10 Famous Couples Who Never Married
by kalyani10
A high rate of divorce and hefty costs associated with the breakup of a marriage means that Americans are not so keen on walking down the aisle anymore. In case of celebrity marriages, the costs are especially high with multi-million dollar divorce payouts and unfavorable media coverage for months before and after the breakup. Little wonder then that, many famous couples prefer to be in a long term relationship without sporting a wedding band on their ring fingers. Here are ten well-known couples who never married and seem to be quite happy that way.
- Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre
The most famous existentialist philosopher perhaps of the western world, Jean Paul Sartre remained unmarried all this life despite being in a relationship with fellow philosopher and feminist, Simone de Beauvoir for about fifty years. The two met in 1929 at the Ecole Normale became inseparable and lifelong companions, initiating a romantic relationship, though they were not monogamous. Together, Sartre and de Beauvoir challenged the cultural and social assumptions and expectations of their upbringings, which they considered bourgeois, in both lifestyle and thought.
- Georg Eliot and G.H. Lewes
George Eliot was the pen name for Mary Ann Evans who was one of the foremast novelists of Victorian Age. She was in a relationship with G.H.Lewes, a well-known philosopher as well as critic of literature and theater of the times, for 24 years until Lewes' death in 1878. The two met in 1851, and by 1854 they had decided to live together. Lewes was officially married to Agnes Jervis at the time but could not divorce her due to prevailing laws of Victorian society.
- George Sand Frederick Chopin
George Sand was the pen name for Amandine Lucille Dupin, a 19th century French author and one of the fore-runners of feminist thought on the Continent. She and Chopin, a highly famous classical composer of Polish origin, were together about 15 years until Chopin's death. Sand had previously been married and said she found marriage a "barbarous institution."1
- Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy
An iconic couple from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were together for twenty-seven years. He was unable to divorce his Catholic wife, Louise Tredwell and so he and Katharine could never marry nor publicly acknowledge their love. Their almost three-decade long relationship ended by his death in 1967.
- Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell
The two Hollywood stars of the ‘70s and ‘80s have been together for around three decades now. The 66-year-old Private Benjamin star first met Russell when she was 21 and he was just 16. And although the sparks flew between them on the set of the 1968 film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, Hawn later admitted that she did not take it further because of concerns over the five year age gap. However the two they found themselves cast together in the 1983 film Swing Shift and romance finally blossomed. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have a son from their relationship in addition to Hawn’s two children from her first marriage – Oliver and Kate Hudson – who have long considered Russell their father.
- Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham
Talk-show hostess Oprah Winfrey was born and raised in rural Mississippi; she excelled in school and worked her way up in the electronic media. Today her talk-show on TV airs in more than 141 countries and draws an estimated 46 million viewers a week in America alone. According to Forbes magazine, the former Mississippi farm girl is now worth at least US$2.7 billion.
Oprah has a longtime companion in Graham. The two have been in a relationship since 1985 and were even engaged to be married in 1992 but for some reason the ceremony never happened. Today Oprah claims that it is the unconventional nature of their relationship that has kept it going strong. Among other passions of Oprah are her pet dogs, her lavish homes as well as her philanthropic work.
- Jennifer Westfeldt and Jon Hamm
Jennifer has been with Jon since 1997, long before the latter became well-known as Don Draper, the sex symbol from the highly successful TV series Mad Men. Westfeldt however is successful in her own right, and has several films to her credit as an actress and director.
- Lisa Rinehart and Mikhail Baryshnikov
Dancer and choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov who also starred in the movies such as The Turning Point, White Nights and Sex and the City has been with former ballerina Lisa Rinehart since the '80s. The couple have three children together.
- Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton
Director Tim Burton and his partner, actress Helena Bonham Carter, have been in a relationship since 2001 and have two children The eccentric duo are renowned for living in separate homes even though they do have adjoining houses.
- Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Nicknamed Brangelina by the tabloids, this high-profile couple from Hollywood is perhaps the most visibly successful of contemporary unmarried pairings. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have been together since 2005 and are bringing up six children – three of who are biologically their won and three adopted. While Jolie has been married to actors Johnny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton in the past, Brad Pitt’s former relationships include a romantic involvement with fellow actress Gwyneth Paltrow as well as five year marriage with Jennifer Aniston.
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