How 18 Celebrity Couples Keep Their Relationships Healthy

Written by Leah Groth

23 July, 2018

When it comes to keeping a relationship healthy and happy, these Hollywood stars have some wisdom to offer.

Healthy relationships aren’t effortless ventures, which may explain why so many marriages end up failing. While celebrities are twice as likely to end up divorced than the rest of us, there are some famous couples defying the odds, and it may be due to the fact that they have developed incredibly healthy relationship habits. Whether they are amping up their intimacy in therapy, practicing shared meditation or making diet and physical fitness a family affair, consider taking a cue from Hollywood couples like Tom and Gisele, Beyoncé and Jay-Z and Ellen and Portia by incorporating their incredibly positive marriage-strengthening methods into your own relationship.

1. Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian: Love Is in the Details

Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian says the key to his relationship success with Serena Williams lies in the small, everyday gestures. "It's funny, because there's the stuff that obviously goes viral...but really, I think the most romantic stuff I've ever done for my wife is the stuff that we would never post on social," he told Men’s Health. "It's not something you're going to get a bunch of retweets for, but that's the thing that I actually really believe matters the most, and that you don't need a bunch of money for." Ohanian says when he and Serena are together, he always puts his phone or computer away.

UP NEXT: How this iconic Hollywood couple managed to stay together for 16 years...

2. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.: Friendship First

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. met on the set of the 1997 film “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” but it wasn’t until years later that they went on their first date. "We were just friends. That's one of the reasons I think our relationship has always been so good," Prinze told E! News. "We were just friends for a good two years before we ever went on a date. She knew what kind of guy I was. She knew what my morals were, what my priorities were and visa versa. We already kind of knew all the faults in the other person." After 16 years of marriage (and counting), the pair are now happily raising their two children together. "We ended up being the perfect balance. But it didn't happen until years after and there was a solid foundation built, and that's probably the main reason why we've always been cool and groovy."

UP NEXT: She wears the pants in this relationship...

3. Denzel and Pauletta Washington: Credit Where It's Due

Denzel Washington and his wife Pauletta have been married for over 35 years — thanks to his knack for following instructions, apparently. “I do what I'm told, keep my mouth shut,” the 63-year-old actor joked during an interview with People. In all seriousness, Washington credits Pauletta for the life they’ve built together. “There's too many things: Security, food, a beautiful home. You can buy a house, but that doesn't make it a home,” he continued. “My wife has made our house a home... She did the heavy lifting.” Washington is clearly a very lucky man!

UP NEXT: This couple has never (ever) texted each other...

4. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban: No Text Zone

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have been Hollywood's sweetheart couple —and have, no doubt, shared many experiences — for more than 12 years. One thing they have never done? Sending each other text messages. “Yep. We call,” Kidman told Parade. “And that’s 12 years of marriage. We [just had] our 12-year wedding anniversary (on June 25), and we’ve never texted. That is so not our relationship, which is interesting, right?”

Turns out, Kidman and Urban take the phone call route in order to avoid any "misrepresentative" and confusing communication. Seems to us like it's working.

UP NEXT: Check out this power couple's acrobatic bond.

5. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos: Acrobatic Partner Workouts

The secret to a 22-year union a la Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos? Challenging partner workouts, such as acroyoga. While celebrating their wedding anniversary in the sunny Bahamas, the couple took time to focus on their fitness and showcase their skills on Instagram. Or, as Consuelos put it, “The mrs. And I got into some freaky shizzzz this weekend.” Ripa also included a playful snap on her social media, saying “Relationships are all about trust and flexibility, or something like that.”

UP NEXT: The secret to a successful relationship? Co-creating a critically-acclaimed film.

6. Emily Blunt and John Krasinski: Professional Projects

Having a great romantic relationship and a great working relationship isn't always possible, but Emily Blunt and John Krasinski seem to have the hang of both. They just made "A Quiet Place", their first mutual film project, and according to Blunt, the reason she and Krasinski worked so well together was down to some very simple, yet crucial things: "We really trust each other. We’re very honest with each other,” Blunt said. “We sort of have a shorthand and secret language that ultimately is gonna work for us.”

Krasinski echoed this, saying “I’ve never loved my wife more than after we did this movie. For me, it was a trust thing. We trust each other in day-to-day life for sure, but when you trust each other in this way it’s different. We were really honest with each other from the beginning. By the time we were shooting, it was just the best.”

UP NEXT: This model-athlete duo keeps the spark alive by working out together.

7. Kate Upton and Justin Verlander: Best Workout Buddies Ever

Kate Upton and Justin Verlander have been together since 2014 and married since November 2017. The secret to their incredibly close bond? Hitting the gym together!

"We’re working out for different reasons. You know, I’m getting ready to perform in an athletic event and hers is lifestyle," Verlander told LIVESTRONG during an interview sponsored by Flonase. "So, I wouldn’t say we do the same exercises, but if we go to the gym together I like to kind of take a minute and go over and support her — either joke around with her, or try to push her to do her workout, or just help her out in any way I can." ADORABLE.

UP NEXT: This "Sex and the City" alum is still curious about her husband.

8. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick: Curiosity Leads to Discovery

Curiosity may kill the cat, but it definitely strengthens the couple. In fact, according to iconic actress and designer Sarah Jessica Parker, curiosity is the secret to her 20-year happy union to actor Matthew Broderick. Just in time for Valentine's Day, in an interview with People, she gushes "I literally learn about him every day. I'm like, 'You're doing what? You're reading what?'" The star is definitely onto something: According to wellness counselor Anne Parker, "ongoing discovery about each other keeps the relationship vital and interesting."

UP NEXT: How this Brazilian beauty and her football player beau keep their relationship healthy (literally).

9. Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen: The Couple Who Diets Together

It can be difficult to adhere to a strict diet, but it’s easier when you have a teammate. According to Brady's and Bündchen’s chef Allen Campbell, the couple’s all-organic and non-GMO diet consists of 80 percent vegetables and whole grains and 20 percent lean meats. They also shun white flour, white sugar, dairy and any sort of caffeine. While rigidly eating healthy may seem impossible on your own, a 2015 study claims that having a spouse join you will more than double your chances of success.

UP NEXT: Wolverine might be impulsive, but the actor behind him is all about the meditation life.

10. Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness: Meditation Improves Connectivity

Meditation has been the key to his star couple’s successful relationship, according to Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness. The duo has been married for more than two decades and revealed that regularly meditating together, sometimes even with friends, is the secret to their marital success — and science agrees. A 2017 study determined that “dyadic meditation,” a practice that involves two people mediating together for just 10 minutes a day five days per week will result in them not only feeling closer to each other, but also more open with others.

UP NEXT: This British power couple uses laughter as medicine.

11. Victoria and David Beckham: Laughter Is the Best Relationship Medicine

Despite the fact she never smiles in photos, Victoria Beckham claims that her relationship with husband David has remained intact for more than 20 years because they “have a lot of fun together.” “If I really was as miserable as I look in some of those paparazzi pictures, my children wouldn’t be as happy as they are. And I certainly wouldn’t be married anymore,” she told Vogue Netherlands in 2017. A 2015 study agrees that couples who laugh together have higher-quality relationships than those who don’t.

UP NEXT: The simple reason why Justin TImberlake and Jessica Biel work.

12. Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake: Like Attracts Like

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake are one of Hollywood’s favorite couples. The actress claims their decade-long relationship works simply because they have a lot in common. “We have similar values. We believe in loyalty, honesty. We like to have fun. We like a lot of the same things,” Biel recently divulged to Marie Claire. Contrary to the “opposites attract” belief, a 2016 study found that like-minded people usually end up together, and that their relationships are a lot more successful than those who opt for a partner they don’t have much in common with.

UP NEXT: Find out this couple's secret to still being "Drunk In Love" after all these years.

13. Beyoncé and Jay-Z: Exercising Their Way to Happiness

Jay-Z and Beyoncé know the importance of breaking a sweat together. The duo has shared the same trainer and nutritionist, Marco Borges, for several years and was recently spotted sneaking into a SoulCycle class. “They’re like every other couple — they love spending time together, they’ll work out together whenever it’s possible,” Borges told E! News. “They’ll absolutely jump in the gym together whenever they can, she’ll be running and he’ll be on a bike, or she’ll be jumping rope and he’ll be running.” Multiple studies support the Carter’s family fitness plan, as exercising together is good for your relationship and can improve the efficiency of workouts.

UP NEXT: How this celebrity chef and his wife manage to stay hot for each other.

14. Gordon and Tana Ramsay: Staying Hot for Each Other

While women are typically the ones who feel pressured to lose weight for their partners, Gordon Ramsay totally flipped the gender norm on its head when he revealed that he lost a staggering 56 pounds because he was afraid that his wife, a certified fitness junkie, would leave him. At his heaviest, he was 252 pounds. "I look at the pictures and think, 'How did Tana stay around?' Because Tana has got better-looking and more gorgeous," he tells the Daily Mail. Ramsay got into kickass shape using military-style workouts and now competes alongside Tana every year in grueling Ironman competitions.

UP NEXT: Therapy is for everyone — just ask this couple.

15. Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard: Working It Out in Therapy

While many couples won’t cop to couple’s counseling, Bell maintains it’s the reason why she and Shepard are still together. “We have a very healthy marriage, and we got there by doing therapy when we needed it and constantly doing fierce moral inventories,” the star told People. “We both take responsibility when we are wrong, and I think it is easy to work with him because I married him, because I enjoy spending time with him and I trust him. That is exactly what I want in someone that I work with.”

UP NEXT: Making love their routine keeps this couple happy.

16. Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres: Love Is Their Routine

For Rossi and DeGeneres, it isn’t luxurious vacations or date nights that keep their 13-year plus romance going strong — it’s making each other a part of their daily routine. “Portia and I usually wake up around 6:30 or 7 a.m., drink coffee in bed and watch one of the morning shows,” DeGeneres told People about their ritual. “Then just reading, or she likes to do jigsaw puzzles. And we like walking about our property and hanging out with our dogs and just looking at the ocean. You know, relaxing.”

UP NEXT: How getting sex on the agenda strengthened this couple.

17. Eric and Jessie James Decker: Get Sex on the Agenda

The demands of work and family can take a toll on your sex life, so reality stars Eric and Jessie James Decker, parents to two toddlers, have come up with a way to keep the fire alive: They schedule sex nights. “We plan these nights. I’ll send him a message and be like, ‘Babe, it’s on tonight!’” she recently told Us Weekly. “Life gets really crazy with kids, and schedules are hard, but couples need to be intimate. You have to find that time to connect with your partner.”

18. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis: Couple’s Camping Trips

Despite the fact that Mila and Ashton have access to five-star resorts around the world, the low-key couple prefers to rough it at campgrounds. In fact, their supersecret 2014 wedding ceremony was a luxe glamping extravaganza with their closest friends and family, and they opted to spend their honeymoon in an RV touring the country. Here’s a little incentive to follow their lead: A recent study found that couples who camp together have better sex — as well as more of it, mostly because the lack of distractions and overall de-stressing that happens in nature.

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