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Oprah, Bontle, Don Cheadle and more: 10 celebs who took decades to get to the altar
When the question of Cristiano Renaldo and Georgina Rodriguez's engagement came up on her Netflix reality show, the footballer's response that he was waiting for " that click" sent fans and viewers into a frenzy about when he would finally pop the question. This week they left the internet abuzz following the announcement of their engagement on Instagram after being together for nine years.
Here's a look at celebs who took their time to say "I do".
BONTLE MODISELLE AND PRIDDY UGLY
A love story fit for the modern age, Modiselle and her rapper beau became a couple thanks to their shared love for dancing. In an interview with Insider SA, the couple shared Priddy had noticed Modiselle on SABC 1's competition show Jika Majika. He would pursue her at hip-hop events, kicking off a 10-year relationship until they wed.
ALESSANDRA AMBROSIO AND JAMIE MAZUR
Like many couples on the list, Ambrosio and Mazur spent a long time engaged, 10 years to be exact. Their relationship began in 2005, according to reports, but hit splitsville in 2018.
JOHN CORBETT AND BO DEREK
While many fans might know John Corbett for his role as the on and off boyfriend of Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw, he has been in love with his actress wife Bo Derek since 2002. They made it official after 18 years with a wedding at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We're pretty private people. We didn't make an announcement,. All our friends and family knew but this is the first time either one of us has said anything publicly about it because we haven't had an opportunity," he said in an interview on the daytime show The Talk. Corbett said the two met as dates set up for the Oscars in 2002 by his agent at the time.
MICHELLE YEOH AND JEAN TODT
Blending the glitz of Hollywood and fast-paced action of Formula 1, Yeoh and Todt made an exciting couple to follow. Their mostly private lives have kept them out of the limelight and with little pressure to push things forward on a wedding. In 2004, Yeoh was engaged to Todt and they got married in July 2023. Their love story was shared on their wedding programme.
INDIA HICKS AND DAVID FLINT WOOD
As a bridesmaid at Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding, all eyes have been on Hicks and Wood since they started dating in 1995. In an Instagram post, Hicks said they had made plans to wed in 2020, but due to the pandemic, they kept postponing, making the eventual walk down the aisle a 26-year wait.
TINA TURNER AND ERWIN BACH
While Tina is best known for her tumultuous relationship with Ike Turner, she did move on to find a healthier relationship with producer Erwin Bach. Speaking in the Tina documentary, Bach said he met her at Düsseldorf Airport in Germany when her manager, Roger Davies, asked Bach to fetch her. It would take 27 years before they married in 2013.
DON CHEADLE AND BRIDGID COULTER
In another pandemic wedding, Cheadle and Coulter finally tied the knot after being together for close to 30 years. The private couple said they never saw the point of a wedding since they were in love, and while their proposal was more a formal decision, it was the first year they met that had the magic, according to Cheadle. "Just me and her and our kids and our dogs," he told People Magazine.
JOY BEHAR AND STEVE JANOWITZ
Comedian and talk show host Behar has long shared her unapologetic opinions on stages and social media. The straight shooter's marriage, however, was extremely unconventional. She confessed they met at a semi-nudist colony on her show The View.
It took the pair 30 years to get hitched at a private ceremony in 2011. Behar said: "If he was going to get down on one knee, I wanted it to be during the time when he could still get up from one knee."
OPRAH WINFREY AND STEDMAN GRAHAM
Perhaps one of the most infamous relationships and engagements, Winfrey and Graham have had many tabloid and wedding magazines waiting to see what the billionaire Queen of Media would wear and do for her big day. They met in 1986 and got engaged in 1992. It was only in 2017, after fake news that the two had eloped that Winfrey revealed they felt an official marriage "requires a different way of being in this world".
