d been up to Burt, it would’ve been longer. During a 2018 Today interview he called Sally the love of his life. She, on the other hand, told The New York Times that their relationship was “not without loving and caring, but really complicated and hurtful to me.”

28. 1978: Diane Keaton and Warren Beatty

By her own admission Diane didn’t date much, which makes her relationship with Warren even more striking. The pair had strong chemistry; in a 2016 interview with Variety she described him as “sexy,” “mysterious” and “extremely gifted.” Diane was after marriage, though, whereas Warren wasn’t, which contributed to the end of their short but sweet romance.

27. 1979: Pattie Boyd and Eric Clapton

Pattie had two legendary musicians fighting over her: her then husband and The Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Eric. Pattie infatuated both men, and allegedly inspired at least three classic songs: Eric’s “Wonderful Tonight” and “Layla,” and George’s “Something.” An inebriated Eric even challenged George to a guitar contest over his muse and won. But though he and Patty later wed, they split up a decade later.

26. 1980: Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon

The late Carrie Fisher, AKA Princess Leia, was many a man’s dream girl during the 1980s, yet for Paul it was a reality. The relationship wasn’t all out-of-this world, though. They wed in 1983 but the romance just wasn’t written in the stars. After only a year of marriage they divorced and went back to dating instead, which also ended a decade later.

25. 1981: Prince Charles and Princess Diana

If you remember anything about 1981 it was probably Prince Charles and Lady Diana. The royal wedding was on every TV set, magazine cover and newspaper front page. People fell in love with “The People’s Princess” for her philanthropy and style. Yet the romance itself was beset with problems, including the royal divorce in 1996 and Diana’s tragic demise, which followed a year later.

24. 1982: Brooke Shields and Michael Jackson

Any big event in Michael Jackson’s life hit the news and his relationship with Brooke was no different. Michael told NBC News in 2009 that she was “one of the loves of his life,” and he reportedly proposed to her. Brooke later compared their love to “two little kids having fun” and while their romance didn’t go the distance, they remained friends.

23. 1983: Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell

Though they have one of showbiz’s most enduring romances, Goldie and Kurt shirk convention and have never married. In fact, Goldie revealed to E! News in 2018 that this is precisely why they’ve lasted so long. “There’s something psychological about not being married because it gives you the freedom to make decisions one way or the other,” she explained. “So for me, I chose to stay, and Kurt chose to stay.”

22. 1984: Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr.

Pre-Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. dated Sarah Jessica Parker. However, RDJ was a very different man back then and his addictions made their seven years together tough. Sarah revealed to People magazine in 2018 that his substance problems had been the reason for their split. RDJ has remained grateful for the support Sarah gave him, though. “She provided me a home and understanding,” he told Parade in 2008.

21. 1985: Brigitte Nielsen and Sylvester Stallone

As a 1980s megastar Sylvester presumably got a lot of female attention. But the “provocative” photo Brigitte allegedly sent him appears to have made quite an impression on the actor. The pair each broke off their current marriages to pursue each other, though their own marriage lasted just a couple of years. And throughout that time, there was talk of affairs on both sides. You could say the romance was rocky!

20. Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Action star Arnold’s marriage lasted for a quarter of a century and he fathered four children with Maria. But she terminated their relationship when she found out that Arnold had had a son called Joseph with their housemaid. He admitted to Fox News in 2017 that it was a “major, major” mistake, though he reportedly has good relations with Joseph.

19. 1987: Demi Moore and Bruce Willis

Demi and Bruce had a Vegas wedding within a year of meeting, yet their romance lasted for more than a decade, during which time they had three children. And while they split for good in 2000, Demi and Bruce’s bond didn’t die hard – they co-parented together and stayed on good terms.

18. 1988: Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks

Tom and Rita first encountered each other while filming Volunteers and wed after a three-year relationship. It turns out their romance is just as wholesome as Tom’s image as “America’s Dad.” While many Hollywood relationships failed, his and Rita’s endured – a fact he’s touchingly grateful for. “I still can’t believe my wife goes out with me,” he gushed to People in 2015.

17. 1989: Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon

Kevin and Kyra are another example of how love can endure even in the high-pressure world of Hollywood. They were introduced on the set of Lemon Sky, wed after it hit the big screen in 1988 and have two children together. In fact, 2018 marked their 30th anniversary, and their marriage is still going strong today.

16. 1990: Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise

When Nicole auditioned for Days of Thunder and met Tom, there were instant fireworks. In a 2016 interview with People she described how her “jaw dropped.” Tom must have felt the same, since the then king and queen of Hollywood had a headline-grabbing wedding a little over a year later. Keeping the relationship together proved mission impossible, though, and it ended in 2001 – but Nicole still remembers their time together fondly.

15. 1991: Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan

When rom-com veterans Meg and Dennis met, they started a love story of their own. The pair even had a romantic Valentine’s Day wedding! Things didn’t end like their movies, though, and eventually the relationship imploded. The media cited Meg’s alleged affair with Russell Crowe as the reason, but the actress told ABC News differently in 2006. “My marriage was broken, nobody else broke it up,” she said.

14. 1992: David Bowie and Iman

David Bowie first encountered his model wife Iman on a blind date, and it turned into modern love. During a 2000 interview with Hello magazine Bowie revealed, “I’d never gone after anything in my life with such passion. I just knew she was the one.” They spent more than two decades together before cancer tragically claimed Bowie’s life in 2016.

13. 1993: Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin

Alec and Kim met while shooting the aptly named movie The Marrying Man. Three years later the stars’ relationship hit the headlines when they got hitched, but it didn’t last. Their divorce nine years later was just as widely reported, and for all the wrong reasons. In 2016, Kim described the process to Cosmopolitan as “very public and nasty.”

12. 1994: Kate Moss and Johnny Depp

When model Kate spoke to People about Johnny in 2016, she said, “I knew from the first moment we talked that we were going to be together.” The charismatic pair jetted around the world for almost half a decade, turning heads wherever they went. Until, that is, their fiery passion turned into heated arguments and their relationship burnt out completely.

11. 1995: Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt

Two beautiful celebrities leading a Hollywood lifestyle together; surely Gwyneth and Brad were made for each other? A lot of people thought so when this glamorous pair got engaged. They couldn’t go the distance, though. In 2015 Gwyneth recounted that she’d loved Brad, but she’d been too young and he’d been “too good” for her.

10. 1996: Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale

Fellow musicians Gwen and Gavin tied the knot in spectacular style. Gwen in particular made jaws drop with her unforgettable gradient-style white and pink trained wedding gown. Their relationship continued to make news over its 13-year run due to several controversies, which ultimately ended in a 2015 divorce. Perhaps she just wanted a simple kind of life!

9. 1997: Victoria and David Beckham

Few couples are as famous as former Spice Girl Victoria and soccer player David. They became engaged just a year into their relationship and have since become celebrity royalty. The modest Victoria even donned a tiara on her wedding day! Four kids and almost two decades later, the world’s “it” couple are still together.

8. 1998: Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith

If you’re talking sturdy showbiz relationships, look no further than Jada and Will. In addition to going the distance even after 20-plus years, their union has created a new generation of celebrities. Their daughter Willow and son Willow are becoming just as famous as their parents.

7. 1999: Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe

For Reese’s 21st birthday she got more than she expected when she encountered Ryan and sparks flew. They famously wed shortly after their movie Cruel Intentions came out and went on to have a couple of kids. Though their relationship eventually led to divorce in 2007, Reese and Ryan remain on amicable terms.

6. 2000: Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston

Brad’s had some high-profile romances in his day, but his relationship with Jennifer may perhaps be the most famous of them all. Their ostentatious wedding in 2000 had the media wowing at proceedings (the fireworks display in particular) and remained the talk of Hollywood for long after. Brad famously ditched Jennifer for Angelina Jolie, though, which left many Brennifer fans in mourning.

5. 2001: Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake

How can you forget a couple who are famous (or infamous) for their matching denim outfits? It’s a fashion faux pas now, but back in 2001 the pop power couple Britney and Justin were celeb chic. Their split a year later also produced two memorable tracks: Britney’s “Everytime” and Justin’s “Cry Me a River.”

4. 2002: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck

If you’ve ever wondered where those couple portmanteau names come from, you’ve found the answer. Jennifer and Ben ‒ or Bennifer ‒ were so popular that their relationship pretty much created the trend singlehandedly. But the super couple were perhaps too high-profile for their own good. Bennifer cancelled their special day a few days prior to the event citing “excessive media attention” as the cause. They ended the relationship altogether shortly afterwards.

3. 2003: Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Despite a somewhat tumultuous start, Beyoncé and Jay-Z hit their stride in 2003. No prizes for guessing where they got inspiration for their joint hit “Crazy in Love” that same year. The stars may have learned from Bennifer’s mistake, because they kept their 2008 wedding on the down-low. They’re doing something right, anyway: they’re still together now.

2. 2004: Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow

It looked like Gwyneth was set to settle down for good with Coldplay’s Chris. They married in 2003 and tongues wagged over their daughter Apple’s unorthodox name the following year. They couldn’t make things work, though, but instead of focusing on the negatives, they presented their split as a positive step to happiness. And in the process, the term “conscious uncoupling” entered the mainstream.

1. 2005: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

When Brad started dating Angelina shortly after his divorce to Jennifer Anniston, it reinforced rumors of his infidelity. Whatever the truth, their relationship caused a media frenzy that never died down completely. After a long-term romance and two-year marriage, Branjelina split amidst a messy divorce process. It was another blow for Brad fans hoping that their idol has a happy love life.