Strange Things About Sarah Jessica Parker And Matthew Broderick's Marriage
Sarah Jessica Parker is as much known for her iconic portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw as she is for her shady side (who can ever forget the SJP-Kim Cattrall feud?!). Something else she's become synonymous with is her decades-long relationship with Matthew Broderick. The actors have been married for over 30 years, share three children, and, despite non-stop divorce rumors, their union appears to be as strong as ever. Indeed, when The National Enquirer alleged there was trouble in paradise ahead of their 22nd anniversary in 2019, Parker took to Instagram to set the record straight. "Over a decade of the same untrue, disgraceful nonsense," she fumed. "Despite your endless harassment and wasted ink, we are nearing 3 decades of love, commitment, respect, family and home."
Given the long-running romance, Parker has often been asked to share their secret to success, and according to the "Sex and the City" star, it's all about setting realistic expectations. "We've been together for 20 years and you have good days, you have decent days, and you have bad days," she told The Telegraph in 2011. "That's a marriage. That's a relationship. That's a friendship, even." Aside from their relationship philosophy, some interesting quirks have helped their union thrive. Here are the strangest things about Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's marriage.
SJP initially avoided Matthew Broderick
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick had their first official date on March 8, 1992, and, as she explained on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2023, "We've never spent a night apart since then, with the exception of work on location or his mother was ill for a bit." Few couples could make such a claim, especially after three decades together, which really highlights how special their bond is. However, as SJP told Stern, they actually avoided each other at first.
The pair met serendipitously at the movies when she joined her brother and his friend who, in turn, decided to bring along his bestie, Matthew Broderick. The foursome got pizza and watched "The Fisher King," and the future couple chatted about their mutual acquaintance, screenwriter Andrew Bergman. As SJP explained, Bergman had actually told her she should meet Broderick while telling "The Producers" star the same thing. And he was onto something. As Broderick told Andy Cohen in 2022, when they finally met, it was love at first sight. "I saw her walking down the street, and thought, 'That's it,'" he shared.
Parker, who had seen all of Broderick's movies, was also quickly smitten. "He was, I thought, so beautiful and handsome and charming," she told Stern, but revealed she avoided him for a while. "We were both seeing other people, so it was illegal and we stayed away from one another," she shared. "We understood that we had to do right by the other people and break up officially."
Sarah Jessica Parker deeply regrets her wedding dress
Sarah Jessica Parker may be known as a style icon, but one of her biggest regrets in life is the sartorial choice she made on her wedding day. SJP and Matthew Broderick tied the knot in May 1997 after five years of dating and decided to stray from tradition. For one, they said "I do" on a Monday. For another, they told guests they would be attending an everyday party, so the nuptials were a total surprise. Most memorable, though, was the fact that Parker wore a black wedding dress. "I really regret that," she told Marie Claire in 2006. Explaining what initially spurred her decision, she said, "I was too embarrassed to get married in white, and both Matthew and I were reluctant to have people pay so much attention to us. Which is ridiculous because that's when you can relish the attention."
Her gown was a beautiful Morgane Le Fay creation, but as Brides learned, it was the first dress she laid eyes on and she simply grabbed it off the rack. In retrospect, she would have done it all differently. "Oh, I wish it was because I was badass," she told Andy Cohen (via Vanity Fair) in 2016. In reality, "I just was too embarrassed to spend any time looking for a wedding dress." As for what she'd wear, given a redo, she told Harper's Bazaar in 2009 (via Today), "White it up! I'd wear a beautiful, proper wedding dress, like I should have worn that day."
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick annoy each other
They've been married for over 30 years, but Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have struggles just like every other couple. Back in 2018, People asked SJP what it takes to enjoy 20 years of wedded bliss, and her advice was surprising. "It seems so silly, but I think you're very lucky if you like the person," she began before delivering a bombshell revelation: "I'm sure I annoy him and he annoys me." She doubled down on the sentiment with "Girlboss Radio" that year, musing, "I'm sure I annoy him; He annoys me sometimes." However, as she told People, it's how you work through that which matters. In their case, they continue showing up, despite the small grievances. "I literally learn about him every day," she told the mag. "I'm like, 'You're doing what? You're reading what?'" And that ongoing curiosity is helped by the fact that they are forced to spend time apart for work. "I know this sounds nuts, but we have lives that allow us to be away and come back together," she told "Girlboss Radio." "I think that that's been enormously beneficial because we have so much to share in a way."
As for Broderick, he jokingly told "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in 2015 (via Us Weekly) that "everything" he does around the house annoys his wife, but was quick to clarify, "She's very un-b****y. She's pretty level-headed and kind."
SJP takes 20 minutes a day to hate her husband
No relationship is perfect all the time, and Sarah Jessica Parker is the first to admit that. Not only do she and hubby Matthew Broderick annoy each other, but SJP revealed in a 2011 interview (via CTV News) that there are times when they even dislike each other. Noting that compromise is key to making any marriage work, she argued that being unhappy with your partner is totally healthy, too. As long as it's brief. She said she hates her husband for 20 minutes a day, but noted, "You can hate somebody for 20 minutes or two days." The actor said the key is eventually moving on without it negatively impacting your love for one another. "After a while, a compromise kind of gets marginalized anyway. You don't recall them, it's just what you do to make things work," she said.
That notion quickly made headlines and Parker was asked to further elaborate on her stance on Ryan Seacrest's KISS FM show. "I think that's healthy and I think it's realistic," she said, per Daily Mail. However, she added that it wasn't meant to be taken as a magic formula. "Some people have it down to 20 minutes a week; other unfortunate people have it down to 20 minutes per hour," she said. As for her and Broderick, it's not as frequent as she initially made it sound. "In my life, we go many, many days without 20 minutes of bitterness," she concluded.
The couple didn't share money until well into their marriage
Sarah Jessica Parker earned millions during her time on "Sex and the City" and, as of December 2023, her net worth was $200 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, but the actor did not grow up in luxury. ”We were on welfare,” she told The New York Times in 2000 of her childhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. "I remember my childhood as Dickensian; I remember being poor." That meant occasionally having no electricity, getting visits from bill collectors, and sometimes going without birthday or holiday gifts. Because of that, she admitted, "I have such a weird relationship with money."
One manifestation of that was her refusal to share finances with husband Matthew Broderick. While SJP said they did have one joint credit card, it got very little use. "[We] sometimes use it for groceries," she mused. Adding that they never talk about money — although she was sure Broderick would tell her all about his finances if she asked — the actor said, "I have a rough understanding of what Matthew can and cannot afford, but there is no reason I need to know how much money he has." Explaining her reasoning, she told the mag they had simply agreed to always support each other but said she didn't want to rely on her husband. "I never want Matthew to feel the pressure to take a job because he thinks he has to support me," she said, adding, ”If and when we have our children, then things become communal."
SJP says kids can negatively impact a relationship
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are parents of three and they clearly love it, but the role of mom has also presented challenges for SJP. As she told The Telegraph in 2011, balancing family and career wasn't always easy. "I've tried to marry those two things and sometimes it is successful and sometimes it is not," she admitted. Then, just as she was starting to have it figured out, her family grew. While son James Wilkie was born in 2002, twins Tabitha Hodge and Marion Loretta Elwell followed in 2009 and her world was shaken up again. "Going from one to three children is a much bigger adjustment than becoming a mother in the first place," she mused. "One child in retrospect seems a cakewalk compared to where I stand today." What's more, she also highlighted the difficulties of balancing being a mom and a wife, saying, "Kids can really distract you from your relationship, [so] it's important to have all eyes on all parts of the relationship."
Parker shared a similar sentiment with "Girlboss Radio" in 2018, noting that while having kids is rewarding, it's also really hard, exhausting work. "You're in a constant state of worrying about your children," she said. Admitting she often feels like "one big old-fashioned secretary," she concluded, "All I do is organize people's lives and get them here and there and all that."