Making a marriage last as a public figure can be hard, so when a celebrity couple stays together for decades, it's a true achievement. These legendary pairings made it last right up until the end.
From Dolly Parton and Carl Thomas Dean's uber-private 58-year marriage, to Kirk Douglas and Anne Buydens' 65-year love story to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter's purpose-fille d 77-year union, these couples were together through the highs and lows of Hollywood, trying times in their marriage, in sickness and in health, till death separated them.
Below, see the 11 long-term celebrity couples who were lifelong partners.
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Dolly Parton and Carl Thomas Dean Dolly Parton & Husband Carl Thomas Dean.Dolly Parton/Instagram
When it came to keeping a marriage private, no one had Dolly Parton beat. The queen of country met the love of her life, Carl Thomas Dean, in 1964 and they were married in 1966.
And while the pair were married for over 50 years, Dean never made any public appearances with his superstar wife. In fact, the couple's relationship was so private, Parton had to laugh off speculation that he didn't exist at all.
"I married a really good man, a guy that's completely different from me," the singer told Parade of her spouse in 2015. "He's not in show business."
On March 3, 2025, the "I Will Always Love You," singer announced that Dean had died. The two shared no children.
In May, she spoke to the Independent about her loss. "I really feel his presence. I just try to go on, because I know I have to," she said. "And he was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesn't make up for the loss and the loneliness of it."
She continued, " I see him every day in my memories and in my heart, and in all the things that we used to do and all the things that we've built together. You just kind of have to learn to kind of make new plans – but that's the hardest part."
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Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa.Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Though he was a prolific Hollywood star, Gene Hackman kept his long-term marriage to Betsy Arakawa private. According to The New York Times, the pair met at a gym in California, where Arakawa worked part-time as she pursued a career in classical music, sometime in the '80s.
They wed in 1991 and lived a quiet life in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
On Feb. 26, Hackman and Arakawa were both found dead in their home after maintenance workers called 911 to report that they hadn't seen the couple in two weeks.
On March 7, the New Mexico chief medical examiner, Heather Jarrell, revealed that Arakawa had died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome caused by hantavirus, which is transmitted to humans via rodent droppings, saliva and urine.
Hackman died seven days later of severe heart disease, high blood pressure and advanced Alzheimer's disease.
The couple didn't have children together, though Hackman has three children from his previous marriage to his first wife Faye Maltese.
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Susan Lucci and Helmut Huber Susan Lucci and her husband, Helmut Huber. Al Pereira/GettySusan Lucci and her TV producer husband Helmut Huber were married for 53 years before his death on March 28, 2022. The two met while working at a hotel and dated for three weeks before getting engaged. They got married on Sept. 13, 1969.
The private duo welcomed two children together — daughter Liza, in 1975 and their son Andreas, followed over a decade later in 1988.
Lucci later spoke out about her husband's death while introducing the in memoriam segment at the 49th Daytime Emmy Awards in June 2022.
"My husband, Helmut Huber, was a larger-than-life force of nature," she said. "He was a confident caregiver who knew exactly how to make things happen and to keep us all laughing at the same time. Helmut loved and was so proud of our magnificent children and our grandchildren."
Adding that Huber was "the love of her life," the soap opera actress added, "They say that grief is the price we pay for love. Well, grief is an excruciating price but I would not give up even one second of the love."
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Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller. Nancy R. Schiff/Getty ImagesAnne Meara and Jerry Stiller's whirlwind romance reads like one of the rom-coms their son Ben would star in.
The pair met in 1953 in a casting agent's office, per the Washington Post. As the story goes, the agent made a pass at Anne while she was alone in his office, and she left in tears. Jerry then offered to take her for a cup of coffee in an effort to console her. While at the restaurant, Anne jokingly asked Jerry to steal a set of silverware from the restaurant for her apartment, which he did. The rest was history.
The two got married in 1954 and welcomed their first child, Amy, in 1961 before Ben rounded out their family in 1965.
After 61 years of marriage, Anne died on May 23, 2015, aged 85. Five years later, Jerry passed away on May 11, 2020. He was 92.
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Mel Brooks and Anne BancroftJon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
From the moment Mel Brooks saw Anne Bancroft rehearsing for The Perry Como Show in 1961, he knew she was his perfect match. He stood up in the dark studio and shouted across the room to introduce himself.
Bancroft recalled that he hardly left her side from there on. "He would say, 'Where ya goin'?' And I'd say, 'To William Morris [agency].' He'd say, 'So am I.' He'd say, 'Where ya goin'?' 'I'm goin' to that delica-.' 'So am I.' Wherever I said I was going, he would say he's going there. … It just went on and on, the man never left me alone, thank God."
The two wed in 1964 and were madly in love for the next four decades, until her death from uterine cancer in 2005.
"Living this life without her is not easy," Brooks told PEOPLE of his wife in 2021, but recalled their happy marriage fondly: "There were a lot of great kisses and great spaghetti."
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Jimmy Carter with his wife Rosalynn Carter. Universal History Archive/ Universal Images Group via GettyJimmy and Rosalynn Carter's story is so storybook-perfect, even non-believers have to admit these two were destined to be together.
According to NPR, the two first met when the future president was only three years old and she was just one day old. Their parents were close friends and neighbors, and Jimmy's mother, Bessie Lillian Carter, helped deliver Rosalynn, per Biography.com.
Though they both grew up in their beloved hometown of Plains, Georgia, they didn't start dating until 1945 when he was 20 and she was 17. A year later, Jimmy popped the question, and though Rosalynn declined the first proposal, she said yes when he asked again in May the same year.
Two months later, on July 7, 1946, they officially became Mr. and Mrs. Carter.
The Carters would go on to welcome four children and later 22 grandchildren over the course of their 77-year marriage.
And while he only served one term as president — from 1977 to 1981 — he remains one of the country's most beloved political figures for his work through the Carter Center, which he established alongside Rosalynn.
Rosalynn Carter died surrounded by her loving family on Nov. 19, 2023, two days after she entered hospice care following a dementia diagnosis in May that year. She was 96.
A little over a year later, the former president and Nobel Peace Prize-winner died on Dec. 29, 2024, at 100.
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Kirk Douglas and Anne Buydens Kirk Douglas and wife Anne Douglas.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Kirk Douglas first crossed paths with Anne Buydens on the Paris set of 1953's Act of Love. At the time, they were each involved with other people; he was secretly engaged to actress Pier Angeli and she had married a Belgian friend for protection during World War II.
Their connection was so strong, Douglas broke off his engagement with Angeli and the two were married on May 29, 1954. The couple shared four children — Eric and Peter, whom they welcomed together, plus Joel and Michael, Douglas' sons from his first marriage to Diana Douglas.
Like any couple, the two had their share of ups and downs but remained a united front through it all. In their book Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter and a Lifetime in Hollywood, Anne revealed that she intentionally turned a blind eye to her husband's infidelity and that he was honest about it.
"Kirk never tried to hide his dalliances from me," she wrote. "As a European, I understood it was unrealistic to expect total fidelity in a marriage."
The two would be married for 65 years before Kirk died on Feb. 5, 2020. He was 103. A little over a year later, Anne Buydens died on April 21, 2021. She was 102.
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Samir Hussein/WireImageLike the Carters, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's roots go way back.
The two first met in passing at a wedding when he was 13 years old and she was 8.
They would cross paths again five years later in 1939, and the young princess fell for him. By 1946, romance rumors started to swirl about the pair, and on July 9, 1947, they were confirmed when the two announced their engagement, and were married on Nov. 20 that same year.
They would welcome their first two children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne in 1948 and 1950, respectively, before Elizabeth became queen in 1952. They followed up with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward in 1960 and 1964.
The two were married for 73 years before Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021. He was 99.
The longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth died on Sept. 8, 2022, at the age of 96.
The couple is survived by their four children, eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
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George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush. David Hume Kennerly/GettyBefore the Carters, George H. W. Bush and wife Barbara held the record for the longest-lasting presidential marriage: 73 years long.
The two met at a Christmas dance in 1941, when Barbara was 16 and George was 17. It was love at first sight as George spotted Barbara from across the room and immediately asked a friend to introduce them. The rest was history.
The lovebirds got married in 1945 and welcomed six children together — including son George W., who followed in his father's footsteps and would go on to become the 43rd president of the United States.
Former First Lady Barbara Bush died on April 17, 2018. She was 92. Eight months later, the elder George would follow his wife, as he died on Nov. 30, 2018.
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Carl and Estelle Reiner Carl and Estelle Reiner. Frank Trapper/Corbis via GettyYou may remember Estelle Reiner (née Lebost) as the actress who gave us that iconic, "I'll have what she's having" line in her son Rob Reiner's When Harry Met Sally.
Off-screen, though, she was married to the multi-faceted entertainer Carl Reiner, whom she wed back in 1943. Together, they shared three kids — Rob, Lucas, and Annie — and were together for 64 years, until Estelle died in 2008 at the age of 94.
"Nothing pleases me more than knowing that I have lived the best life possible by having met & marrying the gifted Estelle (Stella) Lebost---who partnered with me in bringing Rob, Annie & Lucas Reiner into to this needy & evolving world," Reiner wrote on Twitter in June 2020.
Three days later, Carl died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 98.
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Jean Goebel and Dan Rather Jean Goebel and Dan Rather.Paul Bruinooge/getty
Former TV anchor Dan Rather was married to his longtime love, Jean, for nearly 67 years before her death on Nov. 26, 2024.
The two met while working at a radio station in Houston and Dan was immediately smitten. They got married on April 21, 1957 and shared two children together, a daughter named Robin and son Danjack.
While speaking to PEOPLE in 2023, Dan opened up about his wife's devotion to their family throughout their marriage, as his decades-long journalism career often took him across the globe and away from home.
"The first year I was with CBS News, I was home 41 days out of the year. Forty-one days out of the year. Very hard to hold a marriage and a family together then," he recalled.
Dan said Jean's "fighting heart" was the glue in their relationship.
"'Whatever it takes, we're going to make it work,' " he said was the motto they lived by. "And maybe the saving grace was ... [that] when I was home, I tried to hit the off switch. I tried to make every hour count with my children, Robin, my eldest, and Dan, my youngest. They grew up with it. And again, all credit to Jean to whom I've been married for 66 years now."
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Bob Newhart and Ginnie Newhart Bob Newhart and Ginnie Newhart. David Livingston/GettyBob and Ginnie Newhart's love story started the old school way: With a blind date, set up by their mutual friend, Buddy Hackett.
"Buddy said, 'I've got a girl for you,' " Bob recalled to PEOPLE in 2019. "'She's going with another guy, but I don't think he's right for her, so I'm going to fix you up on a blind date. You'll meet her and you'll date and you'll get married. Then you'll have kids and you'll call one of the kids Buddy.' Which we did."
A year after that meeting, the pair were married. They would go on to welcome four children together — two sons, Robert and Timothy and two daughters, Jennifer and Courtney. They nicknamed one of their daughters after Hackett, as promised.
Ginnie was by Bob's side for the entirety of their 60-year marriage and appeared on The Bob Newhart Show several times.
On April 23, 2023, Ginnie died after a long illness. She was 82. Fifteen months later, Bob died on July 18, 2024, at his Los Angeles home. His publicist, Jerry Digney, revealed Bob had experienced a series of short illnesses before his death.
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