Athletes Who Are Only Famous Because They Dated A Celebrity

Celebrities don't usually step outside their realm when it comes to dating, and two A-listers getting together sometimes turns into an incredible Hollywood power couple (see: Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, or Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds). But A-list actors aren't the only people who can bring prestige to a relationship — a famous musician or even a star athlete can increase a couple's public persona as well.

Take NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who cemented his own fame outside of his marriage to Gisele Bündchen, who was the highest-paid model from 2002-2017, and is one of the most celebrated models in the world. In 2011, the duo was named the World's Highest-Paid Celebrity couple by Forbes, and Brady once told People, "I think without her, there's no way I could be doing what I'm doing. It takes an amazing partnership to do it." They're clearly the best teammates ever. 

However, some athletes owe their own fame not to their prowess in their respective sport, but rather to who they have dated. Though these athletes may have won plenty of games and even snagged a trophy or two, they aren't superstars in their own right. In fact, it's the celebrities they have dated that have brought them increased recognition and fame. While some might not know these athletes from watching them play, they may recognize them from appearing in paparazzi photos or on red carpets with their famous partners. So who are these famous celebs' athletic partners? Let's find out.

Cole Tucker is relatively new to the MLB, having been drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and making his debut in 2019. As of this writing, the shortstop plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but his name appears to be making more headlines in the world of entertainment after he began dating triple threat Vanessa Hudgens. 

Tucker and Hudgens went Instagram official on Valentine's Day in 2021, when the "High School Musical" actor shared a photo of the two kissing, though the Daily Mail reported their romance began back in November 2020, just 10 months after she split from "Elvis" actor Austin Butler. Since putting their love on display, Hudgens has posted pictures with Tucker regularly on her social media, including photos of the two celebrating their one year anniversary and the actor attending his games. So how exactly did they meet? She shared with ET that they met on a Zoom call: "Me and Cole met on a Zoom meditation group. Very random, yes." 

As of this writing, the two are still going strong, and Tucker attended the premiere of Hudgens' movie, "Tick, Tick ... Boom!" in November 2021 and appeared by her side at the SAG Awards in February 2022, per Us Weekly. Talking about her romance with the pro athlete, she told ET, "It's just easy. We're like the same person, very much the same person, but with different tastes."

Sterling Shepard was drafted by the New York Giants during the 2016 NFL draft and as of this writing, continues to play for the team. While Giants fans are always rooting for this wide receiver when he's out on the field, he's most recognized in the entertainment business for having married model Chanel Iman. 

According to Us Weekly, Shepard and Iman met at NY Giants player Victor Cruz's birthday party in 2016, and the next year, the two were engaged and tied the knot in March 2018. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Cali, in August 2018 and in December 2019, they welcomed their second daughter, Cassie. However, Shepard filed for divorce in June 2021, with Us Weekly reporting that in September 2021, the former couple agreed to share joint custody of their two daughters.

Although they split, the former Victoria's Secret model and the athlete appear to be doing a great job co-parenting their kids. Iman told Us Weekly, "I'm all about a positive mindset and staying connected with people and trying to just work out everything. Like I'm a people person so it's not very difficult for me to co-parent at all."

Former NFL wide receiver Hank Baskett found himself in the spotlight after marrying former Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson. The couple made headlines for the ups and mostly downs of their marriage, which included Baskett being unfaithful to the reality star, a situation that ultimately led the couple to divorce in April 2018 after nearly nine years together. 

Baskett admitted to falling into a depression when his NFL career was over. He began his football career in 2006 and bounced around to teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, his career ended following the 2010 season. He shared with People, "I fell into what happens to a lot of professional athletes who change careers. It hit me, and it hit hard." The former sports star revealed that he began using drugs and drinking alcohol, which led to his 2014 cheating scandal that occurred when Wilkinson was eight months pregnant with their daughter, Alijah.

The couple, who also share a son named Hank IV, worked through their issues on the reality show "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars." However, it wasn't enough to help the celeb couple, and the two went their separate ways in 2018, their divorce finalizing in February 2019. In April 2021, Wilkinson told Us Weekly that they were doing their best to co-parent their kids, sharing, "It is stable. We are [in a better place]. Time heals all."

Kris Humphries' career in the NBA was tarnished when he famously married Kim Kardashian in August 2011. After 72 days of being husband and wife, Kardashian filed for divorce, though Humphries took it a step further, filing for an annulment on grounds that the marriage was a total fraud. While his annulment was not granted, the divorce settled in April 2013. However, Humphries was now known more for his failed marriage to Hollywood's biggest reality star than his game on the court. 

Humphries was playing for the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets when the two wed. After their marriage ended, Humphries found himself on several teams, including the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks. In March 2019, after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers, Humphries announced his retirement. In an interview with The Players Tribune, the former NBA star admitted that his romance with Kardashian was tough on his career. "I was getting booed so hard in Philly, and I thought ... 'Why exactly are they booing me, though? Is it because I'm That Guy from TV? ... Is it because they think I disrespected the game of basketball?' The last one killed me, because all I've ever wanted to be known for was basketball.'"

Humphries has since moved on from both basketball and his infamous failed married. He moved back to his home state of Minnesota and is busy with several business ventures, including getting into real estate. 

Mike Comrie played professional hockey for 13 years, having played on several teams from the Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, and New York Islanders. In February 2012, Comrie announced his retirement, which was the same year his then-wife, "Lizzie McGuire" star Hilary Duff, was expecting their first child, per The Hockey News. 

While he would no longer be making headlines in the sports world, he was highly talked about after he married the actor. The pair wed in August 2010 and welcomed their son, Luca in March 2012. However, the couple had a short-lived marriage and ended up separating in early 2014, with Duff filing for divorce a year later, per People. According to TMZ, the actor pulled the plug on their marriage a day after Comrie's wild behavior at a Los Angeles restaurant resulted in the drunk hockey player propositioning women. Although their marriage was over, the two have worked on co-parenting their son. Duff told Ellen DeGeneres in 2016, "We are good friends and we laugh a lot. And we have great communication and we share stories and pictures when one is not with Luca. He's great, we are great, and we keep on trucking." 

Duff has since moved on and married singer-songwriter Matthew Koma. The pair has welcomed two daughters, Banks and Mae. 

The name Doug Reinhardt might ring a bell for fans of MTV's "The Hills," which starred everyone's favorite reality television good girl Lauren Conrad, along with her ex-BFF Heidi Montag and Montag's husband Spencer Pratt. Although Reinhardt wasn't a regular cast member, he did appear in an episode that featured him going on a date with Conrad and the two later hanging out at friend Audrina Patridge's birthday party, per Entertainment Weekly. According to Conrad, the two dated during her last year in high school, though it only lasted "a couple of weeks."

Reinhardt, a former baseball player who played for the minor leagues for three years after being drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 2004, also made headlines for dating Paris Hilton. The pair dated for over a year until they called it quits in April 2010. Hilton told Us Weekly after their break-up, "I don't even remember that time in my life. I am over it!" Even Conrad chimed in on the split, telling MTV News, "I thought they were a good match," and added after rumors that he and Hilton had plans to wed, "She was going to marry a lot of people. But he had fun. That's all that matters." 

According to the Daily Mail, Reinhardt was later engaged to "The Hills" alum Allie Lutz, and had also dated Amanda Bynes and Tara Reid. In 2019, Reinhardt and his girlfriend, Mia Irons, welcomed twin boys.

Cutter Dykstra followed in his father's footsteps to become a professional baseball player. His dad, Lenny Dykstra, played for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies in the '80s and was a three-time All Star during his active days. Although Cutter has not made his debut in the MLB, he has played for Minor League Teams, including the Potomac Nations, the Hagerstown Suns, and the Harrisburg Senators, where he was released in 2016. 

Although he may not have hit a homer in the majors, Cutter did score big when he wed "The Sopranos" actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler in 2016. The couple had welcomed a son, Beau, two years prior, and he took part in his parents' wedding, per People. The actor and her baseball playing husband welcomed another son, Jack, in January 2018. 

While it may seem like happily-ever-after for the couple, Sigler has been open with living with multiple sclerosis since she was 20 and has spoken to Glamour about how it affects her romantic time with her husband. She shared, "But you don't want to lose feeling sexy, and I can feel that sometimes, where I'll say, 'I don't feel sexy. I don't feel good today.' Like, I feel dumpy. My husband is wonderful and great at making me feel good about myself — or trying to at least!'"