10 Power Couples Of The '00s That Never Made It (And 10 That Are Still Going Strong)
Matthew Barrera Quick Links
The decade in which the masses became more obsessed with the personal lives of celebrities than ever before, stars have always been of interest but during the 2000s things really ratcheted up. A transition that makes perfect sense since the internet really picked up speed in this decade, both literally and figuratively, access to celebrity gossip was more readily available than ever before.
Living their lives in the spotlight at pretty much every turn, clearly, it is hard for regular people to understand exactly how it would feel to be a celebrity. For that reason, it makes perfect sense that a lot of stars end up being romantically linked to other people that are in a similar station in life. Of course, even having something major like that in common isn’t necessarily going to be the determining factor in the failure or success of a relationship. With that in mind, it is time to look at 10 power couples from the '00s that never made it and 10 that are still going strong.
In order for a celebrity couple to be considered for possible inclusion on this list, they first and foremost need to have begun dating in the 2000s, according to public reports. On top of that, half of the couples that were in the running are still going strong today whether they are strictly committed to one another, married, or something similar. On the other end of the spectrum, the other couples that were considered have long since broken up. In fact, not only are they no longer together but their relationships failed before they were a pair for too long.
Still Going Strong: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
Together since they first met, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend came across one another while both worked on the music video for his song “Stereo.” Looking as though they are madly in love whenever they are caught on camera in one another’s presence since then, their relationship often comes across like the kind of thing you’d see in a fairy tale. Married since 2013, they have welcomed 2 children into the world, young Luna and Miles. A pair that is ridiculously good looking, they are also fantastic at their jobs, seem to love the life they’ve built together and appear to be deliriously happy.
Never Made It: Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson
The kind of couple that millions of fans become really invested in, when a pair of actors play characters that fall for one another and then become involved in real life, fans just can't help but swoon over them. Cast as an oddball pairing in The OC, his character Seth began the show as the often picked on outsider at his school while her character Summer was the stereotypical popular girl. However, once their characters fell for one another, the chemistry between them on the screen was palpable, say the least. Eventually revealed to be smitten with one another for real, they stuck it out for 3 years, but now he is married to Leighton Meester and she had a long-term relationship with Hayden Christensen.
Still Going Strong: Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard
The kind of actors that seem right at home when they appear in blockbuster movies and indie darlings, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard are both incredibly talented. Far from the only thing they have in common, their bond was also helped along by the fact that Peter Sarsgaard has been really good friends with his future partner’s brother, Jake Gyllenhaal. Opting to tie the knot in front of friends and family on May 2, 2009, their ceremony took place in a relatively small chapel in the city of Brindisi, Italy. Now, the parents of a pair of daughters, Ramona and Gloria Ray Sarsgaard, their family seems to be a very tight unit.
Never Made It: Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray
Another instance of a TV pairing that at least briefly led to a whirlwind romance, in the show One Tree Hill, Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray played a compelling couple. Initially portrayed as the kind of judgemental cheerleader you’d see in an uncreative teen movie, Sophia Bush’s character in the show was then shown to be incredibly sweet. Also, a sensitive soul in the series, Chad Michael Murray’s One Tree Hill character was a high-school basketball player that always tried to do what is right. Surprisingly turned into an on-screen couple early on in the series, the tender moments between them were a highlight for many fans. As such, when it came out they were dating and even got married in the mid-2000s, people were excited, at least until they divorced after 5 months of marriage.
Still Going Strong: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
Part of one of the most-talked-about power couples in the history of Hollywood, when Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman ended their marriage, it seemed like no pair would ever be able to take their place. While that is still true as of this writing, Kidman would next marry Keith Urban and both of them have never seemed anywhere close to this happy in the past. Introduced to one another at an event in 2005, Urban waited months to call Kidman, but once they got involved, things quickly took off between them. Married since 2006, Kidman has said that she wanted to marry her new man after a month together and Urban has said of his wife, "Meeting her and getting married wasn't life-changing, it was life-beginning."
Never Made It: Mandy Moore and Zach Braff
A celebrity power couple that most people would never have predicted being a thing, despite that, when Mandy Moore and Zach Braff got together they seemed likely to have true staying power. Often captured in photographs with an obvious comfort and intimacy between them, they were a couple in between 2004 and 2006. Asked about their relationship many years later in 2018, Moore revealed that at the time she thought Braff would be her “guy for life” and they are still in touch even though both of them have moved on. With all of that in mind, it still seems surprising that their flame went out so soon.
Still Going Strong: Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany
Something of a bewildering pair, both Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany have appeared in a long list of successful and influential films yet their relationship has received relatively little attention. Probably the case since they manage to keep their private lives largely to themselves, even though they’ve spent years in the spotlight, you’d still think people would pay more attention to them. Introduced while both of them worked on the Oscar-winning drama A Beautiful Mind, their characters never addressed one another on screen but behind the scenes, sparks flew. Continuing to work with one another since then, on 4 films in total, they were also married in 2003 and have 3 children together.
Never Made It: Nick Carter and Paris Hilton
Two stars that are very much of their time, both Nick Carter and Paris Hilton continue to get headlines occasionally but their profiles have significantly lessened during this decade. However, during the early 2000s, they not only garnered attention for their unexpected relationship, but their other antics also made them a mainstay of tabloid journalism. Of course, Carter has also gone down in history as part of the hugely popular boy band the Backstreet Boys and Paris Hilton gave a masterclass in how to make the most of your 15 minutes of fame. Looking at photos of them from 2003 to 2004 seems like you are peering into a time capsule.
Still Going Strong: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
First meeting at VH1’s Big in ’04 Awards, despite round after round of break up rumors that pop up around them, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have been together ever since. In fact, earlier this year while promoting the latest season of Arrested Development, Portia addressed the rumors that dog them by saying they make her feel like their relationship is “finally accepted.” Quickly engaged once same-sex marriage was legalized in California, they were wed in 2008 and have been going strong ever since.
Never Made It: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck
If you are young enough that you don’t remember the coverage when Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck became a couple then you can consider yourself lucky. For some reason the apple of the tabloid eye, everything they said and did at the time was looked over with a fine toothed comb. Even worse than that, if they didn’t give tabloid writers something to obsess over then it was just time for more conjecture about whether they were going to break up or get engaged. Together in between 2002 and 2004, they also will go down in history as the stars of a truly terrible movie, the often and rightfully maligned Gigli.
Still Going Strong: Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard
One of a select few celebrity couples that people have really come to care about, if Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard break up people will be really upset just like they were for Chris Pratt and Anna Faris. First going on a date in 2007, Bell has admitted it was “not electric” and Shepard revealed that when he met her friends he “was suspicious of their unbridled happiness.” However, once they went out again, things quickly ratcheted up in a really big way. Engaged in late 2009 and married in 2013, unlike the other couples on this list, they opted to tie the knot at a courthouse fort the low, low price of $142 including the cost of their transportation. An instance of opposites attracting and working together perfectly, loads of people admire their relationship.
Never Made It: Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer
Let’s be real here, when it became clear that Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer had become a couple, the majority of people were left scratching their head in confusion or worse. One of the biggest stars in the world at the time, Jennifer Aniston could accurately be called America’s sweetheart. Also, a huge deal, John Mayer’s brand of music had found a passionate fan base that looked forward to his every release. The very definition of a power couple, they first got together in 2008, broke up, got back together again, and then permanently separated. Doing all of this in front of the world, their off and on relationship was surprising and interesting from afar.
Still Going Strong: Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Arguably the king and queen of modern music, when Beyoncé and Jay-Z became a couple it was the entertainment equivalent of the American president marrying a British royal. Both incredibly powerful within their musical genre, everything they touch seems to turn to gold and when they perform and record together they still manage to be more than the sum of their parts. Beginning their relationship either in the year 2000 or 2001, Beyoncé told Oprah they “were friends for a year and a half before” they “went on any dates.” Eventually married in a top-secret ceremony in April 2008, they have since gone on to have 3 children together.
Never Made It: Janet Jackson and Matthew McConaughey
An extremely short-term pairing, Janet Jackson and Matthew McConaughey did not last but it seems easy to understand what may have brought them together in the first place. Brought up by a strict disciplinarian father, throughout her life, Jackson has been extremely driven so she would likely be attracted to someone that could bring a more relaxed energy to her life. On the other hand, McConaughey probably would have no trouble dealing with her being high strung and who wouldn’t be attracted to her gorgeous looks and electric energy? Despite all that, they only dated briefly after they hit it off upon their first meeting at the Grammys in 2002.
Still Going Strong: Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally
The kind of couple that most of us would love being friends with, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally appear like they always have fun together. On top of that, even though they live in the Hollywood spotlight, there is still no doubt that they remain true to themselves, both as individuals and as a couple. Working together on a 2000 play, at the time, Mullally had just become a star due to Will & Grace. Hitting it off quickly, during their first date, Offerman wore yellow overalls that he tucked his napkin into and that didn’t stop them from falling in love. Engaged after only 18 months together, in 2003, they invited their friends and family to a small get-together and then had a surprise wedding instead. Still together after all these years, they clearly adore one another’s company.
Never Made It: Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling
A really unique pairing, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling are two of the most successful Hollywood actors of the last several decades, but their relationship is largely forgotten. Nowhere near the caliber of star that he would go on to be when they were a pair, Gosling’s lesser fame at the time may be why this couple has faded from the memories of many. Dating in 2002 and 2003, around the time of the shooting and release of the movie they both starred in, Murder by Numbers, they were solid enough to appear on a red carpet together. Extremely complimentary of one another at the time, since then, Gosling even referred to Bullock and his other former love Rachel McAdams as “two of the greatest girlfriends of all time."
Still Going Strong: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher
Let’s be real here, when Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher went public with their relationship, many people who would have bet against it passing the test of time. After all, she always came across as the epitome of class when she made her way on a red carpet while he was a shock comedian that sought to offend people at every turn. Still the case to a large degree, Fisher has since revealed how incredibly supportive her husband actually is behind closed doors and she has even said that being with him is like “winning the lottery.” Introduced to one another in 2002, they got engaged in 2004, married in 2010, have since welcomed 3 children, and remained in love based on the rare times they’ve addressed their relationship.
Never Made It: Natalie Portman and Moby
A celebrity that very much seems like a relic of his time and place, even though Moby’s music was practically everywhere for several years in the 2000s many people have forgotten all about him. On the other end of things, to this day the career of Natalie Portman has never seemed to have any serious downturns and she remains incredibly respected by her peers and moviegoers alike. Briefly together in 2001, their relationship seemed to form and dissipate in the blink of an eye. However, it was still well-documented enough that Moby reveled in 2008 that their fling made him “the target of nerd wrath.”
Still Going Strong: Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen
Two professionals that are at the very top of their industries, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen are almost without peer in terms of success and fame. The highest paid model in the world several years in a row, Bündchen has landed pretty much every in-demand gig that her business has to offer. A sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer, Brady has earned a staggering 5 Super Bowl rings and in each of those cases, he had a major hand in leading his team to success. First meeting each other in 2006, by 2009, they had an amazing wedding ceremony and since then, they’ve had 2 kids in addition to a child Brady had before he met his wife.
Never Made It: Ashley Olsen and Lance Armstrong
A couple with a considerable age gap, Ashley Olsen and Lance Armstrong were born nearly 15 years apart and like a lot of former child stars, she will always seem even younger in a lot of people’s eyes. Far from the only reason why this pairing felt weird while it was going on and even more since, their shared drive to succeed seems to be the only trait they had in common. Despite all that, back in 2007, these two were spotted out on the town in New York City sharing intimate times together. In fact, during one night of their short-term relationship, Olsen reportedly sat in Armstrong’s lap while in public and they shared some PDA while at Gramercy Park Hotel’s Rose Bar.
References: cosmopolitan.com, mtv.com, instyle.com, glamourmagazine.co.uk, vulture.com, people.com, news.com.au, spin.com, radaronline.com
