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Celebrity age-gap relationships always appear to cause controversy, with the public often scrutinizing the decision to enter a relationship.
For actress Florence Pugh and Scrubs alum Zach Braff, that vocal disapproval from fans meant the pair were reluctant to let the world now that they have called time on their three-year romance.
At 47, Braff is 21 years older than Black Widow star Pugh, 26, and ever since they first ignited romance rumors in April 2019 when they were spotted holding hands, Pugh told Harper’s Bazaar that it became a relationship that ‘everybody has an opinion on’.
Though the pair’s relationship didn’t last, there are actually many famous couples who have enjoyed a long-lasting relationship despite the belief that they would be doomed to fail.
Game over: Florence Pugh, 26, announced she and Zach Braff, 47, have split up after three years together in an often-discussed age gap relationship
Indeed, the likes of Dane Cook, 50, recently popped the question to his partner of five years, Kelsi Taylor, 23, – despite their 27-year age gap.
George Clooney, 61, seemed determined to live out his days as an eternal bachelor when he met human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, 44, in 2013. The pair’s 17-year age difference did nothing to stop them from falling in love and staring a family together.
Elsewhere, Priyanka Chopra, 40, and her husband Nick Jonas, 29, have a 10-year age gap between them, and yet she insists that it has been nothing but a blessing in their relationship.
Meanwhile, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas have been married since 2000, making them one of Hollywood’s longest standing relationships, in spite of their 25-year age gap.
FEMAIL takes a look at the other celebrity couples who continue to defy the odds.
Dane Cook, 50, and 23-year-old Kelsi Taylor: 27 years
Nothing but a number: Comedic actor Dane Cook, 50, became engaged to his 23-year-old girlfriend Kelsi Taylor after five years together in July. Seen in 2019
Actor Dane Cook wasn’t going to let a 27-year age gap get in the way of his quest for true love.
The Good Luck Chuck star began dating a then 18-year-old Kelsi Taylor when he was 45, and immediately faced bitter backlash.
In 2018, he joked about their 27-year-age gap, quipping: ‘The only thing you have to do is plan that your deaths will be somewhat far apart.’
In June this year, a TikTok user slammed Dane for dating Kelsi and the fact his bio on the video-sharing platform read: ‘coming of age against my will.’
Love wins: Cook has ignored backlash regarding the romance ever since new of the relationship went public. Seen in 2019
Natanial (@nathanielrosenberg) ranted: “Has anyone else noticed that since he started dating a teenager, Dane Cook has been trying to pretend he’s a teenager too? Look at that. ‘Growing up against my will.’ What do you mean by “growing up”, you are 50 years old! Your girlfriend is the one growing up against your will,”
Cook ignored the naysayers and proved his devotion to the fitness trainer when he proposed during a trip to Maine in July.
Speaking to People about the romantic moment, the Employee of the Month actor also called Kelsi his ‘best friend’ and ‘the woman who I’ve shared some of the greatest times of my life with.’
Cook said he was happy to ‘start the next chapter our of lives together. I was also thinking of how absolutely stunning she looked.’
Michael Douglas, 77, and 52-year-old Catherine Zeta-Jones: 25 years
Golden couple: Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones might share the same birthday, but their age gap stands at 25 years
Defying the odds: The Zorro actress has repeatedly said she never thought much about the age difference between her and her husband
Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones might share the same birthday, but their age gap stands at 25 years.
Douglas, 77, and Zeta-Jones, 52, met at the Deauville American Film Festival in 1998, however, their first conversation was not a success.
The Basic Instinct actor told The Jonathan Ross Show in 2016 that the pair started talking at the premiere of the Mask of Zorro: ‘I said to her after about half an hour: “You know, I’m going to be the father of your children”.’
He went on to reveal the bold pick up line caused Catherine to cut the conversation short and to leave the event early. Douglas later apologized for the comment by delivering flower to the actress’s address.
They soon started dating, and 24 years on, the couple, who tied the knot in 2000, now share two children, Carys, 19, and Dylan, 22.
At the 2019 SAG Awards, Douglas said the attraction between him and Catherine had been instantaneous: ‘She looked straight into my eyes, and that was it.’
Unexpected match: Catherine Zeta-Jones once said her family doesn’t care about the age difference between her husband and her
Meanwhile, the actress has repeatedly said she never thought much about the age difference between her and her husband.
‘Historically, older men and younger women have been together. When my mother was telling me about men and telling me the facts of life, she never actually put an age bracket on it,’ she once said.
She added her family members did not care about the age difference either.
‘And it’s so funny, because Michael and my parents are the same age. So, my parents, whenever they see us together, never even question that there was a 25-year age difference,’ she said.
The couple briefly separated in 2013 to ‘work things out’, but were back together within a year, with Catherine saying in 2021 that the constant to their relationship was ‘love and respect,’ and that the pair never lost their sense of humor.
Ellen DeGeneres, 64, and 49-year-old Portia de Rossi: 15 years
Dedicated couple: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi haven’t felt any effects of their 15-year age gap as their love continues to remain strong
Lasting love: The pair have been smitten ever since they met in 2004. Once same-sex marriage was passed in 2008, Ellen was quick to propose to her longtime partner, with the duo saying ‘I do’ that very year
Ellen DeGeneres was 46 when she back dating Portia de Rossi in 2004 after the comedian turned talk show host met the then 31-year-old actress backstage at an award show.
De Rossi split from director Francesca Gregorini in order to date the funnywoman and the pair have been together ever since.
After same-sex marriage was passed in California in 2008, Ellen proposed with a three-carat pink diamond ring.
The pair got married at their Beverly Hills home and have publicly supported each other through turns in their careers, built a rich real estate portfolio as well as adopting four rescue dogs and three cats.
Going the distance: August 16 saw DeGeneres mark the couple’s 14th year as a married couple as she stated, ‘“It’s good to be loved. It’s profound to be understood.” I love you, @portiaderossi. Happy 14!’
When speaking about the secret to their lasting marriage, De Rossi previously said: ‘We’re just really good friends and we talk about everything and we never, ever, lie to each other, like not even the tiniest lies and she’s the only person I want to hang out with. She is my best friend and I just want to be with her all the time.’
Meanwhile, DeGeneres has made it clear that their love is one that will last after she said: ‘I’m going to be with her until the day I die and I know that.’
Indeed, smitten duo continue to show their love for each other while celebrating their August 16 wedding anniversary.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, DeGeneres marked their 14th year as a married couple and stated: ‘“It’s good to be loved. It’s profound to be understood.” I love you, @portiaderossi. Happy 14!’
George Clooney, 61, and 44-year-old Amal Clooney: 17 years
Pleasant surprise: George Clooney, 61, admitted he thought his wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney, 44, would not be interested in her because he was older than her – pictured in 2021
Ocean 11 star George Clooney had built a reputation as an eternal bachelor and was 52 when he met International law and human rights Lebanese-British barrister Amal Alamuddin, then 35, in 2013.
The pair’s friendship soon turned into romance, and Clooney took himself off the market when he and Amal eventually tied the knot in 2014.
However, the actor admitted he initially doubted Amal would want to pursue a relationship with him, due to their 17-year age difference.
‘Well, I liked her, but I didn’t want to jump the shark on it, I couldn’t tell if she liked me because I’m 17 years older than her. So she might have thought I was grandpa, I don’t know,’ he told Howard Stern in 2020.
Their love affair took both the actor and the lawyer by surprise, with Clooney admitting he was shocked it took him 52 years to find a woman he wanted to marry.
Meant to be: Clooney admitted it had been ‘humbling; to find the person he wanted to be with aged 52 – pictured in 2016
At the 2015 Golden Globes, the actor opened up about his relationship in an emotional acceptance speech as he received Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contributions to the film industry.
‘It’s a humbling thing to find someone you love, even better when you’ve been waiting your whole life—especially when your life’s been 53 years,’ he said.
‘Amal, whatever alchemy it is that brought us together, I couldn’t be more proud to be your husband,’ he added.
Two years later, he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017: ‘Sometimes in life, it doesn’t happen on your schedule, but you find the person that you were always supposed to be with. That’s how I feel, and I know that’s how Amal feels.’
The couple, who are not on social media, are still going strong, and are raising their twins Ella and Alexander away from the spotlight, sharing their times between the different properties they own in Europe.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, 40, and 29-year-old Nick Jonas: 10 years
Modern love: Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jones have been married for four years and insist their ten year age gap isn’t an issue when it comes to their relationship
Bundle of joy: The couple welcomed a baby daughter this year via a surrogate as they continue to prove their love will last
The Indian actress, who just turned 40, and the American singer, who is 29, have been very opened about their 10-year age difference.
After connecting on social media in 2015, and meeting in person through a friend in 2017, the pair had a lavish traditional Indian wedding in 2018.
Chopra, who welcomed her daughter Malti Marie earlier this year, has opened up about her and Jonas’ age difference in an interview with the Sunday Times in 2021.
She said the cultural difference and age gap between were not a ‘hurdle,’ and said the musician had taken to Indian culture ‘like a fish to water.’
‘Just like a normal couple, you have to understand each other’s habits and what each other likes. So it’s more of an adventure than trying to figure out hurdles. None of it was really that hard,’ she said.
Perfectly matched: The Bollywood actress previously poked fun at her husband’s young age during the Netflix Jonas Brothers Family Roast
She also poked fun at her husband’s young age in the Netflix Jonas Brothers Family Roast, which saw loved ones and friends make fun of Nick and his two brothers, Joe and Kevin.
As she took the stand, Chopra did not hold back, saying: ‘He showed me how to use TikTok, for example, you know, and I showed him what a successful acting career looks like.’
Priyanka’s mother Madhu Chopra opened up about the ten-year age difference between her daughter and son-in-law in an interview with Hauterfly magazine in May, The Hindustan Times reported.
The actress’s mother said she wasn’t bothered by the 10-year gap, called Jonas ‘sweet’ and added ‘whoever keeps Priyanka happy is my guy.’
Heidi Klum, 49, and 32-year-old Tom Kaulitz: 17 years
When you know, you know: 49-year-old Heidi Klum and the 32-year-old musician Tom Kaulitz started dating in 2018, got engaged within eight months of dating
On cloud nine: Four years on from their wedding, the couple are as happy as ever, and documenting their married life on Instagram, where the model also shares sneak peaks into their ‘date nights’ and their holidays together.
Heidi Klum and 32-year-old musician Tom Kaulitz started seeing each other in 2018 and got engaged within eight months of dating, before they went on to marry a year later.
When the pair made their relationship official in 2018, Klum addressed their age gap in an interview with InStyle magazine.
She said: ‘Lots of people are questioning that and asking about it. That’s really the only time when age seems to be shoved in my face and I have to give an answer for it.’
But she added she personally did not care about her age difference between her and the Tokio Hotel guitarist.
Living their best lives: The model and her husband have said they don’t care about the criticism they have faced due to their age difference
‘I don’t really think about it that much otherwise. You have to just live a happy life without worrying too much about what people think because worrying is only going to give you more wrinkles,’ she said.
In 2019, she told She Knows that her age gap relationship with Kaulitz had not been well-received.
‘A lot of people were, you know, not giving us the positive vibes when we first started dating because I’m 16 years older than him.
‘But I feel like, there too, if it feels right when you close your door at home and you know what you have together, I think that is the most important thing,’ she added.
Four years on from their wedding, the couple are as happy as ever, and documenting their married life on Instagram, where the model also shares sneak peaks into their ‘date nights’ and their holidays together.
David Foster, 72, and 38-year-old Katharine McPhee: 34 years
Smitten couple: Singer Katharine McPhee, 38, and the legendary music industry executive, David Foster, 72, have constantly hit back at chatter about their age difference
Loved up: The couple insist that their connection is stronger than any issues a difference in age would present
Singer Katharine McPhee, 38, and the legendary music industry executive, David Foster, 72, initially sparked dating rumors after being seen together in 2017.
However, they first met during McPhee’s American Idol stint in 2006. McPhee was previously married to Nick Cokas, although they divorced in 2016.
The musically gifted couple announced their engagement in 2018. The happy couple went on to hold a wedding ceremony in London the following year.
‘People always make the reference with Kat and I with the age difference, but I’ve always said there’s so many things that can bring a marriage down, and age difference is just one of them,’ Foster told People in February. ‘There’s so many things that can go wrong. We think we have it pretty together.’
Happy family: McPhee often treats fans to playful snaps of the couple, and sometimes gives the world a glimpse at the life they enjoy with their son
The pair welcomed their son Rennie David, aged one, into their lives last February.
McPhee often treats fans to playful snaps of the couple, who aren’t afraid to put on an amorous display from time to time.
Showing her love for her partner in June, the Smash star wrote a gushing message about Foster as she stated: ‘Happy Father’s to the man @davidfoster who loves me like I could have only dreamed of & who made me complete in life by making me a mommy. I love our little family. I love our big family.
‘You have NEVER complained over how your life is slightly different now. Well… you only complain that you can’t stay up late watching TV in bed but how can I blame you -that’s your favorite thing. You’ve only made bringing Rennie into the world an absolute joy for me. To many more adventures baby! I love you to the moon and back.’
Speaking about the pair’s age gap on Dr. Berlin’s Informed Pregnancy Podcast, McPhee stated: ‘We all have the ability to label things and to look at something for the way that it looks or face value and make a judgment. So I totally get the judgment initially, but things are never as they appear, things are never exactly as they appear and I’m in love with our love story and that’s all that matters.’
Olivia Wilde, 38, and 28-year-old Harry Styles: 10 years
The relationship between the actress and director, 38 and the singer, 28, has been discussed at length by gossip columns since they made it official in January 2021
The relationship between the actress and director, 38 and the singer, 28, has been discussed at length by gossip columns since they made it official in January 2021.
The pair met on the set of Wilde’s new movie Don’t Worry Darling, where Style holds a starring role.
There is speculation over whether Styles caused the collapse of Wilde’s nine-year relationship to Ted Lasso’s Jason Sudeikis.
And the fact the singer was ten years younger than Wilde also raised eyebrows.
Speaking to Vogue in 2021, Wilde addressed the criticism, saying: ‘I think what you realise is that when you’re really happy, it doesn’t matter what strangers think about you.
‘In the past 10 years, as a society, we have placed so much more value on the opinion of strangers rather than the people closest to us. [But] I’m happier than I’ve ever been. And I’m healthier than I’ve ever been, and it’s just wonderful to feel that,’ she added.
Meanwhile, sources close to Styles said the singer is not bothered by the fact he’s dating an older woman.
An unnamed source told Hollywood Life in 2021: ‘The fact that she’s ten years older doesn’t bother him at all.
‘If anything, it’s a plus because he loves that dynamic,’ they added.
Styles has dated several older women in the past, including the late Caroline Flack when he was 17 and she was 31 and Taylor Swift, who is five years older than him.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, 56, and 40-year-old Hilarie Burton: 16 years
Instant love: Actress Hilarie Burton has admitted she was instantly attracted to her now-husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan when they meet in 2009
The real deal: Hilarie was 27 when she met The Walking Dead star – who was in his forties
One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton was 27 years old when she met fellow actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan (who was 43) and the pair soon began a relationship which has lasted over a decade.
In her new memoir The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, And Big Life Lessons Down On Mischief Farm, the actress opened up about the beginning of her relationship.
‘When he came along, he was so sure of himself,’ Burton remembered, of the night she was introduced to Morgan by her former One Tree Hill costar Danneel Ackles while at an Irish pub in Los Angeles in 2009.
‘I was not a girl anyone pursued. I’ve always been alpha,’ Hilarie continued. ‘And Jeffrey was like, “You’re going to be my girlfriend!” It was so nice to be pursued. He’s a cute dude! And I liked that he knew exactly who he was. His confidence was intoxicating.’
Burton and Morgan were dating for just a few months before she got pregnant with the couple’s first child, son Augustus, who was born in 2010.
Happy family: Over the past decade, the couple have welcomed two children and ever decided to have a secret wedding in 2019
Soon after he was born, the new family of three settled into a cabin in the Hudson Valley north of New York City.
‘The ease in which Jeffrey and I were able to live together was a surprise,’ Burton told People magazine. ‘I think it was really shocking to my family members and friends, because I was always the girl who was very cautious. I’d thought my entire life out. But it worked out.’
The couple, who went on upgrade to a farm and welcome daughter George Virginia in 2018, then surprised fans in 2019 after they chose to secretly get married, ten years into their relationship.
‘Jeffrey is the same guy now that he was when I met him. He knew 100 percent who he was and that was a delight. Because I could be the one who could experiment. Being with someone so solid allowed me to grow,’ Burton said of her husband shortly after the ceremony.
Ryan Reynolds, 45, and 31-year-old Blake Lively: 11 years
Friendship first: Ryan Reynolds, 45 and Blake Lively, 34, were friends before they started dating in 2011, and have not addressed their ten year age gap
Take note: Reynolds has credited not taking yourself too seriously as one of the reasons for his marriage’s success
Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, 45, met Blake Lively while the pair worked together on Marvel’s The Green Lantern.
At the time, he was married to Scarlett Johansson while the Age of Adelaine actress was dating her Gossip Girl costar Penn Badgley.
However, it is believed the pair began dating each other a year after both their relationship collapsed.
They got married in 2012 and are now raising the three daughters they share, James, seven, Inez, five, and two-year-old Betty in Pound Ridge, New York.
The two actors, who have become known for teasing each other on social media, haven’t never made any comment about their age difference over the years.
No biggie: The couple, who share three daughters, have never made an issue of their age difference – pictured in 2022
Speaking of his successful marriage to Extra magazine earlier this year, Reynolds said: ‘We really like each other. We really liked each other before as friends beforehand. We like each other even more so now.
And in 2021, he told Entertainment Weekly: ‘We don’t take each other too seriously, but we’re also friends. Falling in love is great, but do you like each other?’
‘We’ve always liked each other. We grow together. We learn from each other. So yeah, I’m lucky to have a buddy in that,’ Reynolds said, suggesting their age difference was no issue.