rub-a-dub-dub.
Springtime is one of the busiest times of the year. It signifies the birth of a new season, with warmer weather enticing people to start crawling out from the rocks and caves they were hibernating in during the long, dark winter. Spring-cleaning becomes a project of utmost importance, as does emptying out those closets and riding oneself of the junk that has accumulated over the past year. Magazines start publishing summer features on how to get the best bikini body you’ve ever had. And of course, people get hitched. I went to a wedding last month and I’m going to another one at the end of this one, and I can’t help but notice that love is in the air. It’s almost like a friendlier form of the Ebola virus – once exposed to it, you can’t avoid getting it.
Now I’m not complaining or anything – I love any occasion that entitles me to free cake and champagne (not to mention the fact that I’m obviously happy to celebrate the union of two people that I know and care about) – but I’ve noticed something rather unusual that has happened in the past few months and I can’t decide if it’s a mere coincidence or some big PR stunt: over a short period of time, three of Hollywood’s biggest “forever” bachelors have suddenly settled down with women.
First we’ve got silver fox George Clooney, who has been a monogamous serial dater since the early nineties. He was married once back in 1989 for four years to American actress Talia Balsam, but that union ended in divorce. Reflecting back on it, George even told media outlets that he “wasn’t very good” at the whole marriage thing. Since then, he has had a series of lengthy relationships with women – his most recent being a two-year stint with former model/actress Stacy Keibler. After their breakup last July, within less than a year, George not only started another relationship but he became engaged recently to British lawyer, Amal Alamuddin. This was the engagement heard around the world! Jaws dropped, women fainted, George Clooney wedding Pinterest dream boards were taken down…
Jaws dropped, women fainted, George Clooney wedding Pinterest dream boards were taken down…
Next we have Johnny Depp, the dark-haired brooding on-screen love interest who even at fifty years of age still makes women swoon. He is also known for his long-term relationships with high-profile women (and a few engagements too) to actresses like Winona Ryder and models that include the likes of Kate Moss. And like Mr. Clooney, Johnny was also married once back in 1983 for three years to an older woman before they divorced in 1986 (Johnny was only 20-years-old at the time). After several failed relationships and broken engagements, Johnny seemed to settle into a calm commitment sans marriage to French actress Vanessa Paradis, but then they shocked the world when they ended their partnership after 14 years together. And the world was even more shocked when Johnny announced his engagement to his Rum Diaries co-star, Amber Heard, who not too long ago came out for being in a bi-sexual relationship with another woman. Talk about confusing…
Then that brings us to former teenage heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio, who captured the hearts of American women forever when he portrayed Jack Dawson in the ill-fated Titanic, and since then has managed to strike gold in the movie department, proving with all of his movie roles and award nominations that he is truly a gifted actor. Leo is also clearly gifted when it comes to to the girlfriend department, having amassed an impressive resume of dating credits that includes former Victoria’s Secret model Gisele Bundchen and Israeli-born supermodel Bar Refaeli. He also just couldn’t seem to put a ring on it with any of his former flames (and he still hasn’t), although he recently turned heads by asking his newest girlfriend Toni Garrn to move in with him, which is definitely a huge step in the commitment department. Unlike the other two bachelors, Leo has never been married, and with his 40th birthday approaching next November, it doesn’t seem as likely that he will – although with the recent chain of events, it could very well be possible.
Hollywood is full of tricks and turns, so it’s always hard to distinguish between what is real and what isn’t. Even “reality” TV is staged and set up, so I’m always cautious and hesitant to believe everything that I hear. While I like to be optimistic and believe in the best for everyone, I can’t help but remain slightly skeptical at the same time. With everything from marriages for publicity to fake relationships that come with an expiration date, it’s hard for me to discern which of the above relationships are based on false premises. Here are my final thoughts: it is very possible that men like George Clooney still believe in true love and are open to marriage when they find the right woman. But if George ends up getting a divorce within the next few years, Johnny’s wedding to Amber is mysteriously called off at the last minute, or Leonardo and Toni suddenly call it quits – that is when I think it is pretty safe to say that those relationships were PR stunts.
Also, I’ve noticed in my own observations that celebrity couples who are frequently photographed in public (aside from the occasional appearance at a movie premiere or awards show) tend to be more on display and living for the cameras – which often echoes the premise of their relationship. Long-term couples like Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell or Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks are not in the public eye as much or photographed as often by the paparazzi because their stable (and real) unions are not as as interesting to the drama-hungry public.
