Marriage might seem like a “happy ending” in movies, but in real life it often ends in divorce, and many people just simply opt out of that altogether. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t build a lasting relationship at all. Many of these celebrities have been in relationships for decades while actively choosing not to get married. What is marriage anyway? Is it the certificate? The ceremony? Or is it just a decision to remain in a relationship and create a life together? Let’s take a look at some of these celebrities who chose not to get married and what their reasoning is behind it.
Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham
Oprah has been in a relationship with Stedman Graham since 1986, yet they never got married. She’s been asked about this a lot, and she’s been pretty open about the fact that it’s just not for her. Stedman proposed to her, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized marriage wasn’t really something she wanted. She liked how they set up their life, and she didn’t want to change it and conform to the rules of marriage, she just felt like it wouldn’t fit the life she built for herself. So they’re still together, just not married.
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
Goldie has been married and divorced before, so this time she chose not to get married, and so far it’s working great for her. She and Kurt have been together for over four decades now, and that’s a lot longer than both of her previous marriages put together. For these two independence and choice matter the most. Goldie says that choosing each other every day instead of being tied together by law is what has kept them going for so long.
Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon
These two were together for 23 years and raised two children. Susan thought that not getting married was better because that way you’re choosing to be with that person every day, and she thought that if they didn’t get married, they would never take each other for granted. And it worked for over 2 decades, but ultimately they did break up in the end. But hey, 23 years is a lifetime for a Hollywood relationship.
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Kourtney and Scott aren’t really against marriage on principle. There have been multiple conversations about the prospect of marriage in their relationship. Kourtney has said that she doesn’t like being the center of attention, and weddings make her feel anxious. But in the end she just didn’t want to get married just for the hell of it, she never felt like their relationship was solid enough for that, even though they had 3 children together. So it just never happened. She did marry Travis Barker in 2022 after only over a year of dating him, so that must’ve felt different to her.
Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt
This relationship lasted for 18 years without a marriage certificate before ending in 2015. We’d call that a success, since many marriages don’t last that long. When asked about marriage, Jon Hamm said that he “doesn’t have the marriage chip” and that both he and Jennifer don’t have great role models when it comes to marriage, so they’re happy with their relationship without the official marriage certificate. He described Jennifer as the love of his life and said that even though they’re not officially husband and wife, she is more than just a girlfriend to him. He said that what they have together goes deeper, and they both know it.
Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger
Joshua and Diane were together for a decade before splitting up. Back then, they said that the reason they’re not getting married is because neither of them is religious, and they don’t think that standing in front of a priest and throwing a big party will make them any more committed to each other than they already are. They’re also both children of divorce, so that made them less sold on the idea of marriage as well.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron has been asked about what she thinks about marriage multiple times on multiple talk shows. And what she keeps coming back to is that it was never something that was important to her. She never dreamed of it. She likes the idea of a long-term relationship, she’s not against commitment. But marriage, the legal ramifications—that’s just not for her. And lately it’s also been a question of how come it’s not for everyone? Even though she’s not into it, she still sees it as a right and a choice that everyone should have. She’s been vocal about the fact that LGBTQ marriages still aren’t legal everywhere, and it feels unfair that somehow marriage isn’t for everyone.
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling
There have been so many rumors and questions about why these two aren’t married. After all, they do have two kids together, and they seem so in love, why not tie the knot? But Eva has commented that in general she doesn’t find the idea of marriage that romantic, because historically it was simply about land, about ownership—and there’s nothing romantic about that.
Ryan Gosling hasn’t really talked about why they’re married or not, but he seems very smitten with Eva even a decade later. He has said that he just knows he’s with the person he’s meant to be with, because the only quality he’s looking for in a woman is her being Eva Mendes. There’s nothing else he’s looking for.
Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler is known for her rebellious character and views. She really doesn’t prioritise marriage in her life at all. And she doesn’t want kids. It’s just not something she wants in her life. She says she enjoys her life as is and doesn’t want to change for anyone. She has also joked that she might get married one day out of rebellion, when she’s old and people stop asking her about it. That woman loves nothing more than going against the script.
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder has been engaged before (to Johnny Depp at a ridiculously early age), and she’s been in long-term relationships. She describes herself as a serial monogamist. But she also says that it’s probably the fear of divorce that stops her from getting married. She would rather just never get married than be divorced a few times. She has also spoken about how her parents are still happily married, and when you have grown up with such a great example of marriage, you have very high standards and take that decision very seriously.