Marrying a non-famous partner
With a lot of celebrities choosing a partner who is not famous, we explore what keeps them going.
When Taylor Swift started dating a ‘nobody’ Joe Alwyn, we felt a hiccup in grasping the news. Soon after, the news about Japanese Princess Mako marrying a former college classmate, giving up her royal title broke.
We are often under the impression that someone from the normal crowd cannot have a high-profile romance. But that’s not entirely true.
Madhuri and Dr Sriram Madhav Nene, Shahid Kapoor and Mira, M.S. Dhoni and Sakshi, Lakshmi Manchu and husband Andy Srinivasan, Matt Damon and wife Luciana Barroso are some of the best examples. The chemistry between these couples work well even when both belong to different societies. However, is it easy for stars to date someone outside the A-list community and vice-a-versa?
“There are two angles to this,” says Richa Khetawat, relationship counselor. “First, the famous partner in the relationship will have a lot of exposure and could easily be tempted by people in their industry. So the not-so-famous partner could feel really insecure. On the other hand, the famous person could be emotionally fragile due to the limelight and they’d like to stabilise their emotions by being with someone normal, who can keep them grounded.”
Richa adds that initially, the relationship could be really difficult for the person who’s not famous. But understanding is the key.
Actress Lakshmi Manchu was very clear about not marrying someone from the industry. “I see my father and brothers deal with so many things every day and since I’m an actress as well, I just didn’t have the capacity to take care of another man in that way,” she says.
Lakshmi feels that keeping personal and professional lives apart is easier when your partner doesn’t share your work. “As an actor you have to eat, breathe and sleep cinema. So it’s nice to have a partner who is not from the industry,” she adds.
Srikanth Acharya, relationship counselor, says, “When celebrities date other celebs, it can get really tough for them to stay grounded. People, who are not as famous as their partners, balance out their negatives.”
Model Sharon Fernandes, who won the Mrs. India International 2017, is married to singer Shawn Pereira Docarmo. She says, “Being married to someone who is not from the same industry has changed my life for the better. My husband and I have a balanced and mature relationship. We have learned to respect each other’s decisions. We do not demean each other for our failures but celebrate the achievements.”