Celebrities Who Met Their Other Half In School
We all have that one partner who we are meant to be with, and if you are lucky enough, you find them early on in life. Tabloids love to bring tons of attention to celebrity couples who break up or get divorced, but not a lot of attention is placed on celebrity couples who have found a way to make it work. Even more impressive are the celebrities who are still together with their high school sweethearts. Having fame places an extra burden on any relationship, so being together that long and going through the ups and downs together and still finding a way to make it work is something that should be celebrated. Scroll through this gallery and check out some of these celebrities who met their other half in school.
Robin Thicke and Paula Patton
Robin Thicke and Paula Patton were quite the celebrity couple while their relationship lasted. The pair made it to the point of walking down the aisle together as the emotions they felt for each other were evident to all.
They were both teenagers, and in high school when they met and began dating; they remained together all through high school and college. Robin Thicke, who is best known for his smash-hit single, "Blurred Lines," tied the knot with Patton in 2005, and they remained together for 10 years until their divorce.
Jack Black and Tanya Haden
Jack Black isn’t the biggest star in Hollywood but he is still a face you’ll recognize from flicks in comedy movies, which are his specialty. He and his wife, Tanya Haden, met while they were at Santa Monica high school.
They weren’t together for a while after their graduation because they weren’t in contact but luckily they rekindled their relationship at a birthday party and haven’t looked back ever since. The movie star eventually asked Tanya to be his wife and they got married in 2006.
Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins
Thomas Rhett is a famous country music singer known for his friendly voice, easy charm, and beautiful wife, Lauren Akins. The couple is more than just high school sweethearts; they’ve known each other since they were in the first grade so they literally grew up together and in love.
Rhett and Akins also attended church camp together and dated briefly in high school. They then became best friends until Rhett revealed his emotions and intentions to her and they got engaged in 2011.
Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks
Max Handelman and his wife, Elizabeth Banks, got to know each other on their first day of college at the University of Pennsylvania, which they both attended. She was, however, hesitant to get serious with him at that point but she couldn’t stop herself from falling for Max deeply.
In the case of the celebrity couple, they grew up together, and they’ve also managed not to grow apart over the years. Banks described feeling as though she’d never met anyone she cared so deeply for. They would eventually tie the knot in 2003, and they’ve been together ever since.
Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky
Marc Mezvinsky and his wife, Chelsea Clinton, were both active participants in the activities of the Democratic Party while they were in high school, which is how they got to know each other. Nothing says romance like talking politics to one another.
They were friends for a while, even while they attended Stanford University together but their relationship became romantic in 2005 after they saw each other once again in New York. They became a couple at that point and remained together for a couple of years before their engagement in 2010.
Clayton and Ellen Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw is a famous baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers; he’s married to the ravishing Ellen Kershaw, who was his high school sweetheart. The couple met each other all those years ago in their freshman year at Highland Park High in Texas and became a couple quickly.
Unlike couples that tend to fall apart after high school, their bond grew stronger after their graduation even though Clayton got drafted by the Dodgers and she attended Texas A&M University. They eventually got married in 2010, and they’ve been together since.
LeBron James and Savannah Brinson
LeBron James and Savannah Brinson were high school sweethearts long before they tied the knot. They attended separate high schools but luckily they had a mutual friend that introduced them to each other, and the rest is history.
High-school LeBron even found the time to accompany Savannah to her school prom even with all the hype around his game back then. She was fond of him when he wasn’t yet an NBA star, and so they got married in 2013.
Snoop Dogg and Shante Broadus
Snoop Dogg has been married to Shante Broadus throughout his music career, which is quite a long time indeed. She was his high school sweetheart before they got married in 1997; their union is blessed with three children.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the pair as a couple though; they’ve weathered some bumps on the way, including when they filed for divorce in 2004 as a result of irreconcilable differences. They, however, couldn’t stay apart even after the divorce, and so they got back together four years later.
Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry
Stephen Curry’s 3-point game revolutionized the NBA and is the reason he’s a four-time NBA champion. He could achieve so much because he has the support of Ayesha Curry, who he’s known since his teen years.
The pair got to know each other in their church youth group, then they became a couple in 2008; he was still a college basketball player at the time. It was only right that they tied the knot three years later in the church they both attended as teenagers.
Eli Manning and Abby McGrew
Eli Manning is a former NFL quarterback that played for the New York Giants for 16 seasons. He met his wife, Abby McGrew, in college while they were both attending the University of Mississippi; he was a junior in college, while she was a freshman when they met and they began dating shortly after.
Manning popped the question shortly after winning the Super Bowl in 2008, and they’ve been together ever since. Their union is blessed with three daughters and a son.
Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews
Patrick Mahomes is a star NFL player that has been with his high-school sweetheart Brittany Matthews for over ten years now. Mahomes and Matthews were in the same class at their Texas high school and their relationship has grown ever since.
They announced they were expecting their first child shortly after Mahomes proposed to his teen sweetheart in 2020. The advantage of being with his high school sweetheart ever since is her unwavering support through wins and losses.
Jeff Daniels and Kathleen Treado
Jeff Daniels and his wife, Kathleen Treado, were both raised in Chelsea, Michigan. The couple found each other in high school and they’ve been a couple since then. Daniels has since become a successful actor, playwright, and musician but he and Treado still live in their hometown.
They also opted to raise their children there rather than moving elsewhere to New York or Los Angeles. Daniels addressed their decision in an interview by saying the town was good enough for the kids because he was raised there.
LL Cool J and Simone Smith
LL Cool J is an American rapper and actor whose real name is James Todd Smith but nearly everyone knows him by his stage name. The rapper wasn’t even 20 yet when he met his wife, Simone Smith.
He was driving down his neighborhood on a Sunday and he had just agreed to meet a friend’s cousin who turned out to be Smith, to who he was instantly attracted to. Simone was seventeen at the time but it appeared the attraction was mutual as they dated for eight years before tying the knot in 1995.
Bono Hewson and Ali Hewson
Bono Hewson has been married to his wife, Ali Hewson, for over forty years now. The couple met while they were only teenage high-school goers. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Bolo because Ali played hard to get at first.
Apparently, Bono was popular with the ladies at the time, and she didn’t want to be just another one of his ladies, but she eventually gave in to his charm. They had an eventful first date, and they’ve been together ever since.
Dorothea Hurley and Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley’s love story is quite the eventful one; they were married by someone that impersonated Elvis after they eloped in Las Vegas. The pair are New Jersey natives, and they were both attending Sayreville War Memorial High School when they met.
They began dating then and got married in 1989 when Bon Jovi’s career peaked. The best part is Hurley remains unbothered by her husband’s teeming fans and all the love he gets from them, as long as it's about the music.
Ron Howard and Cheryl Alley
Ron Howard and his longtime spouse, Cheryl Alley, had just gotten past their teenage years and were quite literally young adults when they got married. However, despite the pitfalls of Hollywood fame, they have managed to stay together and stay strong beating the odds nicely.
There were only teenagers when they met and fell in love, the odds were against them from the jump but they managed to build a lasting bond regardless of expectations. The result is they now have kids that were raised in the limelight and have found fame themselves.
Joey Fatone and Kelly Baldwin
The fact that Joey Fatone and Kelly Baldwin are no longer together doesn’t take away from the fact that they had a beautiful thing while it lasted. They dated in high school and then got married in 2004; they had been dating for a decade and already had a daughter.
They had another daughter in 2010 but unfortunately, there were rumors that the couple wasn’t exactly faithful to each other. They got separated in 2020, and Fatone confirmed they would be getting a divorce.
Misha Collins and Victoria Vantoch
Misha Collins and Victoria Vantoch’s love story would make a great script for a romantic comedy movie. They met in a high school English class in 2001, and Collins was the only male in that class, so he definitely stood out.
His wife, Victoria, is a sex historian that has authored two books on sex, while Misha is a famous movie star best known for his role in Supernatural. The couple is also quite supportive of each other’s careers, and this was emphasized when Collins criticized Charlie Sheen for coming after his wife in 2014.
Eminem and Kim Scott
Eminem’s former on-again-off-again partner, Kim Scott, is well-known to the biggest fans of the rapper. She has inspired a couple of his songs like "97 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Kim," and that’s only right because they were kids when they met and fell for each other.
He was 15 at the time, and she was only 13 and going through a lot in her life. She and her twin, Dawn, had moved in with Eminem and his mother after they escaped from what they described as an abusive home. Kim and Eminem had a daughter in 1995, got married four years later, divorced two years later, and remarried in 2006.
Ja Rule and Aisha Atkins
Ja Rule and his ravishing wife, Aisha Atkins, have been a couple since they were both in middle school. In 2002, the rapper and actor described their first encounter; she was the new girl in school, and he was just getting off the bus when he saw her.
The attraction was instant, and they started dating, tied the knot in 2001, and had three kids. Like other celebrity couples, the pair came under scrutiny by the press and also had to cope with Ja Rule being locked up in prison for illegal gun possession and tax evasion.
Mariano Rivera and Clara Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a famous baseball player that is married to Clara Rivera. He met his wife while they were both in elementary school and they’ve been a couple since. The couple lived in Panama City and got married there.
They however migrated to New York in 2000 so Mariano could pursue his baseball dream. The former baseball pitcher then played for the New York Yankees for 19 seasons, where he earned the nicknames Sandman and Mo. Clara supported Mariano all through his illustrious career.
Carli Lloyd and Brian Hollins
American golfer Brian Hollins has been married to Carli Lloyd since 2016. Llyod plays for the National Soccer Team of the United States so they’re quite the athletic couple indeed; they were together as a couple for 16 years before they tied the knot, and they’ve been married for six years now.
The pair met when they were teenage high school goers and their bond has only deepened in the years since. Brian and Carli have been through lots of good and bad memories, and they believe they have an unbreakable bond because of it.
Taylor Hubbell and Heather Morris
Heather Morris is an American actress best known for her role in Glee. She’s been married to her husband, Taylor Hubbell, since 2015 but the couple has been together for much longer. They got married at the Old Canyon Ranch in Topanga, California in 2015 and their wedding ceremony was graced by her friends from Glee, including her on-screen husband.
They met while they were teenagers attending the same high school in Arizona; both actively participated in extra-curricular dancing and acting activities so they knew about each other before taking a liking to each other. Having been together for so long, the only thing that changed after their marriage was the wedding ring. Their union is blessed with two sons, Elijah and Owen.
Kendrick Lamar and Whitney Alford
Kendrick Lamar is one of the top-rated rappers in the US today but we bet you didn’t know he and his fiancée, Whitney Alford, started out as teenage sweethearts. They met while they were in high school in Compton, California and they’ve stayed strong ever since.
Both Kendrick and Whitney prefer to keep details of their lives private but we do know that they got engaged in 2015, and they reportedly welcomed their first child four years later. The platinum rapper prefers to not put a label on their relationship according to society's standards.
Witney Carson and Carson McAllister
Witney Carson is an American professional choreographer and Latin ballroom dancer best known for Dancing With the Stars. She’s married to Carson McAllister, who has been her sweetheart ever since they were both in high school.
They got engaged in 2015 and proceeded to tie the knot three months later in Utah, where they’re both from. Carson and Witney had their first child, Kevin Leo McAllister, in 2021 and decided to name him after Carson’s father.
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn met each other in the 60s; Hawn was 21 at the time, and Russell was only 16 and in high school but they hit it off. However, things didn’t quite work out for them at the time so they drifted apart for years until they connected once again on the set of Swing Shift.
From that point on, they both felt deeply for each other so things happened quite quickly; they began dating on Valentine’s Day in 1983 and had a son in 1986. Despite having been together for over forty years, they’re not legally married because they made a vow.
Tim Minchin and Sarah Minchin
Tim Minchin and his wife, Sarah Minchin, aren’t the most powerful or famous celebrity couple out there but that doesn’t take away from the fact that their story is an inspiring love story. Tim is a music producer and comedian so it's no surprise that his wife Sarah is the subject of many of his songs like "I’ll Choose Lonely Tonight" and "I Didn’t Have You."
They became a couple while attending the University of Perth together, and they’ve been together ever since. They’ve now been together for over three decades, and they have two kids.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall
Being in the spotlight all the time is the reason many celebrity unions don’t last, especially when one partner loves to be in the background. However, couples like Brad Hall and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are great together because they’re both famous in their respective paths.
They met while they were both attending Northwestern University; Brad was producing a show and Julia auditioned for a role in it. They immediately took a liking to each other, and in 1987, they decided to tie the knot.
Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly
Paul Bettany is an English actor best known for his role as Vision in Iron Man and The Avengers. His wife, Jenniffer Connelly, is also a movie star, and the pair have been together for a while.
They knew each other when they were only kids but for a while, the affections were one-sided as it was Paul crushing on Jennifer. However, that changed when they met each other once again and worked together on a movie in 2001. Paul proposed to her after finding his way to New York.
Alan Rickman and Rima Horton
The late legendary actor Alan Rickman and Rima Horton had an amazing love story while he was alive. They were only teenagers when they met; he was 19 and she was 18 when they found each other at a theatre group at the Chelsea College of Arts where Rickman was a student.
Rickman and Horton were attracted to each other immediately and so by 1977, they were living together as sweethearts. They remained committed to each other for many long years even when Rickman became an established actor, and Horton became a councilor.
Samuel L Jackson and LaTanya Richardson
Samuel L Jackson is a successful actor best known for his role in movies like Captain America and The Hitman’s Bodyguard. He’s married to LaTanya Richardson, who is an actress and producer herself.
They’ve been married for over four decades and have been a couple for even longer. Despite both being teenagers when they fell for each other, Samuel and LaTanya have managed to weather the many storms and pitfalls of Hollywood fame and their bond remains as strong as ever.
Angela Bassett and Courtney B Vance
Angela Bassett and Courtney B Vance are both Hollywood stars and a true power couple. They both attended the School of Drama at Yale and became acquaintances during their time there but they didn’t quite hit it off at that point.
They, however, found each other once again in Los Angeles and became a couple shortly after despite having a forgettable first date. Courtney thought he came off as boring at first but they bonded better as time passed, and they eventually got married.
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan met during a party while they were both at Harvard. They were both in line to use the bathroom at the party, and Mark thought he was going to be expelled so he took his chances with Priscilla.
He told his future wife there and then that they had to go out on a date because he might be expelled in a couple of days. She thought he was nerdy at first but they hit it off and got married in 2012.
J.Cole and Melissa Heholt
J.Cole has multiple records and albums that were certified platinum, and he’s regarded as one of the most skilled rappers today, but many fans don’t know he attended college on a basketball scholarship. He also met his wife, Melissa Holt, while they were both attending St. John’s University.
They keep most details of their relationship private, including their secret wedding ceremony that we only got to know about thanks to Ryan Coogler, the director of Creed. J.Cole’s biggest fans will know that Melissa is the subject of some of his songs like "Kevin’s Heart."
Russell Westbrook and Nina Westbrook
Russell Westbrook has had an uneventful spell with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’s no longer an MVP-caliber player but he still deserves some accolades. When it comes to his wife Nina Westbrook, it was a case of finding love in a game he already had so much love for.
Both Nina and Russell attended UCLA on athletic scholarships; Russell was a sophomore and Nina was a freshman when they met, and they both played college basketball. The couple began dating in college and they’ve remained committed to each other ever since.
Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Evans
The director of Creed, Ryan Coogler, and his wife, Zinzi Evans, met in Oakland, California where they were both raised. Ryan was rounding up his University of Southern California feature film, Locked, at the time and he got Zinzi’s support for the project’s completion, and they’ve remained by each other’s sides ever since.
Zinzi is a terrific athlete that participated in cross-country racing in high school, winning seven championships in the process. She has a BA degree in communicative disorders and deaf studies.
Sarah Palin and Todd Palin
Sarah Palin and Todd Palin are no longer married but their love story was remarkable while it lasted. They both attended Wasilla High School in the 1980s, and they became attracted to each other then.
They eventually eloped in 1988 and they were married for 30 years until their divorce in 2020. According to reports, Todd’s decision to file for divorce in 2019 might have been connected with the pressures of being a celebrity couple. They basically had to take on more than they could handle as a couple.
Mitt Romney and Ann Davies
Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann Davies, were both in high school when they met; she was attending Kingswood School while he was attending Cranbook School for Boys. They were attracted to each other immediately so by the time Romney graduated from the prep school, they were already engaged.
That was in 1965, and they got married four years later when she was 18 and he was 22. They’re blessed with five kids and 18 grandkids, and they’re both powerful political figures.
Rainn Wilson and Holiday Reinhorn
Rainn Wilson is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on The Office, he’s also starred in a ton of movies and shows ever since then. Fortunately for Wilson, he found the love of his life during an acting class at the University of Washington.
Rainn and his future wife, Holiday, were both attending college there in the 1980s; they became attracted to each other and began dating shortly after before tying the knot in 1995. Their union is blessed with one son, who we are sure is now a fan of The Office.
Stephen King and Tabitha King
Stephen King is a famous author known for his skills with the pen and prolific use of words; he’s produced a couple of highly-rated horror books that have been adapted into movies over the years. Like Rainn Wilson, King also found his future partner while pursuing his passion.
He met his wife, Tabitha, in the library where she worked while they were both attending the University of Maine. They both graduated from college in 1970 and got married shortly after.
CC Sabathia and Amber Sabathia
Carsten Charles Sabathia is a former baseball player who played for teams like the New York Yankees, the Cleveland Indians, and the Milwaukee Brewers throughout his long career. Carsten and his wife, Amber, met while they were both high school students in California.
They began dating in high school and got married after their graduation. The six-time All-Star and three-time Spahn Award winner and his wife are blessed with two daughters and two sons, and their relationship has remained strong over the years.
Tyler Posey and Seana Gorlick
Tyler Posey is best known for his role in Teen Wolf. He is married to Seana Gorlick, a makeup artist and his longtime sweetheart. They were already a couple in middle school and they dated for two years before Posey got her to go on a 12-day baecation to a romantic getaway in Hawaii.
They, however, didn’t make it down the aisle together as they called off their engagement as Posey lost his mom to cancer that same year. The two still remain friends and Seana was even there for him when Tyler was going through the loss of his mother.
Timothy Olyphant and Alexis Knief
Timothy Olyphant’s role in an Off-Broadway play in 1995 made him famous, and he’s since kept the flame burning with some roles in theater, TV shows, and films. He attended the University of Southern California where he met his future wife and fell deeply for her.
The pair tied the knot only twelve months after their graduation from college and they’ve remained together ever since despite some unfounded rumors that they might have gotten a divorce. Olyphant and Knief are blessed with three children.
Solange Knowles and Daniel Smith
Solange Knowles got married to her teenage sweetheart, Daniel Smith, before she completed high school. The pair were in high school when they met and fell in love, and even though their relationship didn’t quite last, it’s still an inspiring love story.
Knowles was 17, and Smith was 19 when they got married, and they had their son the same year they tied the knot. Smith proceeded to college in Idaho after their son’s birth but their divorce would come a couple of years after.
Zadie Smith and Nick Laird
Zadie Smith and Nick Laird are both authors so when they found each other at Cambridge University where they both studied English, it was a case of finding love while pursuing a passion. Nick was a literary magazine’s editor when Smith submitted a story that fascinated him profoundly and he admired her for it instantly.
The encounter caused them to become best friends and their relationship quickly became romantic. The pair then tied the knot in 2004, and they’ve continued to support each other’s projects ever since.
Anthony Mackie and Sheletta Chapital
Anthony Mackie is a highly-rated actor known for his roles in movies such as The Adjustment Bureau, The Avengers franchise, and The Hurt Locker. He’s married to Sheletta Chapital with whom he shares an exciting love story.
They were only seven, and attending elementary school when they met; at the time, Sheletta was picking on Anthony so he often had to part with his lunch money. Surprisingly, 20 years later, they found each other at a concert and began dating; the rest is history.
Vernon Wells and Charlene Valenti
Vernon Wells and his wife, Charlene Valenti, were also just kids when they met in Arlington, Texas where they were both raised. The former New York Yankees player and Charlene were instantly attracted to each other, and their bond was strong early so they decided to go down the aisle in 2001.
They’re blessed with two kids and they live in Westlake, Texas which is close to their hometown of Arlington, Texas. Vernon also played for the Los Angeles Angels and the Toronto Blue Jays during his illustrious career.
Jarome Iginla and Kara Iginla
Former NHL player, Jarome Iginla, was an ice hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins and a Calgary Flames member that was captain for nine seasons. He and his wife Kara found each other in their early years.
He began dating his future wife while they were both eighth-graders, and they remained sweethearts for nearly ten years before Jarome asked her to marry him in the holiday season in 2001. They were engaged for two years before they officially got married and their union is blessed with three children.
Russell Wilson and Ashton Wilson
Russell Wilson is now married to R&B singer Ciara, but she wasn’t his high school sweetheart. Wilson was married to his high school sweetheart, Ashton Meem, whom he met briefly at high school but didn’t connect with at first.
When they met once again at a summer party, they became attracted to each other and began dating. After some years of dating, Russell and Ashton tied the knot in 2012, but their marriage flamed out quickly; they got divorced in 2014 but they’ve continued to support each other.
Mike and Jana Mussina
Mike Mussina is a former starting pitcher in the MLB that fans fondly call "The Moose." He ended up marrying his high school sweetheart, Jana McKissick, in 1997.
Staying away from the bright lights and paparazzi in the big cities like New York and LA, the couple lives in a small town and enjoys the serenity and peace that comes with it. They have two sons, Brycen and Peyton, and they had something to celebrate in 2019 when Mike was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame.