Daydreaming about a favorite celebrity is human nature, but can you imagine actually catching the attention of your famous crush?
Some fans have not only met or even dated their Hollywood obsessions, but have actually married them. Learn about celebs who tied the knot with someone who started out as a fan.
Ruben Studdard and Surata Zuri McCants
In 2006, the American Idol winner was signing CDs at an Atlanta Walmart when a fan shopping at the store made a major impression. He tracked her down in the store to get her number and they wed two years later. Sadly, the marriage ended in 2011.
Although both parties are celebrities, Holmes was star-struck by the actor since she was a teen. When she was engaged to Chris Klein in 2004, she told a reporter that she always thought she’d marry Tom Cruise. The engagement to Klein fell through and Holmes married Cruise in 2006 (they divorced in 2012).
When Maureen Cox was 15 years old, she began hanging out at a Liverpool, England spot called the Cavern Club. Before long, she had a schoolgirl crush on the drummer of a band called The Beatles. She and Richard Starkey — better known as Ringo Starr — married when Cox was 18 (they later divorced).
The funnyman met his fan-turned-wife when she played a small part in Sandler’s film “Big Daddy.” Jackie Titone played a waitress who took Sandler’s order for a root beer. The couple tied the knot in 2003, and they now have two daughters.
Alice Kim was waiting tables for a living when Cage came into her restaurant. Although she was a fan first, he was apparently smitten right away, as they were married two months later. The pair, who have a son named Kal-El, divorced in 2016 after 11 years of marriage.
They seem so comfortably happy together, it’s difficult to think that, once upon a time, they weren’t yet a couple. However, back in the day, William was only a daydream to Kate. One of the Duchess’s former boarding school roommates said that Kate had a poster of Wills on her wall as a teen (though Kate has denied this).
Marjorie showed up late to watch Steve’s standup in a comedy club. Her presence was enough for him to stop the show. He announced to the crowd that he was going to marry her. They wed in 2007.
The late-night talk show host first met his wife when she attended a taping of his show. While she might have been his fan first, he fell fast and hard.
“Somewhere in the vault at NBC there’s footage of me literally falling for my wife on camera,” he admitted on Piers Morgan Live.
Jillian Fink was a hairstylist when the actor came in for a quick trim. A fan of Patrick’s, she was excited to meet him. While it took three years of haircuts before he finally asked her out, they were married in 1999. Although they went through a rocky period, the couple made it through and are raising their three children together.
When fan Kayte Walsh met actor Kelsey Grammer, he was a married man. She was a flight attendant who served him on a plane to London and sparks flew. The pair had an affair for several months before he left and divorced his wife. Kayte and Kelsey are now married with three children of their own.
Although they’ve been husband and wife for nearly three decades, Kelly Preston was once just a fan of John Travolta. When she was a young girl, she saw a poster for the movie “Grease,” in which John had a starring role.
“I came out of a film, saw the poster for Grease and I knew I’d be with him,” she said in a 2007 interview. “I just knew.”
For his part, her now-husband said the pair had instant chemistry when they first met.
In 2003, Matt Damon was filming a movie in Miami. Luciana was tending bar when Matt and the film crew came in to relax on a Saturday night. He wanted to get away from the crowd, so Luciana put him to work. As they made drinks together, the pair bonded. The married couple are now raising four daughters together.
Sandra “Sibi” Blažić was working as Winona Ryder’s assistant when she learned her boss was friends with her celebrity crush. Because of divorces in his own family, Christian Bale had decided early on never to marry. He changed his mind, however, when he met Sibi. The pair wed in 2000 and have two kids.
Jessica met Jerry when they were working out at the same health club. Although she was married at the time, she’s said her first marriage was on the rocks and that the actor cheered her up when she was going through a difficult time, which eventually won her over. They were married in 1999 and have three children.
When Reese Witherspoon met her now-hubby, he was a fan who came to her rescue at a bar (he is also an agent at the same agency that represents the actress, though he doesn’t represent her). At a mutual friend’s party, an inebriated patron was hitting on Witherspoon and Toth, seeing her discomfort, stepped in. They started dating and tied the knot in 2011. They have one son together.
If you’re a fan of Vince Vaughn, you’re not alone. Kyla Weber was, too, and met the “Wedding Crashers” star at the wedding of a mutal friend. They were married in 2010 and now have two children.
Another fan/celeb couple to connect at a wedding, Seth Meyers met human rights lawyer Alexi Ashe at the nuptials of SNL alum Chris Kattan (Alexi’s sis had once worked as a set designer on the show). The “Late Night” host fell fast and hard.
“I had a sense that she was the closest I’d ever met to someone who I could see myself with,” he said in an interview with YourTango. “Pretty much right away.”
Some people dread grocery shopping, but meeting your Hollywood crush at the supermarket could change that. Ellen Pompeo met Chris Ivery at a Los Angeles grocery store. After dating for a few years, they tied the knot and had three children. While Chris remains his wife’s biggest fan, he doesn’t watch “Grey’s Anatomy,” as he finds her love scenes awkward.
When Tobey Maguire was filming Seabiscuit in 2003, he met Jennifer Meyer, a jewelry designer who also happens to be the daughter of the president of Universal Studios. They tied the knot in 2007 and had two children before they divorced in 2016. Although they are no longer linked romantically, they remain close friends as they co-parent their kids.
When she was just 25 years old, Jamie Lee Curtis was flipping through an issue of “Rolling Stone” magazine when a photo captured her attention. She pointed to the man in the picture and told her friend she was going to marry him. Amazingly, her friend (producer and co-writer of “Halloween”) knew the actor’s agent. After some phone calls and awkward encounters, the pair fell in love. They have been married for more than three decades.
Action star Bruce Willis met Emma Heming at their mutual personal trainer’s gym in 2007. They were married two years later and have two daughters together. When they renewed their vows on their 10th anniversary, Bruce’s ex-wife Demi Moore and their three daughters were part of the celebration.
Who isn’t a fan of NPH? When Neil Patrick Harris first met David Burtka, he was definitely interested. However, Burtka was already spoken for. The pair started hanging out as friends, but Burtka soon became smitten.
“I thought he was adorable, though,” he told Out, “with these amazing blue eyes that are just hypnotizing to me.”
The actor had a crush on the singer long before they met. In fact, she sought him out on purpose because she had heard about his infatuation from a friend. The couple married and had a son, but divorced after 13 years together.
Imagine meeting a hunky movie star at a restaurant. That’s what happened to Camila Alves in 2006. But because he was covered up with a beard and a hat, the model didn’t realize that the man who approached her in the bar was Matthew McConaughey. He persisted, however, and won her over for a date (and, eventually, her hand in marriage). The couple now have three children.
After ending a seven-year relationship, Tracey was feeling depressed. A friend asked her what she was looking for and she said someone sweet and funny, like Jon Stewart. As fate would have it, her roommate knew someone who knew Jon. They managed to set the pair up on a blind date, and they married in 2000.
Tricia Goss is a Texas-based writer and editor with nearly two decades of experience. She is passionate about helping readers improve their skills, gain knowledge and attain more happiness in life. When she’s not working, Tricia enjoys traveling with her husband and their dog, especially to visit their five grandchildren.
