10 female celebrities married to or dating younger men: age-defying romances of Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble, Cher and Alexander Edwards, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas … but who has the biggest gap?
The trailer of the highly anticipated Netflix romcom A Family Affair, featuring Hollywood icons Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron, has sparked discussion about women dating younger men. The film delves into the clandestine love story between a young renowned star and a middle-aged widow.
But such romances are more common in Tinseltown – and beyond – than you might think. Here are 10 female celebrities who have embraced love with men who are years younger than them.
1. Cher and Alexander Edwards: 40 years
Cher, 78, and rapper Alexander Edwards, 38, came into the limelight in November 2022 when they went public with their relationship after being spotted together in Los Angeles.
Edwards once admitted to cheating on his ex-girlfriend Amber Rose on Instagram Live with DJ Big Von, saying, “I thought, ‘S***, I got caught.’ I got caught before, you know what I’m saying? And she’s just had enough.” But Cher made it clear that she was not bothered by his actions and stood by him, posting on X (formerly Twitter), “As we all know … I wasn’t born yesterday and what I know for sure … there are no guarantees. Anytime you make a choice you take a chance. I’ve always taken chances … It’s who I am.”
The couple have walked the red carpet and attended events together, and even sparked engagement rumours. After just six months of dating, they apparently broke up, but appeared to remain on good terms.
However, just four months later, they were seen snuggling up together during Paris Fashion Week, per People, and seem to have been together since then.
2. Joan Collins and Percy Gibson: 32 years
The 91-year-old Dynasty actress has been happily married to her fifth husband, Percy Gibson, 59, for over two decades. They met in 2000 while working on the play Love Letter, which Gibson produced.
Despite Collins’ initial reservations about marriage, meeting Gibson changed her mind, and they tied the knot in London after two years of dating.
3. Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble: 25 years
Kris Jenner, 68, crossed paths with Corey Gamble, 43, at a friend’s birthday party in 2014, in the midst of her divorce proceedings with Caitlyn Jenner. The couple became inseparable and were frequently seen on dinner dates and making grand romantic gestures.
In 2015, they officially announced their relationship on Instagram, after sharing a post of a double date with Tish and Billy Ryan Cyrus one month after Gamble debuted on Jenner’s popular reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Despite concerns expressed by Jenner’s daughters about the age difference, the couple have remained strong. While engagement rumours have circulated, Jenner clarified that marriage was not on the cards for them.
4. Brigitte Macron and Emmanuel Macron: 25 years
French President Emmanuel Macron, 46, and first lady Brigitte Macron, 71, questionably began their romance during Emmanuel’s high school years. Brigitte, his drama teacher at the time, was married with four children.
His parents initially thought he was dating Brigitte’s daughter, but they soon realised the truth and sent him to boarding school. However, the couple didn’t cut ties – they kept in touch and their love continued for the next 10 years.
In 2006, Brigitte divorced her first husband and, a year later, at the age of 54, she married Emmanuel, who was 29 at that time. Despite the age difference, they continue to share a close relationship with Brigitte’s children, who are close to Emmanuel’s age.
5. Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson: 23 years
Director Sam Taylor, 57, and actor Aaron Johnson, 34, first formed a deep connection during auditions for the film Nowhere Boy in 2008. The film was released in 2009 and, soon after its completion, Johnson proposed. They announced their engagement at the UK premiere of the movie. Within a month, Taylor was pregnant with their first child.
Sam also had two daughters from her previous marriage. Five months after she and Aaron’s second daughter was born in January 2012, they got married and both changed their last names to Taylor-Johnson.
6. Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz: 17 years
Victoria’s Secret Angel Heidi Klum, 51, first met Tom Kaulitz, 34, at a birthday party in 2018. Their relationship became public when they were spotted making out on the set of America’s Got Talent.
Their relationship continued to flourish, and on Christmas Eve morning in 2018, Kaulitz surprised Klum with a romantic proposal involving her children from a previous marriage. A source later told People that, in Mexico before their engagement, Kaulitz spoke to the kids about his plans in secret, and they supported him. Together, they prepared a breakfast tray with coffee, flowers and a ring box for Klum. The children surprised Klum with breakfast in bed, where he then proposed to her. They got married in February 2019.
7. Tilda Swinton and Sandro Kopp: 17 years
The Tilda Swinton, 63, first met the visual artist Sandro Kopp, 46, on the set of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2004. Swinton played the White Witch, while Kopp portrayed a centaur in the film. Shortly after their meeting, they started their romantic relationship.
After four years of dating, Kopp moved in with Swinton in the same house she shared with her ex-partner John Byrne, as well as their twins Honor and Xavier. Swinton told the Daily Mail that she never thought their living arrangement unconventional, and described her living situation as happy and uncomplicated. “The father of my children and I are good friends and I’m now in a very happy other relationship. And we’re all really good friends,” said Swinton.
8. Kim Cattrall and Russell Thomas: 14 years
Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall, 67, and a BBC audio engineer Russell Thomas, 53, first met in 2016 when recording her insomnia essay for Radio 4’s Women’s Hour. After following each other on X (formerly Twitter), Thomas slid into Cattrall’s DMs, and they started chatting.
The two started their relationship in Vancouver. “We kind of liked each other, we kept in touch and then he came out to Vancouver,” Cattrall told People in a 2020 interview. “But he came and we got along great, and we’ve been together ever since!”
Despite their 14-year age difference, they share a deep connection and a British background. “My partner is British, so I think I feel more British,” said Cattrall, who was born in England and raised in Canada, in a 2023 interview with The Times. For the first few years, their relationship was long-distance, but the Covid-19 pandemic brought them closer, leading them to move in together.
9. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas: 10 years
Miss World 2000 winner Priyanka Chopra, 41, and Jonas Brothers singer Nick Jonas, 31, began their relationship in 2016 when Jonas slid into her DMs. Despite Chopra’s initial hesitation due to their age difference, they ended up attending the 2017 Met Gala together, sparking romance rumours.
One year later, speculation about their relationship intensified, as the couple was spotted on multiple dates. They also showed PDA on social media and attended events together.
In July 2018, they got engaged in Crete, and an insider told People that Jonas rented out the whole Tiffany & Co. store in New York City to buy an engagement ring. They tied the knot in India in November 2018. The duo welcomed their first daughter via surrogacy in January 2022.
10. Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade: nine years
Actress Gabrielle Union, 51, first met 42-year-old former NBA star Dwyane Wade at a 2007 Super Bowl party. They started dating in 2009 and took their romance public after one year.
They broke up in 2013, both citing busy schedules. During their break, Wade fathered a child with Basketball Wives star Aja Metoyer. Later that year, the couple got back together and announced their engagement. The duo got married in Miami, Florida in 2014 and welcomed their first child together via surrogacy in 2018.
