Celebrity relationships tend to be splashed all over the media while they are happening. But so many famous relationships have formed over the years, that many of them have been forgotten. While some were well known at the time and have simply faded from memory, others were kept surprisingly secret even while the romance was flourishing. Before social media documented every celebrity interaction in real time, it was easier for surprising Hollywood couples to quietly date, break up, and disappear into pop culture history. Looking back now, some of these couples feel random, while others are shocking. Still, others feel like they should have lasted forever. These are the celebrities many people completely forgot ever dated.
Brad Pitt and Christina Applegate
Way before Brad Pitt married Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie, he briefly dated Christina Applegate in the late 1980s. The relationship was much gossiped about at the time, especially after Applegate famously left Pitt during the MTV Movie Awards for another guy. Both actors were still early in their careers at the time and hadn’t yet hit mega-famous stardom. Because Pitt went on to date so many other high-profile actresses, this relationship is often forgotten entirely.
Matthew McConaughey and Janet Jackson
Matthew McConaughey and Janet Jackson briefly dated in the early 2000s after meeting backstage at the Grammy Awards. The couple surprised fans because the two occupied such opposite corners of pop culture at the time. McConaughey was a laid-back actor known primarily for rom-coms while Janet Jackson was a major global music icon. Because the relationship stayed relatively private, it never became tabloid fodder. It was so low-key that many people today have no memory of it even happening.
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling met while filming the thriller “Murder by Numbers” in the early 2000s and later began dating. Their 16-year age gap drew a lot of media attention at the time; after all, such an age gap usually goes the other way in Hollywood. Even with the scrutiny, the actors dated for almost two years. This relationship feels especially weird because Gosling has now reached superstar status. It is one of those celebrity relationships that almost sounds made up in hindsight.
Tom Cruise and Cher
Tom Cruise and Cher dated briefly during the 1980s after meeting at a White House event. Even Cher herself has occasionally joked about how unexpected the romance was. At the time, Cruise was still an up-and-coming actor, while Cher was…well, Cher. Much like Janet Jackson when she dated McConaughey, Cher was an unstoppable music industry icon. Still, she has spoken positively about the relationship many years later, helping keep the memory of the unlikely relationship alive.
Nicole Kidman and Lenny Kravitz
Nicole Kidman and Lenny Kravitz not only dated, but they reportedly became engaged in the early 2000s, though even fans completely missed the relationship at the time. The romance was fairly private compared to many other celebrity couples of that era. Years later, after the couple had split, Kidman casually confirmed the engagement in interviews, surprising many people who had never heard about it. The relationship became even more interesting in hindsight after Kidman worked with Kravitz’s daughter, Zoë Kravitz, on “Big Little Lies”.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr.
Before marrying Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker dated Robert Downey Jr. throughout much of the 1980s. The two were together for several years during Downey’s early rise in Hollywood. Parker has spoken openly about the struggles due to Downey’s addiction at the time. Because the two stars became associated with completely different types of projects, with Parker best known for “Sex and the City” and Downey growing into an award-winning film actor, many people forget they were once a serious couple.
Mila Kunis and Macaulay Culkin
Mila Kunis and Macaulay Culkin quietly dated for almost an entire decade beginning in the early 2000s. Despite Culkin’s massive childhood fame and Kunis being a main cast member on the hit “That 70s Show”, the two actors stayed remarkably private. Their low-profile relationship allowed them to avoid the celebrity circus and tabloid involvement surrounding other stars. Even among those who know of the past relationship are shocked to find out they were together almost 10 years.
Madonna and Dennis Rodman
Madonna and Dennis Rodman briefly dated in the 1990s, creating one of the decade’s most wildly over-the-top celebrity romances. Both were already famous for constantly attracting controversial media attention, making the relationship feel larger than life. Rodman later described the romance in interviews, claiming Madonna was intensely interested in having children at the time. Even by 1990s celebrity standards, this one feels especially chaotic and unforgettable.
Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg
Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg began dating in the early 1990s after working together on the film “Made in America.” At the time, the relationship received massive tabloid attention and much of it was controversial. The stressful public scrutiny reportedly strained the relationship. Because it was such an unlikely pair, many fans have no idea the two talented stars were ever together.
Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson
Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson dated after meeting on the set of “Home Fries” in the late 1990s. Their easygoing personalities seemed perfect for one another. The relationship also appeared to be low drama. They became the defining quirky celebrity couple during that period of pop culture. Even after breaking up, the two reportedly remained on good terms.
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