There are a ton of things that can go wrong in a marriage — especially in Hollywood. So, if anybody knows the secret to making a marriage last, it’s the people on this list!
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.
After 20 years of marriage to Jada, Will said : “You can’t expect it to be easy. If there is a secret, I would say it’s that we never went into working in our relationship. We only ever worked on ourselves individually, and then presented ourselves to one another better than we were previously.”
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Meryl Streep and Don Gummer.
“You have to talk about all the issues that arise, even the smallest things,” Meryl said of her 41-year marriage. “You have to listen to your partner’s problems, suggestions, and advice, and accept that you’re not always right. Conversation is the key to a successful marriage.”
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka.
“In our relationship, communication is super important,” Neil said of being married to David for 10 years. “Good friends of ours said, ‘You need to talk it out,’ and if that means raising your voice, you need to raise your voice. Know what you’re talking about. Know where you’re standing as opposed to letting stuff build-up, I guess.”
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beats.
Alicia and her producer husband have been married for 10 years. “[Swizz and I] like surprising each other and going on secret weekend dates,” she said .
“One of us plans it and the other has no idea where we are going. We’ve found some undiscovered gems and moments to take hikes or walks or just discover new things about life and each other. Those are my favorite times.”
Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
“I was independent before I met my husband, and we have such a natural chemistry and a genuine relationship, and it’s based on the things that relationships are supposed to be based on,” Beyoncé said fter 12 years of marriage.
Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
“We treat each other with respect, we didn’t just get married because we thought the other was young and hot. I think that sort of crushes relationships a lot. We don’t feel fortunate as much as we feel disciplined in the work. Sacrifice is something that’s required in marriage,” Freddie said after being married for 18 years.
Jessie James and Eric Decker.
“I think women sometimes stop flirting with their husbands and you can’t,” Jessie said after nearly six years of marriage to Eric. “Men want to want feel good—they want to feel like their women love them. When they come home from work, don’t start nagging them with questions. Go up to them and give them a big kiss and ask them how their day was.”
Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi.
After almost 17 years of being married to Portia, Ellen said : “When we got married, Portia’s line was, ‘It’s good to be loved, it’s profound to be understood,’ and she understands me because that is the best gift anyone could have ever given me,” also calling her, her “best friend”.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel.
“Communication, communication, communication,” Jessica said after six years of marriage to Justin.
“The ability to be really honest about how you’re feeling and what your needs are. Just be able to communicate really honestly with your partner. That’s worked for us so far. I would never want to speak on anyone else’s relationship, but that’s what we do.”
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend.
After almost seven years of marriage, Chrissy says the trick to making marriage last is to not spend every waking moment together. “Travel away from each other a lot—that helps,” she said . “We’re not together 365. It’s nice to be able to really be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I miss you. I miss you so much.’ That works for both of us.”
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard.
Nearly seven years of marriage later, Kristen’s advice to making a marriage last is: “Stay vulnerable with each other,” and “Take necessary separateness. It will make your marriage better.”
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
“She always responds with empathy,” Ryan said of his wife, Blake, after being married for seven years.
“She meets anger with empathy. She meets hate with empathy. She’ll take the time to imagine what happened to a person when they were five or six years old. And she’s made me a more empathetic person.”
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness.
After 23 years of marriage , Hugh revealed the secret to making his marriage last is to be a “team, madly in love”.
“We can kind of see all the ups and downs for what they are. Our priority is our family, and we’re there for each other no matter what.”
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
“People say, ‘Jeez, it must be hard to stay married in show business,'” Tom, who has been married to Rita Wilson since 1988, said .
“I think it’s hard to stay married anywhere, but if you marry the right person, it might work out. We give each other a natural sense of support for whatever the other wants to pursue. Our marriage doesn’t require vast work.”
David and Victoria Beckham.
After 19 years of marriage, Victoria said: “I am trying to be the best wife and the best professional. When I get home I try to put the phone down and spend time with the children and spend time with David.”
“I have the support of an incredible husband. We really are equal with everything we do at home with the children,” she said. “When I’m away he’s the one doing the school run and doing the cooking,” she added .
