Celebrity Couples Who Are Surprisingly Not Married
It can be surprising to discover that a celebrity couple has been together for a long while, let alone that they were never betrothed. Take Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson for example: One of Hollywood’s most understated power couples has actually been together since the turn of the century, but what’s even more surprising is the fact that after 17 years and four children together, the two are not officially married (though Rudolph does refer to Anderson as her “husband” for simplicity’s sake). Some couples have been together for so long that their union must at least be considered a common law marriage by now (looking at you Oprah and Stedman), but, with all apologies to Beyoncé, not everyone needs to put a ring on it in order to superglue their romantic bond. Here, celebrity couples in long-term relationships who never officially married.
1Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham
Together since 1986, and engaged in 1992, the couple have famously never married. “We would not have stayed together, because marriage requires a different way of being in this world,” Oprah once told Vogue. “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.” Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
2Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell
Though they’ve dated since 1983, the A-list couple remains unbetrothed. “If you need to be bound to someone, then it’s important to be married,” Hawn once told a British chat show. “If you are independent, then it’s important to not be married.” Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
3Charlotte Gainsbourg and Yvan Attal
Charlotte Gainsbourg’s famous parents, Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, never married each other, and she seems in no rush to either. She’s been with the director Yvan Attal since 1991, and the couple have three kids. They got engaged in 2014, but since revealed they’re not serious about actually tying the knot. Photo courtesy Getty Images.
4Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias
They’ve been together since 2001, and the status of their relationship was unclear for many of those years, until they welcomed twins last years. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
5John Corbett and Bo Derek
Together since 2002, the former Sex and the City hunk and Ten babe have kept it together without worrying about a marriage license. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
6Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling
The couple remains notoriously private, but they’ve been dating since 2011 and now have two daughters together. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
7Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough
They stylish duo behind Proenza Schouler met back in 2002 as design students at Parsons and have been together for most of that time since, but they seem in no hurry to get married or even talk about it publicly. An inquiry about the matter at a talk at the Met last year was met with eye rolls and a “no comment.” Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
8Shakira and Gerard Pique
The singer and the soccer player have been together since 2011 and have two children together. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
9Sandra Bernhard and Sara Switzer
The comedian has been with the former magazine editor and writer for almost two decades, and the pair have raised a daughter together. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
10Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson
The Saturday Night Live alum and the celebrated director have been together since about 2000 and have four children together. They’re not married, but Anderson’s latest film, Phantom Thread, was said to be inspired by their love. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
11Wallace Shawn and Deborah Eisenberg
To some, Wallace Shawn is Mr. Hall in Clueless; to others, he’s a celebrated playwright; to the award-winning short-story writer Deborah Eisenberg, he’s her partner. They’ve been a New York literary power couple for years, but don’t need to put a ring on it. Photo courtesy Getty Images.
12Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon
Together since 1982, the creator of The Office and the popular English novelist don’t believe in marriage as an institution. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
