Celebrity Relationships With Bigger Age Gaps Than You Realized

They say that the heart wants what it wants, and while society often has ideas about what that should look like, sometimes finding your person can turn into a surprising age-gap romance. In fact, age-gap relationships are more common than you might think. Research in the book "The Dark Side of Relationships II" shows that in Western countries, roughly 8% of all heterosexual married couples have 10 or more years between them, and this percentage can be even higher in gay and lesbian relationships — up to a staggering 25% and 15%, respectively.

Even just 8% is a pretty big percentage, if you think about it, so it's not so surprising that the celebrity sphere has its own fair share of age-gap relationships. However, some of these power couples are separated by significantly more than a decade. From the famous romance between Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas to Jeff Goldblum's youthful partner, certain A-list relationships feature much bigger age gaps than you may realize.

The age-gap relationship between silver-screen icons Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas is one of Hollywood's most famous. The two first met in 1998 at the Deauville Film Festival in France, and Douglas immediately took his shot, inviting Zeta-Jones for a drink. However, Douglas confessed on "The Jonathan Ross Show" that he almost ruined his chances with a questionable pick-up line. He told the "Mask of Zorro" actor, "You know, I'm going to be the father of your children," and Zeta-Jones clapped back, "You know, I've heard a lot about you, and I've seen a lot about you, and I think it's time that I say goodnight."

Douglas managed to salvage the situation by sending Zeta-Jones roses while she was filming "Entrapment" in Scotland, and the romantic gestures didn't stop there — when they eventually got engaged in 1999, Douglas presented Zeta-Jones with a vintage, 10-carat diamond engagement ring worth over $300,000, ranking among the most expensive celebrity engagement rings in the world.

By 2000, the couple was married with their first child, son Dylan Douglas, who would later be joined by a daughter, Carys Zeta Douglas. They've been going strong ever since, and they seem to have a lot of fun in their relationship. As Zeta-Jones revealed on "The Graham Norton Show," she and her husband have a standing bet when they play golf: If Douglas takes a bad shot and can't get his ball over the ladies' tee, he has to take his pants off right there on the course. "There has been an issue with paparazzi, but I made him go into the bushes and drop his pants," Zeta-Jones told Norton and the other panelists, including Ryan Reynolds and Will Smith. "A deal is a deal." It seems like she's certainly keeping Douglas young at heart — one benefit of their 25-year age gap, perhaps.

Actor Sarah Paulson is perhaps most well-known for her many roles in "American Horror Story," but it seems like her real life is more of a love story. Paulson first met fellow performer Holland Taylor at a dinner party in 2005, but their age-gap romance didn't ignite just then. Both were seeing other people at the time, so it wasn't until a decade later — in 2015 — that the stars aligned and they reconnected on social media. "There was a Twitter thing that happened," Paulson hinted during an appearance on "What Watch Happens Live with Andy Cohen." Fellow guest Billy Eichner asked, "Holland Taylor slid into your DMs?" and Paulson answered, "She actually did."

It was also Taylor who soft-launched their relationship — also on X, formerly known as Twitter. She shared a photo of Paulson trying on a dress, writing, "When captions fail." Even before they went official, the "Two and a Half Men" actor had been dropping hints about her meaningful connection with a new, younger partner on the podcast "Death, Sex & Money." 

"It's the most wonderful, extraordinary thing that could have ever possibly happened in my life," Taylor said. It also seems that her relationship with Paulson, who is 32 years younger, has pushed her out of her comfort zone in a good way. "The fact that there are differences and things to adjust to, and new and old habits to break because they're useless or even negative, or just to learn to think in a new way is a great privilege," Taylor added.

Model and actor Rosie Huntington-Whitely has been gaining quite a following in recent years. When we aren't watching her in films like "Mad Max: Fury Road," we're trying to mimic her flawless beauty, including the blush hack Rosie Huntington-Whitely swears by for pulling her look together. But she's long had the attention of action star Jason Statham, who she met at a party in London, England, in 2009. Statham is 20 years older than Huntington-Whitely, but that's never been a barrier in their relationship. "Age is just a number," she reportedly said during a live Instagram Q&A in 2020, adding that she and Statham had "instant chemistry" when they met (via E! News).

In their many years together, the actors have welcomed two children — son Jack and daughter Isabella — and got engaged in 2016, though they've yet to actually tie the knot. And while Statham rarely speaks out about his romance or home life, he was apparently very involved in the search for the perfect ring. As jewelry designer Neil Lane dished to People that year, "Jason was truly excited when he found the right ring for Rosie and he was so delightful to work with. ... You can see the joy and happiness when they're together."

Of the duo, Huntington-Whitely is more outspoken about their romance, often praising Statham for being her hero and support system. Far from awkward about their generational gap, she's also appreciative of his extra two decades. "His knowledge and strength are really inspiring and attractive, and that can come with a man who's had a bit of time," she told Glamour in 2013. "We have a connection that has nothing to do with age."

"Indiana Jones" actor Harrison Ford has been wedded three times, but it was his third marriage with younger star Calista Flockhart that finally stuck. Ford met the "Ally McBeal" star, who is 22 years his junior, at the Golden Globes in 2002. Though they didn't seem like an obvious match from the outside, they quickly bonded over shared pastimes — for instance, avid pilot Ford often took Flockhart along while flying his private plane. "Calista loves to fly, and I'm thrilled because it's so important to me. ... I think a lot of it has to do with that she loves to see me doing something that I love," Ford told People in 2003.

He eventually proposed in February 2009, and the couple married in New Mexico the next year, becoming one of the celebrity couples who beat the Valentine's Day engagement cliché. Ford, who already had four children from his previous marriages, also adopted Flockhart's own adopted son, Liam, making their whole family official. And while the age gap between Ford and Flockhart remains relatively wide, it doesn't impact the dynamic in their relationship. "It doesn't faze me. Sometimes I even say, 'Wow, I keep forgetting that he's 22 years older than me.' ... It doesn't factor into our relationship at all," Flockhart said in 2003 (via Hello! Magazine). She added that Ford has youthful energy, saying, "I like the way he looks first thing in the morning. It's not handsome, it's more cute. He looks like a little boy."

And while some couples may need tips for navigating an age-gap relationship, it seems to come naturally to Ford and Flockhart — maybe even a little too naturally. Speaking to Fox News in 2017, Flockhart admitted, "The truth is, I sometimes feel very much older than Harrison."

Jeff Goldblum's character in "Jurassic Park" famously said, "Life finds a way." But in reality, it seems more like love found a way for the renowned actor. Like Harrison Ford, Goldblum had been married twice before striking upon his third-time charm: Olympic gymnast and Hollywood body double Emilie Livingston, who he spotted at a Los Angeles gym in 2011. While Goldblum is a full 31 years older than Livingston, he didn't hesitate to approach her and get her number. "She hasn't seen many of my movies — still. She didn't know who I was when we met," Goldblum said on "The Hoda Show" in 2019.

However, the couple quickly hit it off. "I liked her right away," Goldblum said in an appearance on "Conan," explaining that he went to see her in a live acrobatics performance that very same night. Two days later, she returned the favor, coming to see Goldblum perform music, and he invited her to show off her contortionist skills on top of the piano while he played. "You fiend! This is very early in a relationship for you to be seeing her contort herself on your piano," host Conan O'Brien quipped, but Goldblum just grinned, replying, "I know. Thank you. I move like a mongoose."

Goldblum and Livingston got engaged in 2014 and married the same year, later expanding their family with the arrival of two sons, Charlie and River. As can happen in age-gap relationships, this made the senior partner — Goldblum — relatively old as a parent. But while Goldblum was 63 when his first child was born, he took this in stride, telling Us Weekly in 2018, "I feel right on schedule and I love our two boys. ... Everything seemed to happen perfectly. I appreciate it wildly."