Love has the ability to transcend the self. It’s no surprise that it has been a powerful force for humanity to thrive throughout history. This heavenly affection has created countless masterpieces in writing, music, and art, and grabbed the public's hearts.
That doesn’t mean love nowadays doesn’t thrive. It still does. Many love stories of famous couples have given courage and hope to many lovebirds. And this is especially true for newer generations. What’s more, some celebrity couples are still holding strong to their feelings, just as the day of their love debuts. Some even last for years, and decades. This shows how powerful love can be when we meet the love of our lives, despite our backgrounds and identities.
In this article, we're comparing couples' looks when they first started dating to where they are now. You will see how much they’ve grown, and how much they’ve changed during their relationships. Continue reading to recall their early love stages and don’t forget to vote for your favorite couple.
#1 Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
Source: Getty Images/Barry King
Source: © AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/East News
This pair has been together since 1966 when they first met and began dating in 1983. The couple has never married, but they've stated in multiple interviews that they're happy together and don't care about formal wedding formalities.
Source: Getty Images/POOL/Tim Graham Picture Library
Source: © Stephen Lock / i-Images / i-images / East News
Kate Middleton and Prince William have just marked 11 years of marriage in April 2022. Journalists and royal observers have long been interested in the relationship between the heir to the throne and the Duchess of Cambridge. This kind of public scrutiny would have been challenging for any other relationship, but it appears they've managed to cope by depending on each other and attempting to live as secretly as possible.
#3 Victoria and David Beckham
Source: © John Giles - PA Images / PA Images / Getty Images, © victoriabeckham / Instagram
Victoria Beckham and David Beckham had been dating for a year before they announced their relationship at a press conference in 1998. Their love tale is likely to be written down in history books, and their blissful marriage has endured for more than two decades.
#4 Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Source: Getty Images/Lester Cohen
Source: © ANGELA WEISS/AFP/East News
Blake and Ryan's romance began on the set of Green Lantern in 2010. They first appeared together in public in July of that year, causing a major uproar among fans. They were both dating other people at the time. The couple married in secret in South Carolina in September 2012, and their family has only grown larger and stronger since then.
#5 Meryl Streep and Don Gummer
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For nearly four decades, Don Gummer has been by Meryl Streep's side. They met in 1978, while Streep was grieving the loss of her ex-boyfriend, John Cazale, from lung cancer. The pair married in the yard of her parents' house later that year, and they haven't been apart since.
#6 Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton
Source: Getty Images/Christian Petersen
Source: © Snorlax / MEGA/Mega Agency/East News
The pair met on the set of the show The Voice in 2014. Their relationship started in 2015, but many people thought they were a strange couple. They became musical as well as romantic partners, and they even recorded a song called "Go Ahead and Break My Heart." They married in July 2021, making their love official, and their family is rather large, with three kids from Gwen's previous marriage, and they all appear to be happy and enjoying life together.
#7 Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.
Source: Getty Images/KMazur
Source: © sarahmgellar / Instagram
Life and fate might be fickle and unpredictable at times, but Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar's love is something everyone can count on. Their romance began on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997. They married in 2002 and have been a role model for those who respect traditional family values and believe in genuine love at first sight since then.
#8 Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault
Source: Getty Images/James Devaney
Source: © salmahayek / Instagram
Salma Hayek and François Pinault, the CEO of a major fashion brand, have been married since 2009. Salma's followers assumed she married Pinault because of his riches and fame, but she has admitted in multiple interviews that she had no idea who he was or how much money he had before she was drawn to him. They expressed that their marriage has made them both better people.
#9 Justin and Hailey Bieber
Source: Getty Images/Steve Granitz
Source: © justinbieber / Instagram
Justin and Hailey have been married since 2018, but their initial encounter was not so simple. Hailey hardly cracked a smile when she first met Justin. They have a two-year age gap, and their relationship hasn't always been solid, since they've previously split up and then rejoined. But now that they are blissfully married, Justin never gets tired of expressing his love for his better half in whatever way he can think of, setting a beautiful example for followers.
Source: © cindycrawford / Instagram
Source: Getty Images/Frazer Harrison
Cindy was still married to her first husband, Richard Gere, when she began her 23-year romance with the nightclub business billionaire, Rande Gerber. Cindy and Rande originally met at Cindy's agent's wedding, where they were invited along with Cindy's husband and Rande's girlfriend. They hit it off right away, but Cindy didn't start seeing Rande until she divorced Richard Gere. Their marriage, which is founded on mutual respect and support, is now is still going strong with two children.
#11 Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith
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Pierce Brosnan is not just a former James Bond and a symbol of machismo to many women, but he is also a loving husband and father to his wife, Keely. They've been together since they met by coincidence in 1994. Pierce believes his wife is the most respectable lady on the planet, while Keely frequently remarks on her husband's good looks and elegant aging.
#12 Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
Source: Getty Images/Jeff Kravitz
Source: Getty Images/ Frazer Harrison
This pair was able to overcome all obstacles and marry in August 2008. They met in 2000, but their relationship did not begin until 2004, giving de Rossi the confidence to come out as homosexual. The pair have consistently said in interviews that they are first and foremost friends in their relationship. This includes standing by each other's sides and doing nice things together, such as rescuing abandoned puppies or assisting each other in surviving terrible workplace situations.
Source: © ASSOCIATED PRESS/East News
Source: © beyonce / Instagram
This pair is often regarded as one of the most famous in the world. They began dating in 2001 after meeting in 2000. Their secret wedding in 2008 marked the start of a rock-solid family that is currently going strong. They have three children together, and their relationship has remained solid throughout the years.
#14 Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
Source: Getty Images/JP PULLOS/Patrick McMullan
Source: © chrissyteigen / Instagram
The two met on the set of a music video for the song Stereo in 2006. Chrissy has frequently stated in interviews that marriage was never her objective; she simply believed John was her boyfriend without the formalities. They married in 2013 and later strengthened their bond by introducing two children into the family. Chrissy's real sense of humor, according to legend, is the cornerstone in the fortress of their love. In his interviews, he adds, "She makes me giggle all the time."
#15 Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
Source: Getty Images/Gregg DeGuire
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In 2020, one of Hollywood's most famous couples will celebrate their twenty-third wedding anniversary. Their marriage was fraught with conflict and miscommunication, yet they managed to weather all of their family's storms, including separation and infidelity allegations. Will claims that their marriage has survived difficult times because they were not scared to make errors and that they now have unconditional love for one other.