The Real Reason Why These Celebs Hid A Relationship
Being a celeb certainly has its perks, including hefty paychecks, global recognition, and courtside seats. But it's not always easy, especially when a star is in a relationship.
Fans and paparazzi tend to go pretty nuts for famous couples, often crossing the line from sweet admiration to downright obsession. From offering unsolicited relationship advice to weaving giant romance conspiracy theories about A-list pairs, things can quickly spiral out of control. While there are some celebrities who live for that sort of attention, it's downright off-putting and totally scary to others, often prompting them to keep their dating life as private as possible.
From stars like Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes, who utterly refuse to comment on their love affair, to Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig, who tied the knot in secrecy, keep reading to learn all about the celebrity couples who kept their relationships under the radar before breaking them out to the world.
Justin Timberlake and Fergie had a big age difference
Remember when Justin Timberlake and Fergie dated? The Black Eyed Peas diva spilled the beans on their '90s love affair in a 2006 interview with Cosmopolitan, telling the outlet that she and the "SexyBack" singer would "go out together and have fun and make out." They even reportedly traveled to Hawaii together at one point!
While it seemed like the duo had the makings of a strong relationship — and the flare to become a Hollywood power couple — Fergie downplayed their romance, telling Cosmopolitan that they were never serious. "He was Mr. Right Now," she declared. Though Fergie didn't share specifics for why she kept the relationship quiet, she told Australia's Courier Mail (via PopSugar) that "he was 16 and [she] was 23" when they dated. In the end, Timberlake ultimately went on to start a relationship with Britney Spears, who was a little more age appropriate for him.
Though he and Fergie didn't work out romantically, their 2003 collaboration on the Black Eyed Peas' "Where Is the Love?" became a smash hit, so there's that, at least.
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's rocky reconciliation
After a year of highly publicized drama between 2016 and 2017, it seemed like Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's relationship would never make it. Their romance was serious tabloid fodder, with many stories centered on cheating allegations involving pop singer Selena Gomez and Bloom's nude photo scandal. The intense media coverage of their relationship is apparently why, when the two did reconcile in 2018, they kept it a total secret.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight about their private reconnection, an insider revealed that the pair wanted to focus on strengthening their relationship before broadcasting it to the world. "It truly was the best decision they ever made because it reminded them how much they love each other," the source explained. "Keeping their relationship a secret while they worked on their love for one another has completely turned things around for them."
"They don't mind if anyone sees them together anymore," the source added. "They are far past that now, and in fact, they seem to be celebrating their love for one another. Their closest friends and family are all thrilled and have been waiting a long time for this day." Us, too.
Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz's desire to stay MIA
Daniel Craig may have a high-profile acting career, thanks to his role as James Bond in films like Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, and Skyfall, but his relationship with Rachel Weisz has been cloaked in privacy. Even their 2011 wedding was super secretive. According to The Guardian, the stars married during a low-key ceremony in New York with just four guests present, and we apparently didn't get an invite because Weisz would rather "protect" their relationship than publicize it. Noting that her husband is "just too famous," Weisz explained to More magazine that sharing the details of her romance with Craig would "be a betrayal," adding, "You have to protect your marriage" (via People).
Weisz elaborated, "When you're young, you tell your girlfriends everything. One of the great pleasures of not being an adolescent is that you don't have to share everything. When you're married, that door closes. The audience goes, and you're in your own life."
Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes' love is best low-key
Perhaps Hollywood's worst-kept secret is the love story of Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes. Although the two have been romantically linked since 2013, they have yet, at the time of this writing, to officially confirm their relationship. And that may have a lot to do with Holmes' ex-husband, Tom Cruise. Although it was never officially confirmed, after Cruise and Holmes divorced in 2012, the Dawson's Creek actress was said to have reportedly signed a clause in her divorce settlement that banned her from publicly dating anyone for five years, so as not to embarrass Cruise.
Foxx, meanwhile, has always remained tight-lipped about his relationships, including those with famous faces like actress Stacey Dash. A source told People that Foxx "is very low key about his life in general, and rarely talks about it." The insider added, "He is not one to acknowledge anything about his private life and neither does Katie."
Over the years, however, Foxx and Holmes have slowly but surely appeared to be grow more comfortable with broadcasting their relationship. In May 2017, a source told Us Weekly the pair planned to "start going public" with their romance, and they seemed to do just that on Labor Day that year, when they were spotted walking hand-in-hand on the beach — which was also around the five-year mark, if you're keeping up with the math here, BTW.
Careers come first for Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift
Reports suggest Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift started dating back in early 2017, but the two have barely commented on their rumored romance. Though a source told Us Weekly in October 2017 that Alwyn and Swift were "very much in love," the two may never discuss their relationship publicly, as Alwyn suggested in September 2018 that he only cares to talk about matters connected to his career.
"I'm aware people want to know about that side of things," he explained to British Vogue. "I think we have been successfully very private and that has now sunk in for people ... but I really prefer to talk about work."
Looks like the closest we might ever come to hearing about their "Love Story" is through some of the lyrics Swift allegedly penned about him on her 2017 album Reputation — or in Swift's future works, considering her habit of writing confessional songs.
Beyonce and Jay-Z like to control the narrative
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are arguably the most famous stars in Hollywood, but their relationship is also one of the most private. The pair were first romantically linked in late 2002, following their collaboration on Jay-Z's "03 Bonnie and Clyde." Their romance was later all but confirmed when they appeared together at the 2004 MTV VMAs. Beyoncé finally addressed their decision to keep things private in a 2008 interview with Essence, attributing it to their interest in maintaining some mystery, staying sane, and controlling public perception.
"It's almost impossible to have superstars now, because people will never get enough. And it's not even about my music. It's about all the things that people imagine about me in their minds. But I can't satisfy everyone," she explained to the outlet (via MTV News). She added, "What Jay and I have is real. It's not about interviews or getting the right photo op. It's real."
In any case, their knack for secrecy has become one of their greatest strengths musically. In 2013, Beyoncé's self-titled surprise album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart and became the fastest-selling album to hit iTunes, spawning hits like "Flawless" and "Drunk in Love" (via The Huffington Post). Similarly, Beyoncé and Jay-Z's surprise joint album, 2018's Everything Is Love, reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
All eyez on Tupac and Madonna
Madonna and Tupac reportedly dated for three years after being introduced by actress Rosie Perez at the 1993 Soul Train Awards. While the details of their relationship were kept pretty tightly under wraps, in 2017, it was revealed in an old letter that Tupac feared that the public would judge him for dating a white woman, which ultimately led to their breakup. In the note reportedly written to the singer in 1995, Tupac stated (via CNN): "For you to be seen with a black man wouldn't in any way jeopardize your career, if anything it would make you seem that much more open and exciting. But for me at least in my previous perception I felt due to my 'image' that I would be letting down half of the people who made me what I thought I was."
He added, "I never meant to hurt you."
Unfortunately, we'll never know if a reconciliation was in the cards for these two because the "Changes" rapper was tragically shot and killed in a drive-by shooting the following year.
All publicity isn't good publicity for Lachy Gillespie and Emma Watkins
Toddlers (and some adults) released a collective "Awww" in 2015 when it was revealed that The Wiggles stars Lachy Gillespie and Emma Watkins were in a relationship. Surprisingly, the couple had already been together for two years at that point, but they'd decided to keep quiet about their love in fear of the public thinking their relationship was a publicity stunt. "There is nothing worse ... if you've only just started in a world-class organisation such as The Wiggles and then all of a sudden we come out that we are together," Gillespie explained to Kate Waterhouse for Date With Kate.
In an interview on the YouTube series Tea With Jules, Watkins shed light on how she and Gillespie wound up together, saying they "dwindled" into becoming engaged in 2015. "You become so close, and you work so closely together, that we already had such a good relationship before we kind of dwindled into becoming engaged," Watkins explained.
Unfortunately, the pair wouldn't last though, and they announced their split in 2018, with Gillespie telling The Daily Telegraph (via MSN), "It's life." However, he also insisted that the two share a bond that's better than ever despite their decision to separate. "I love her more now than anything and she loves me more than anything," he said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tried to escape media scrutiny
Given how Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are now one of the most famous couples in the world, it's hard to imagine that these two once kept their relationship a secret. Their decision to keep their romance private seemingly stemmed from Harry's desire to save their blossoming relationship from public criticism, as two of his previous relationships allegedly ended because the women couldn't handle media scrutiny (via Express).
Royal expert Katie Nicholl offered some insight on the couple's efforts to keep their relationship in the dark in her book Harry: Life, Loss, and Love. In excerpts from the novel, which were published by Vanity Fair, Nicholl wrote that, when news broke that Harry and Markle were an item back in October 2016, the two were secretly together in Toronto where the actress filmed Suits. To escape paparazzi, they leaked a story that the royal had canceled his flight to make it seem as if they weren't together, but the media quickly swarmed Markle's home anyway.
Prince Harry followed up with a statement confirming the six-month relationship shortly after, which included a plea from him to the media to back down on the "wave and abuse of harassment." Of course, between the couple's wedding in May 2018 and the October 2018 announcement of their pregnancy, the media frenzy never really stopped. But hey, at least there's been a lot of positive coverage.