4 Times Kate Upton & Justin Verlander Proved The Haters Wrong About Their Marriage

It appears that Kate Upton and Justin Verlander have yet to strike out when it comes to their marriage. The high-profile sports couple made a surprise family appearance at the 2026 All-Star Red Carpet show. They arrived with their two children, looking adorable and fashionable. The couple celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary in 2025, and things seem to be going strong.

The sturdy foundation of their relationship began in 2012. It might have been love at first sight when the two met while on set for a "Major League Baseball 2K12" video game commercial. At the time, Upton was riding the wave of her newfound Sports Illustrated cover fame, and Verlander was working towards a career high with his first World Series win in 2017. Like many couples, Upton and Verlander have faced their fair share of ups and downs. They've proved time and time again that despite it all, they're still able to make it work.

In 2016, Kate Upton went on an intense Twitter rant after Justin Verlander lost the American League Cy Young Award to Rick Porcello. Upton was Verlander's fiancee at the time, and her rant made one thing abundantly clear: she does not play about her man. The award winner is decided on by the votes of 30 chosen members of the Baseball Writers' Association. Her original post can still be found on X, in which she said, "Hey @MLB I thought I was the only person allowed to f*** @JustinVerlander ?! What 2 writers didn't have him on their ballot?"

Upton didn't stop there. She doubled down, even accusing two writers of being paid off to vote against Verlander and demanding that they be fired. All in all, Upton's emotional written rampage certainly proved just how far she's willing to go to defend Verlander. Her defense didn't go unreciprocated, either. Verlander came to his fiancee's defense after a writer told Upton to "pipe down," to which Verlander responded, "Where do you get off telling anyone to 'pipe down'?!?" It goes to show that couples who pop off on Twitter together stay together.

At the beginning of their relationship, Kate Upton and Justin Verlander seemed to have lots of chemistry but cut things short. The two made their relationship public in a steamy St. Thomas getaway in January 2013. Things didn't seem too official yet, as Upton denied any relationship rumors and told Fox News (via E! News) that she was single the following month. Later that year, she began dating Maksim Chmerkovskiy of "Dancing With The Stars." The relationship was short-lived, coming to a close by year-end.

Upton reconnected with Verlander in the Bahamas in early 2014 — a quick turnaround. That early St. Thomas getaway must have really stuck with both of them, given how fast they ran back to each other. While a split can often be a bad sign for a couple, Upton and Verlander were far from on-again-off-again. After they rekindled their connection, the two have been by each other's side ever since. In 2016, they got engaged, and Upton and Verlander tied the knot in 2017.

Justin Verlander credits Kate Upton for his career success. In 2018, the Astros player opened up about how much Upton has supported him throughout the years, from epic career highs to painful lows. Verlander's 2014 season was one of the hardest of his career. He faced several health issues that were affecting his career to the point where he thought it might have been all over for him. "She was instrumental in me not ... like, jumping off a bridge," he told B/R Magazine. "I was depressed and kind of just upset at the world."

Upton stayed by his side and provided support that went deeper than just a shoulder to cry on. As a model, Upton understood the terrifying nature of a fleeting career highly dependent on how well the body performs. Even after her first major success, her Sports Illustrated cover in 2012, she still received comments from people calling her overweight. Instead of just listening to his problems, she related to Verlander, which brought the two closer together.

Kate Upton and Justin Verlander keep reminding the public just how adorable they really are. The couple's social media tributes to each other over the years have been nothing short of romantic. For their first anniversary, Verlander took to Instagram and poured his heart out in a touching letter written in the caption. "Dear Kate," he wrote, "You are such a strong woman but yet still so very caring. You stand up for what you believe in. You are just as beautiful on the inside as you are out."

Upton has emphasized time and time again on Instagram just how proud she is of Verlander, especially when the Astros went to the World Series again in 2022. When Verlander was awarded the Cy Young Award in 2020, Upton also had lots to say. "I get to see first-hand how hard you work every day to stay at the top of your game," she wrote on Instagram. "Your focus and work ethic inspires me and I'm so grateful to spend my life with someone as passionate and dedicated as you."