Latest news with #SamTaylorJohnson
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Revealed: All the stars who have ditched dating younger partners for settling down with an older lover
For avid followers of the showbiz world, nothing can be more gripping than a love story, unlikely or otherwise. And while many celebrity couples have raised an eyebrow or two, some names have also caught the eye for their romances with their older partners. In some cases, such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Nick Jonas, age is nothing but a number, with both among the stars who have ditched dating to find love with someone far older than their years. In some cases, it's led to long-term joy and matrimony, with marriage and children on the horizon. However for others, it's proven a struggle with their relationships eventually coming to a sad end. Here are the biggest stars who aimed to find happiness with an older partner... Aaron Taylor Johnson Aaron was in brief relationship with his Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging costar Georgia Groome, reportedly dating for around a year until 2009. But while working on Nowhere Boy that same year, he met his now wife Sam Taylor-Johnson, who is 24 years his senior. There's nothing to suggest there was any crossover. The pair announced their engagement in 2009 after just a few months of dating. The couple have a fiercely private relationship and have previously caused controversy within the public due to their age gap. They have two daughters together, Wylda, 14, and Romy, 13, and Sam also has two older daughters, Angelica, 27, and Jessie, 18, from a previous marriage to art dealer Jay Jopling, who she split from in 2008. Sam has acknowledged that their age difference makes them 'a bit of anomaly' compared to most other couples, but she doesn't understand why it's still a big deal. Asked if their age gap ever shows in terms of different interests or reference points, she told The Guardian's Saturday magazine: 'No, it never does. I mean, it's coming up now because you're asking. 'And it comes up on the outside perspective of people who don't know us, because I guess people will always. 'We're a bit of an anomaly, but it's that thing: after 14 years you just think, surely by now it doesn't really matter?' Tom Kaulitz Tom Kaulitz of band Tokio Hotel was married to Ria Sommerfeld before he started dating Heidi Klum - who is 16 years his senior. The couple had split in 2016 after a year of marriage, but their divorce wasn't finalised until September 2018, six months after he and Heidi started dating. At the time, Tom cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, and at the time insisted it was 'mutual and amicable.' Heidi and Tom went onto tie the knot in February 2019, less than a year after they started dating. The fashion star shares Henry, Johan and Lou with her ex Seal while she had eldest daughter Leni with her ex Flavio Briatore. Last year, the German supermodel gushed over the singer and said their energetic bedroom antics kept her young. She told The Times: 'I have no back or knee pain and I have my husband', before giggling their sex life was 'very good' and insisting she'd found her match in the hunk. Heidi also said how she disliked the term 'toy boy', referring to the younger male partner of an older woman, because she doesn't think their age difference matters. In fact, the America's Got Talent judge admitted she and Tom sometimes joke about their age difference. She said: 'He has to read the menu at dinner or I have to take a photo and zoom in if I forget my reading glasses, but we joke about it.' Nick Jonas While pop star Nick no doubt has an illustrious dating history, one of his more high-profile romances came when he enjoyed a brief fling with model Georgia Fowler. In 2017 it was revealed that the pair were casually dating, and they were pictured leaving his brother Joe's engagement party together. However, the pair's romance appeared to fizzle out soon after, and in May 2018, it was revealed that Nick was dating Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, who is 10 years his senior. At the time Nick was just 25 when he and Priyanka started dating, and the actress herself has previously admitted she tried to 'put a stop' to their relationship due to the age gap. Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast, Chopra explained: 'I didn't want to engage as much at the time... I was also like 35, Nick was 25.' But then she decided to give the relationship a go years later. The 40-year-old actress started dating pop star in May 2018. The couple married in December 2018 and welcomed daughter Malti Marie in 2022. She recalled: 'I really put a stop to it in a way because I judged the book by the cover. I said, 'I wanna settle down. I have been there and done the fun dating things. was like ready to get serious.'' After first getting a message from Jonas via Twitter back in 2016, they went on to meet in person a year later in 2017 and ended up keeping in touch via text. However, Chopra stated that she was still reluctant to jump into another relationship because she was worried about making the same dating 'mistakes' again. She added: 'I kept making the same mistakes. A lot of the pattern in my relationships was me feeling gaslit because I gave that kind of power to the people that I was with, where I was like, 'You come first.'' However, the actress eventually put her reservations aside and struck up a romance with Jonas in May of 2018 and they have been together ever since. The happy couple revealed that they had become engaged after just a few months of dating. The pair went on to tie the knot during a wedding ceremony that took place in her native India in December of 2018. Jason Mamoa Best known for his role as the rogue DC hero Aquaman, Jason was previously engaged to McLeod's Daughters star Simmone Jade Mackinnon before his rise to fame. The couple were together for six years after meeting on the set of Baywatch, and got engaged in 2004. However, their engagement was called off in 2006 when Jason met actress Lisa Bonet, who is 11 years his senior. Shortly after their split, it was revealed that Lisa was pregnant and several months later in July 2007, she and Jason welcomed their first child together, Lola, 17. At the time, Mackinnon told Confidential that the news of Bonet's pregnancy was a shock, saying: 'Honestly, it's a shock and of course this news has been upsetting. 'But I have moved on and I am very happy.' Jason and Lisa married in 2007, and the star previously shared he had a crush on her long before they met. 'Ever since I was eight years old and I saw her on TV, I was like, 'Mommy, I want that one!'' he said on The Late Late Show. 'I'm like, 'I'm going to stalk you for the rest of my life and I'm going to get you.'' I am a full-fledged stalker. I didn't tell her that until we had two babies - otherwise, I'd be creepy and weird. I've always wanted to meet her. She was a queen, always.' Jason and Lisa went onto have a second child, Nakoa-Wolf, 16, but in 2022 they shared the shock news that they were separating. It wasn't until two years later that Lisa official filed for divorce, and documents revealed that they had allegedly separated back in 2020. Just days later, Jason and Lisa settled their divorce, with the couple agreeing to joint custody of their children. The divorce was listed as 'uncontested' and both stars 'waived the right' to seek or receive spousal support from one another.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aaron Taylor-Johnson shocked as he spots his doppelganger in 19th century painting
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has seemingly found his doppelganger - a French doctor who lived in the 19th century. The Anna Karenina actor, 34, and his wife Sam, 58, made the startling discovery during a recent visit to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art where they came across a painting by American artist John Singer Sargent. The 1881 artwork, called Dr Pozzi at Home, shows French doctor Samuel Jean de Pozzi posing in a striking red jacket in front of a coordinated background. But what's even more striking is the uncanny resemblance the doctor bears to British actor Aaron - he's his spitting image. The pair have the same curly brown locks, a bizarrely similar facial structure and an almost identical brown beard. Doctor Pozzi and Aaron's alikeness was in fact so startling that his wife Sam took to her Instagram page to share it with her followers. Captioning a photo of the Nowhere Boy star gazing up at the oil painting in a blue denim jacket, film producer Sam wrote: 'Aaron wondering if he once knew #johnsingersargent.' And fans were quick to spot the pair's resemblance too, with some taking to the comments section to express their shock at the 'mental' comparison. Aaron and his wife's discovery comes a little more than a month after Sam opened up on her yearning to work with her husband once again. The filmmaker and the actor met some 17 years ago on the set of Nowhere Boy, in which Aaron played a young John Lennon in the biographical film that she directed. While their collaboration was a success, the pair have only teamed up once in the years since, with the duo co-writing the 2019 film adaptation of James Frey's memoir A Million Little Pieces - which Sam directed and Aaron starred in. And speaking at an In Conversation event hosted by the magazine A Rabbit's Foot on Wednesday night, Sam explained that the couple's family commitments have made it 'complicated' for them to work together again. Explaining the situation, Sam shared: 'It's quite weird leaving the house and thinking: "I've left the best actor at home".' Instagram users were quick to take to the comments section to express their shock at the uncanny resemblance She added: 'It's the best collaborative partnership, where we know each other so well and get to work together. But we do have four children, so it's complicated.' 'If his parents are free to babysit then we can make another film together.' After falling in love in 2008, the two were engaged a year later and tied the knot in 2012, before going on to welcome two daughters Wylda, now 14, and Romy, now 13. Their family also includes Sam's eldest daughters Angelica, 27, and Jessie, 18, whom she shares with ex-husband Jay Jopling. The Anna Karenina actor has previously opened up about keeping their youngest children out of the public eye during a past interview with Harper's Bazaar. 'We live behind walls. Literally, figuratively, and deliberately. You'll never see our children or any of our most personal moments on social media or in the press.' He continued to the outlet, 'We have our professional lives and our life together, and we keep them apart.' However, Aaron has been spotted with his stepdaughters and a few months earlier in October, he shocked fans by sharing a rare photo with Jessie on social media.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How Marisa Abela revived her career after THAT Amy Winehouse biopic: Industry actress came back from cancer and faced lousy reviews before beating huge names to storm the BAFTAs
BBC 's sex-fuelled, high-octane banking drama Industry set the scene for her swift rise to fame. So, when Brighton-born Marisa Abela scooped the Leading Actress accolade at yesterday's 2025 BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Yasmin Hanani in the show, it proved to be a full-circle moment. However, there was a time not so long ago that the 28-year-old's status as one of the UK's standout young actresses was thrust into uncertainty following the release of Sam Taylor-Johnson's Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black. Playing the beloved singer, who died aged 27 in 2011 from alcohol poisoning, is a challenging role, and from the perspective of countless critics and viewers, Marisa struggled. For instance, The Standard's Hamish Macbain described the film as a 'poor, poor piece of filmmaking', writing, 'This is a film that does not paint a nice or fair picture of her as a human, nor get across how special an artist she was. 'The final scene, in particular, with its completely and utterly baseless, sensationalist implications, made me physically gasp in horror.' Even some of the more favourable reviews attacked aspects of Marisa's performance, such as The Hollywood Reporter, who gave an overall positive assessment but felt Marisa's singing voice was 'auto-tuned up the wazoo'. Now, in a turn of events, Marisa has managed to do what so many struggle to - revive her career, and yesterday's win solidified her return to the path of becoming one of the nation's most prized actresses. Marisa's journey into acting commenced as a pupil at the exclusive girls-only independent Roedean in Brighton, East Sussex, where she took to the stage to feed her love of drama. Back then, staff recognised her 'star quality' and said she would light up the stage with all her performances. Talking exclusively to MailOnline, Sophia Bartlette, the school's assistant director of music, vividly remembered Marisa's stunning performance in Tristan and Yseult, the 12th-century medieval chivalric romance. 'She was such a lively performer and a commanding stage presence – she really brought the stage to life,' she said. A former schoolmate said: 'She was fantastic in all the school productions. She had real star quality and still does.' However, Marisa, who attended the £20,000-a-year school from the age of 11 until she was 17, almost chose a very different career before plumping for drama. The pupil harboured a burning ambition to become a human rights lawyer and planned on going to university to study law. Deputy head at Roedean, Ross Barrand recalled: 'Marisa always loved performing, but I remember she also loved history and wanted to study law after school. 'She changed direction quite late to pursue acting, and has clearly made a massive success of it.' Marisa admitted that while on a visit to University College London (UCL), she ended up being lured in by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), which was just down the road. Explaining how her mother convinced her to finally take the plunge, she said in a 2021 interview with Gold Derby: 'Every time I was in a school play or a show, (my parents) were both over the moon and like, 'She's going to do it!' 'They were sort of nudging each other. So, I think my way of rebelling was just pretending I was going to be a lawyer.' Her big break came in 2020 when Marisa secured her role as Yasmin Hanani in Industry. Arguably the show's main character, she filmed numerous raunchy and nude scenes for the BBC show. Viewers of the first two seasons saw Yasmin in scenes including a lesbian romp, baring her breasts as she took selfies, and during a fully nude scene in the bath. One clip from the first series of the show saw Yasmin stripping down to her underwear before kissing her boyfriend in bed. It was an element she took in her stride, telling The Times, 'The nudity aspect is not something that I minded in season one or two. 'It was like, 'If it's in my contract, I'll do it'. It was part of Yasmin and part of the fact that she was so comfortable with herself and she's very free. And it didn't have a lot of emotional weight for me.' But ahead of the third season's release, a source told the Mail: 'Marisa really wanted to tone down the nudity in the latest series. 'She has matured in recent years and wants to clean up her on-screen image before she breaks it in Hollywood. 'She is proud of all of her work on Industry, but Marisa was keen for the character to go in a different direction.' Then came her role as Amy Winehouse in last year's Back to Black biopic, which attempted to propel her to the next level of stardom. The film starred Skins actor Jack O'Connell (a recipient of the BAFTA Rising Star award) as Winehouse's one-time partner Blake Fielder-Civil, Eddie Marsan as her father Mitch, and Juliet Cowan as her mother Janis. Marisa revealed the strict regime she followed to shrink to Amy's slender frame, telling Harper's Bazaar UK 'feeling frailer' helped her with characterisation. 'I had help to do it safely; I consulted a dietician and was being monitored. Feeling frailer and smaller helped – I hadn't understood, before, how much that affects your tempo', the actress explained. 'During her Frank era [in 2005 when her first album was released], Amy is fast and loud and boisterous with her arms, her movements are big.' 'Once I started to change, I realised that you can't physically make those same movements. It's uncomfortable to sit. You're tired, you're hungry, you're more exposed.' Despite her efforts, viewers accused the project of 'exploiting the singer's legacy' and 'capitalising from her trauma', with some calling for people to 'just let her rest'. The Sam Taylor-Johnson-directed biopic also found negative feedback from multiple critics. Awarding the film just one star, the Evening Standard described Back to Black as a 'poor, poor piece of filmmaking'; the Mail's Peter Hoskin gave the same rating, criticising the filmmakers for rushing through key details of the singer's life. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw, however, praised Marisa's turn as Amy Winehouse, calling it a 'thoroughly engaging and sweet-natured performance'. Marisa said she hoped Winehouse would have been 'proud' of the impact that she had made on the world. 'She was smart and funny and bold and brave but also incredibly vulnerable and emotional. That's what I wanted to bring... to remind people of the vulnerability of Amy, of the girl behind the music,' she said at the premiere. 'I hope she would be proud of herself and everything she achieved in her life. I think it's time we remember what an incredible legacy she left us with as an artist.' While grappling with Back to Black's mixed reception, Marisa opened up on her cancer diagnosis and how seeing her scarred body for the first time after surgery left her fearing her career was over. The star was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in November 2020 shortly after filming the first series of Industry. Recalling the moment she first saw the scar across her throat in a candid interview last year, she said: 'When I first went to the bathroom after surgery and I saw myself in the mirror, I thought, 'That's it, my career is over'. '[My neck] was stapled, bloody. It wasn't pretty at all, and the scar is big,' she told The Times. The experience no doubt made her win yesterday at the 2025 BAFTA TV Awards all the more emotional. Marisa won over the BAFTA jury, and many viewers, with her stellar performance as Yasmin in the show. The actress fought back tears as she claimed Leading Actress before teasing the upcoming fourth season of the show. Thanking those closest to her, Marisa elegantly wiped away a tear from her face as she graced the stage in a black structured corset dress. After walking away with her prized trophy, the brunette beauty later confirmed a fourth season of the series and that they have already started filming. She said: 'Season three felt like a massive step up for the show, and I feel like that is continuing and continuing. 'So I am excited to see the response season four gets, which we are filming right now.'
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I'm twice my man's age, we met through my sons, folk call me a desperate cougar but he's on a mission to get me pregnant
A WOMAN has hit back at trolls who claim she is a 'desperate cougar' and 'groomer' for marrying her sons' friend. Tanya, 44, met her now husband Josue, 26, when he was just 19 as he was her sons' close friend. 3 But the pair soon began to develop feelings for each other after breaking up with their significant others. Tanya told Love Don't Judge: "We met through my oldest two sons, people always judge our relationship. "'This is lowkey giving cougar desperation vibes,' 'Is that your mum?' 'She had to pay him to stay,' they call me a groomer." Josue admitted that he fancied Tanya as soon as he saw her. He revealed: "The first thing that came to my mind was 'She's hot.'" But it wasn't the same for Tanya, who found him 'loud and annoying' at first. A year after breaking up with their previous partners, the pair began dating but it was a rocky start. Josue said his emotional immaturity got in the way as he acted 'toxic' and would check through her phone. While Tanya is already a mum-of-four, Josue has no children and plans to get his wife pregnant. "She's twice my age and I want to get her pregnant," he said adamantly. 3 How one poly couple make it work while raising teenage sons Josue said his relationship with her sons was still the same and they regularly hang out. "I don't tell him what to do I don't mummy him," he added. For those who troll the couple over the age gap, Tanya has one thing to say. "When we got together, he was 21 and I was 38, at 21 years old you're able to drink alcohol, you're able to gamble, you're able to go to war for your country why are you not able to love who you want?" she asked. A-list age gap relationships that have stood the test of time Kris Jenner & Corey Gamble - 25 years The Kardashian matriarch, 69, met her younger man, 44, at a mutual friend's 40th birthday party in Ibiza. They've been together since August 2014. Sam & Aaron Taylor-Johnson - 23 years The director, 57, and actor, 34, reportedly met at a film audition in 2009, and were married by 2012. The pair share two daughters and Sam has two children from a previous marriage. Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley & Jason Statham - 20 years The model, 37, started dating actor Jason, 57, in 2010. They were wed in 2016 and have since welcomed a son and a daughter together. Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas - 25 years Catherine, 55, was introduced to Michael, 80, a film festival in 1996 and engaged three years later. Shortly after their engagement, the couple welcomed a son and married in 2000. The pair admitted things haven't always been easy but that they 'love each other a lot' and have no plans to change. The video was a hit on Love Don't Judge's YouTube channel and people were quick to share their thoughts in the comment section. One person wrote: "That was her sons' friend. What a mess!!" Another commented: 'If they are happy, I wish them the best. She's not a predator." "Nice couple and very normal. It's refreshing to see people on here like them. Much success for their future," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "I would never sleep with somebody as young as my sons are." "'I felt like I was dating a teenager,' says the woman interested in a 19yr old that she got with a year later,' claimed a fifth.
