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We often hear about older men dating women younger than they are, but in modern times, the pairing of older women with younger men makes sense.
“Older successful men are used to being in control of a woman, and that doesn’t sit well with modern women,” says Susan Winter, co-author of the book “Older Women, Younger Men: New Options for Love and Romance.”
Dating expert, Amber Soletti, agrees. She turned to younger men after struggling dating men her own age, saying “Younger guys tend to be more active, have less baggage.”
So here’s a list of celebrity couples that pair an older woman with younger husbands
- Brigitte Macron and Emmanuel Macron
- Julianne Moore and Bart Freundlich
- Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa
- Tina Turner and Erwin Bach
- Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade
- Katie Couric and John Molner
- Sam Taylor-Johnson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson
- Joan Collins and Percy Gibson
- Hugh Jackman and Debora Lee-Furness
Brigitte Macron and Emmanuel Macron
Age gap: 24 years
Status: Married in 2007
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte first met in high school, where Emmanuel was a 15-year-old high school student and Brigitte was a drama teacher. It is commonly believed they started dating when Emmanuel was only 16 years old.
Fun fact: Brigitte has a son who is two years older than Emmanuel.
Julianne Moore and Bart Freundlich
Age gap: 9 years
Status: Married August 23, 2003
After her first marriage ended in divorce in 1995, Moore wasn’t necessarily looking for another lifetime commitment. The very next year, the 35-year-old actress met Bart Freundlich, then 26, on the set of The Myth of Fingerprints. “You kind of think, ‘Is this going to work out?’” she says of their age difference. “And then what happens is the relationship progresses and these things cease to be an issue anymore.”
Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa
Age gap: 18 years
Status: Married in October 2017 (although many believe they actually got married November 2007). Separated since January 2022.
After splitting from Lenny Kravitz in the early 1990s, Lisa Bonet (Lilakoi Moon) linked up with Aquaman, who says his affection began when he saw Bonet on TV when he was 8.
Tina Turner and Erwin Bach
Age gap: 16 years
Status: Married July 4, 2013
R&B icon Turner didn’t seriously date anyone for years after divorcing Ike Turner, her notoriously abusive husband, in 1978. Then, mere months after the 1984 release of her comeback single, “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” she locked eyes with German music exec Erwin Bach at an industry party.
The two remained inseparable for the next 28 years, until finally tying the knot in Switzerland in July of 2013. Turner, who donned a green-and-black taffeta gown for the event, said, “It’s that happiness that people talk about. … It’s a wonderful place to be.”
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade
Age gap: 10 years
Status: Married August 30, 2014
This star studded couple starting dating in 2009 after each of them had recently been through a divorce. The couple welcomed a baby girl in November.
Katie Couric and John Molner
Age gap: 7 years
Status: Married June 21, 2014
First thing’s first: Did you know Katie Couric is 62? No, really. We were pretty surprised, too.
Now that that’s taken care of, let’s get down to business: The award-winning journalist is marrying banker John Molner, seven years her junior, this summer. It’s Couric’s second marriage – her first husband, Jay Monahan, died of colon cancer in 1998 – but not her first May-December relationship. Ex-boyfriend Brooks Perlin was 17 years younger.
Sam Taylor-Johnson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Age gap: 23 years
Status: Married June 21, 2012
The Fifty Shades of Grey director and Avengers star have faced plenty of scrutiny and intrusive questions about their relationship. Sam simply says, “People like to talk about it. I’m like, ‘Yeah, but it works better than my last marriage.’ It’s lasted longer than a lot of my friends’ marriages.”
Joan Collins and Percy Gibson
Age gap: 32 years
Status: Married February 17, 2002
Shortly after their 2001 wedding, reporters asked Collins about the substantial age difference between she and Gibson, a theater executive. Conscious of her advanced years, but none too concerned about it, the glamorous octogenarian joked, “If he dies, he dies.”
Fun fact: He’s her fifth husband, and the most enduring; their union has lasted three years longer than any of her others. The secret? According to the soap goddess, it’s “Sex, sex, sex!”
Hugh Jackman and Debora Lee-Furness
Age gap: 13 years
Status: Married April 11, 1996
Long before coming to America, actors Jackman and Furness were a hot item Down Under. Australia’s most famous power couple came together in 1995, while filming short-lived TV drama Corelli. The bond was immediate (“I had a massive crush on her instantly.”), and he proposed just 3 1/2 months later.
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher
Age gap: 15 years
Status: Married in 2005. Divorced in 2013.
Demi Moore, the American actress, and Ashton Kutcher, also an actor, were a high-profile couple known for their age difference. They got married in 2005, and their relationship attracted a lot of media attention due to their 15-year age gap. However, they divorced in 2013.
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon
Age gap: 11 years
Status: Married in 2008. Divorced in 2016.
Mariah Carey, the award-winning singer, married actor and comedian Nick Cannon in 2008. At the time of their wedding, Carey was in her late 30s, while Cannon was in his mid-20s.
Honorable Mention: Cher
Cher didn’t quite make our list, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Never one to slow down, since 1975, Ms. Sarkisian has dated at least 11 younger men, including Tom Cruise (16 years younger), Val Kilmer (14 years), KISS frontman Gene Simmons (4 years), Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora (13 years), and her most recent beau, biker Tim Medvetz (24 years).
Lest you think she’s a cougar, remember that the Oscar winner’s been on the other side of the equation, too. Her most famous partner, ex-husband Sonny Bono, was 11 years her senior.
