In any relationship, you’re looking for someone who has the same interests as you, treats you well, and loves you. The idea that this could be someone who may not be your same age shouldn’t be a crazy one. In fact, looking for love outside of your age group opens you up to more possibilities in relationships. It means meeting more people, perhaps learning something new about yourself, and getting out of the box that society puts us in. Every relationship is unique — and what relationships don’t have their share of problems and quirks, right? What works for one couple – whether we’re talking about how to deal with problems together or how to connect with each other – may not work for another. So, why should we all be in similar relationships? The bottom line is this: Two adults who can consent to a relationship should be able to date whomever they choose – regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and more. As we start to open ourselves up to different types of relationships, understanding that life is a different journey for everyone, age gap relationships should be one of those things that can be shared without shock or judgment. The culture of relationships has expanded and changed throughout the decades, and although it might still take some time to take the shock out of age gap relationships — it’s coming.
Here are 20 celebrity couples with large age gaps of a decade or more between them:
1. Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas – 10 Year Age Gap
Photo: Kathy Hutchins | Shutterstock Singer Nick Jonas and The Matrix Resurrections actress Priyanka Chopra first met at the Met Gala in 2017 and began dating later that year. Within a year, the two would get engaged and marry, having two traditional ceremonies from both cultures to celebrate. According to NDTV, Jonas appreciated becoming friends with Chopra before they started dating saying, “We knew each other well, and I think that foundation as friends always helps in relationships that have evolved organically.” A source close to Jonas commented on the age difference, according to People, saying that “Nick loves dating older women, and if anything it makes Priyanka even more attractive to him.” As of this year, the couple has welcomed their first child via surrogacy. According to Hello Magazine, when asked if they wanted children, Chopra responded by saying, “I do want children, as many as I can have.” RELATED: Priyanka Chopra And Nick Jonas Spark Divorce Rumors As Fans Notice Subtle Change To Her Instagram Profile
2. Sarah Paulson & Holland Taylor – 31 Year Age Gap
Photo: DFree | Shutterstock Actress Sarah Paulson of American Horror Story fame has been dating partner and actress Holland Taylor since 2015. The two met at a function a decade before dating, but both were in separate relationships at the time. According to The New York Times, Paulson describes her first impression of Taylor, saying that she was “probably the most exquisitely beautiful woman I’d ever seen.” Years later, they reconnected, followed each other on Twitter, and the rest became history. As for the age difference between the two, Paulson believes it is the least interesting thing about her. In an interview with E! Online, neither Taylor nor Paulson cares what others think. Paulson said, “Our relationship represents a certain amount of hope and risk. Maybe there’s something brave in it. Maybe it encourages others to make brave choices. What else can I say? We love each other.” According to Insider, there’s no plan for the couple to have children, just a lot of intention to be together. Paulson shares, “I think there’s a greater appreciation of time and what you have together and what’s important, and it can make the little things seem very small.”
3. Kris Jenner & Corey Gamble – 25 Year Age Gap
Photo: DFree | Shutterstock Momager Kris Jenner, of Keeping Up with the Kardashians fame, has been with partner and talent manager Corey Gamble since 2014. According to Cosmopolitan, the pair met at a party in 2014 in Ibiza hosted by Kanye West (what a coincidence!) and began dating later that year. According to E! Online, Jenner couldn’t be happier in her relationship with Gamble, sharing that he is “the greatest guy, and he’s just an amazing support system for me, and he really gives me a lot of strength and insight.” Fans of KUWTK know that there has been a little tension among the family regarding the couple’s relationship, especially because Jenner and Gamble highly enjoy their intimate times together. Jenner has some concerns about the age difference, according to US Magazine, saying that “Corey is with someone a lot older and I think as you get older you’re supposed to not be ‘in the mood.’” Despite the age gap, the two have a very healthy sex life.
4. Amal Clooney & George Clooney – 17 Year Age Gap
Photo: magicinfoto | Shutterstock Perhaps one of the most well-known “age gap” couples is human rights lawyer Amal and actor George Clooney, who have been married since 2014. The two first met in 2013 and began dating the same year. After a 5-month engagement, they then tied the knot in September 2014. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, George’s first impression of Amal was that she was beautiful, funny, and smart. As for what he thought she thought of him: “I don’t know. She probably thought I was old.” Two pair welcomed their own pair (a pair of twins) in 2017. Little is said about their age difference, but despite the 17 years between them, the Clooney’s are happy. According to Good Housekeeping, the couple couldn’t be happier. “Every single day of my life, I just feel lucky,” says George. “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.”
5. Florence Pugh & Zach Braff – 21 Year Age Gap
Photo: Tsuni-USA | Feautreflash Photo Agency | Shutterstock It is unclear when actress Florence Pugh of Black Widow and actor Zach Braff of Scrubs started dating, but it seems to be around 2019, according to multiple media sources. That year, Braff released a short film on YouTube starring Pugh, sharing photos of her on set on his Instagram. Later that year, they were spotted holding hands while in New York City. Since making their relationship “Instagram-official” Pugh and Braff have had to defend themselves on more than one occasion. In a video on her Instagram, Pugh shares that she is an adult and can make her own decisions, punctuating these facts by saying, “I do not need you to tell me who I should and should not love. It is not your place.” According to Elle, Pugh doubled down on just wanting to live her life after posting photos on Braff led to negative comments and bullying on her Instagram page, saying “I’m not doing anything to please people or to make it a better headline or story. I want to also be a person.” Despite the backlash, Braff and Pugh seem happy together, consistently posting on Instagram about each other. According to Newsweek, for Pugh’s birthday, Braff posted a heartfelt message, saying that “I can’t believe I get to giggle with you every day. What a pleasure it is to know you.” RELATED: What Men Really Think Of Dating Older (And Younger) Women
6. Lily Allen & David Harbour – 10 Year Age Gap
Photo: lev radin | Shutterstock Singer Lily Allen (and sister of Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen) began dating Stranger Things actor David Harbour in 2019, according to Cosmopolitan. The couple spent quality time in New York City and hit the red carpet together that same year. In September 2020, the couple got married in Las Vegas, with Harbour sharing photos on his Instagram page of Allen and himself, an Elvis impersonator, and Allen’s two daughters from her previous relationship with Same Cooper. Harbour has found that helping raise Allen’s daughters has been a rewarding experience, according to Cosmopolitan, saying “It’s such a beautiful thing. My heart is just broken wide open, and I have a new love I never had.” According to Elle, Allen would like to wait a couple of years before having children with Harbour, saying that she “misses little terrors running around the house.” Little is found regarding comments about their age difference.
7. Emilie Livingston & Jeff Goldblum – 31 Year Age Gap
Photo: kathy Hutchins | Shutterstock Dancer Emilie Livingston and actor Jeff Goldblum have been married since 2014 and have two children together. According to Popsugar, the pair met at a gym in Los Angeles, with Goldblum “marching” up to Livingston and introducing himself to her. Before their sons were born, Goldblum had always been on the fence about having children. According to the Daily Mail, the idea of having kids wasn’t necessarily one he was fully committed to. “I had never been particularly passionate [about fatherhood] or envisioned it for myself,” Goldblum shares. But after meeting with a therapist with Livingston, and talking about it extensively together, the pair decided to become parents. In 2017, after the birth of their second son, Livingston shared on her Instagram page that Goldblum " is our rock and continues to be an exceptionally loving and passionate father!” The couple has not commented on their age difference.
8. Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas – 25 Year Age Gap
Photo: Featureflash photo agency | Shutterstock Another one of the “original” age-gap couples is that of actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and actor Michael Douglas, who have been married since 2000. The pair first met in 1996 when, according to US Magazine, Douglas said something that he thought ruined his chances with Zeta-Jones: " I said to her after about half an hour [of hanging out], ‘You know, I’m going to be the father of your children.’” Luckily, an apology and flowers were able to smooth things over between the two. Zeta-Jones and Douglas were engaged in 1999 and married a year later. They are the parents of two children. As for the age difference, things weren’t as socially accepted as they are now, and their relationship was the subject of many tabloids then. In an interview with E! News, Zeta-Jones said, " When my mother was telling me about men and telling me the facts of life, she never actually put an age bracket on it." According to US Magazine, Douglas shared on the Ellen DeGeneres show that he and Zeta-Jones have the same birthday: “Twenty-five years apart, the same day, but who’s counting?”
9. Beyonce & Jay-Z – 12 Year Age Gap
Photo: Featureflash Photo Agency | Shutterstock Singer Queen Bey and rapper Jay-Z have a 12-year age difference. The couple has been married since 2008 and has three children together. The pair began spending time together in 2000 but did not “officially” begin dating until 2001. In the years that followed, Beyonce and Jay-Z collaborated on multiple tracks together and took their relationship to the red carpet in 2004, according to Brides Magazine. The couple had a very private ceremony in 2008, but according to People, sources close to the couple said the wedding “was a very emotional wedding—lots of crying—and really very spiritual.” What else can you expect from a relationship that makes love look easy? In an interview with Seventeen Magazine in 2008, according to Popsugar, Beyonce says that there was “no rush” for her to get married: “I feel like you have to get to know yourself, know what you want, spend some time by yourself, and be proud of who you are before you can share that with someone else.” The pair has been through ups and downs together, with lots of rumors and song lyrics to stoke the flames, but according to InStyle, the couple is still very much together and in love.
10. Camila Alves & Matthew McConaughey – 13 Year Age Gap
Photo: Featureflash photo agency | Shutterstock Model Camila Alves and actor Matthew McConaughey first met at a club in Los Angeles in 2006. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, according to People, McConaughey said it was love at first sight: “Since that evening I have not wanted to spend time with any other woman, definitely have not wanted to sleep with anyone else. I’ve not wanted to have children with anyone else other than her.” The couple had three children before deciding to get married in 2012. According to Insider, marriage was never really a part of the plan for either Alves or McConaughey, both saying that if there wasn’t a need to get married, they wouldn’t force it. After some insight with his pastor, McConaughey proposed. He claims Alves didn’t accept right away, but he was willing to wait, and eventually, she did. The couple is private, and there is no public mention of their age difference. RELATED: Inside Matthew McConaughey’s Friendship With Controversial Male Rights Activist Jordan Peterson
11. Katherine Schwarzenegger & Chris Pratt – 10 Year Age Gap
Photo: DFree | Shutterstock Author (and daughter of Arnold) Katherine Schwarzenegger first met actor Chris Pratt at church and began dating in 2018. By early 2019, the couple was engaged and married later that same year. They welcomed their first child together in 2020, and Pratt has a son from his previous relationship with Anna Faris. According to US Magazine, Pratt feels “so grateful” and lucky to be with Schwarzenegger. “God is good. I feel really good, really blessed. Everything is great,” he shared. As for the future, Pratt wants “lots of kids” and " more time spent enjoying life,” according to Town and Country Magazine. The couple has not commented on their age difference.
12. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley & Jason Statham – 20 Year Age Gap
Photo: DFree | Shutterstock Actor Jason Statham and Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley first began dating in 2010. An engagement followed in 2016, though it is unclear if the couple ever tied the knot or if they are still engaged. According to The Blast, Huntington-Whiteley said in 2018: “We definitely talk about [marriage], we’re looking forward to that time, it’s also not a huge priority for us, we’re so happy.” To date, they have two children together. As for the age difference between the couple, according to E! Online, Huntington-Whiteley shared that it’s never been an issue. She added, “Age is nothing but a number,” which rings true as the couple seems very happy together.
13. Anna Paquin & Stephen Moyer – 13 Year Age Gap
Photo: Tinseltown | Shutterstock True Blood stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer found love on-screen and in real life. Married in 2010, the pair first met and secretly began dating during the filming of the show’s first season in 2007, according to International Business Times. A few years later, Moyer confirmed the relationship, according to OK! Magazine: “We’re very, very happy. She’s the best.” Paquin shares a similar sentiment about Moyer, according to US Magazine: “We’re each other’s best friends. We’re incredibly lucky that we found each other.” The couple has two children together, and Moyer has two children of his own from previous relationships. The couple is not known to share private details about their life publicly, which includes comments about their age difference. According to Hello! Magazine, Paquin shares: “I’ve always been very private. I don’t want people to know too much about my real, inner private life.” This probably means that you won’t read much (if anything) about how either Paquin or Moyer feels about comments regarding their relationship.
14. Amber Tamblyn & David Cross – 19 Year Age Gap
Photo: s_bukley | Shutterstock Actors Amber Tamblyn (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and David Cross (Arrested Development) first met on a flight from Houston to Louisiana in 2007, according to Huffington Post. Cross said Tamblyn was staring at him during the flight, so they decided to change seats so that they could sit together. Tamblyn adds: “He was in the seat next to me and I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s David Cross!’” The couple married in 2012 and have a daughter together, born in 2017. Not much else is known about the pair’s private life. When Tamblyn and Cross first met, Cross says that their age difference made him take a pause before starting a relationship, according to Huffington Post: “I was slow to make any moves because of our age difference, and also because she was a fan.” Despite the age gap, the two seem happy, according to what they have publicly shared about themselves.
15. Nikki Reed & Ian Somerhalder – 10 Year Age Gap
Photo: Kathy Hutchins | Shutterstock Actress Nikki Reed, best known for her role in the Twilight movies, and actor Ian Somerhalder, best known for the TV show The Vampire Diaries, reportedly began dating, got engaged, and tied the knot all within a year or so, according to US Magazine. Their whirlwind relationship has held strong since 2015 though, welcoming their first child in 2017. The origin of their relationship isn’t fully known, but according to Popsugar, they may have met through The Vampire Diaries costar Nina Dobrev. The couple has not commented on their age difference. RELATED: 6 Most Toxic Celebrity Couples In Hollywood
16. Alicia Vikander & Michael Fassbender – 11 Year Age Gap
Photo: andrea raffin | Shutterstock Actors Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender have famously kept their relationship private and away from public speculation. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Vikander shares: “I think we’ve made a clear statement that we keep certain things just between us. It was very easy to unite, but that’s quite personal.” According to Bustle, the couple reportedly began dating in 2014 and married in 2017. Vikander said they met at the Toronto Film Festival on the dance floor, but beyond that, there are little-known details of this private couple’s life. There are no additional mentions of the pair’s relationship (including their age difference), besides announcing in 2021 that they are expecting their first child.
17. Portia de Rossi & Ellen DeGeneres – 15 Year Age Gap
Photo: s_bukley | Shutterstock Actress Portia de Rossi and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres reportedly met at a party in 2000, yet the two didn’t start publicly dating until 2004. Of DeGeneres, de Rossi said: " I ran into Ellen at a photo shoot, and she took my breath away. That had never happened to me in my life, where I saw somebody and [experienced] all of those things you hear about in songs and read about in poetry,” according to US Magazine. DeGeneres shared, “What ‘I love you’ really means is ‘I understand you,’ and she loves me for everything that I am.” DeGeneres and de Rossi got married in 2008; they do not have children. In an interview with People, DeGeneres said that she believes the two would be great parents, but she knows how much of a responsibility it is: “The amount of work that that is and responsibility – I wouldn’t want to screw them up.” Little is found regarding comments about their age difference.
18. Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds – 11 Year Age Gap
Photo: BAKOUNINE | Shutterstock Actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have been married since 2012, and their playful interactions online are proof that they are a perfect match for each other. Since their private ceremony in 2012, the couple has welcomed three children. Before their marriage, the two were friends during the filming of Green Lantern. Reynolds says in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, according to Time Magazine, that they were “buddies” before they officially started dating. He adds, “We went on a double date. She was on a date with another guy, and I was on a date with another girl. That was the most awkward date probably because we were just like fireworks coming across.” In an interview with Vogue, Lively said: “Everything we do in life, we do together. I get to share my life with the person he’s become, and we get to grow from there.” Comments about their age difference are not publicized.
19. Camila Morrone & Leonardo DiCaprio – 23 Year Age Gap
Photo: DFree | Shutterstock According to Cosmopolitan, model Camila Morrone is not the first twenty-something that actor Leo DiCaprio has dated. That said, while the age gap is fairly large, the two have been together happily for quite some time. The pair seems to have started dating in 2017 after meeting during the Cannes Film Festival. In 2018, DiCaprio reportedly said in an interview that he was very much in love with Morrone and has even talked about getting engaged, according to Cosmopolitan. Whether these rumors will pan out is anyone’s guess, but the coupe does seem to be happy. In an interview with Vulture, Morrone addressed a video she posted to her Instagram page about the comments people had made regarding her relationship with DiCaprio. In her video, she said: “I just hope on this Friday that people learn to live with a little less hatred and place their time and interest elsewhere because living without hatred feels pretty good.” Morrone continues to try to protect herself and her relationship from the public’s negative comments, adding in her Vulture interview that the “negative comments don’t stop because you address them.”
20. Gabrielle Union & Dwayne Wade – 10 Year Age Gap
Photo: lev radin | Shutterstock NBA player Dwayne Wade and actress Gabrielle Union first met at a Super Bowl party in 2007, but they didn’t start dating until 2012. After a short breakup in 2013, the couple got back together and married in 2014. According to US Magazine, Union said of the split: “I’d always wanted an awesome career with back-to-back projects, but I realized I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my relationship for it. Moving forward, I decided my work schedule has to make sense for our family.” Wade has children from previous relationships, and he and Union welcomed their daughter in 2018 via surrogacy after multiple complications trying to get pregnant, according to Women’s Health Magazine. Through their relationship’s ups and downs, the couple remains together, landing on Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list for their allyship to the LGBTQ+ community. Union believes that addressing the age gap between her and Wade is the best way to get ahead of gossip and rumors, according to She Knows. In her book, she says, “This is his recurring joke: the idea that we are outrunning my age, the nine-year gap between us that can feel like the literal time bomb built into our marriage.” She also adds that it’s a struggle for women to gracefully age without feeling guilty about leaving their younger selves behind. “If you dare look back at the young version of you standing back there on the other side, you risk not being able to do what almost every woman-focused ad and magazine commands you to outrun age with every bit of energy you can muster.” RELATED: Who Is Dwyane Wade’s First Wife, Siohvaughn Funches? Emily Ratay is a full-time writer living in Pittsburgh. She’s passionate about the environment and feminism, and knows that anything is possible in the right pair of shoes. She plans on writing a book in the future.
