Rock Stars With Partners More Famous Than Them

Relationships are challenging enough on their own without fame getting in the way. But when one or two people in the relationship are famous, it can add another level of difficulty to the situation. Some people are able to overcome that type of pressure and make it work. Or the relationship fizzles out. But what happens when one member of the couple is more famous than the other? Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

Rock stars attract famous lovers, and it's likely because they exude sex appeal. Musicians in general are pretty freaking cool. They have an aura about them that makes them irresistible to both men and women. Here are some famous couples that include rockstars and their slightly (or significantly) more famous lovers, wives, girlfriends, and partners. You probably know the names of most of the rockers on this list, but all of them are a little less famous than their other halves.

Alongside his twin brother Joel Madden, Benji Madden plays in the band Good Charlotte. Most people, whether they are on top of pop culture or not, are familiar with Cameron Diaz. The actress first hit the big screen alongside Jim Carrey in "The Mask" back in 1994. She started modeling before launching an acting career, according to Biography. Diaz is known for movies such as "She's the One," "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Shrek" and "Charlie's Angels." She has taken a break from acting in recent years, but she's likely more of a household name than her rocker other half.

Diaz met guitarist Benji Madden in May 2014, dating mere months before the two married in January 2015. The couple had a daughter in 2019. The pair is still very happy together, with Benji writing about his wife on Mother's Day in 2022 on Instagram: "You care for us and nurture us. Everything around you grows and flourishes in your light. Our little one and me get to live our life being loved by you and we are grateful." Also apprently Diaz is an amazng cook, with Benji adding that he was also grateful for the wonderful food that Diaz provides the family. 

Actresses appear to have something about men who rock, including Kate Hudson (also known as the daughter of Goldie Hawn). She has had two serious relationships with two musicians. You probably know Hudson for the variety of films she has appeared in over the years, including films such as "Almost Famous" (her breakout role), "How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days," "You, Me, and Dupree," and "Fool's Gold" (via IMDb). She has done many romantic comedies and has also had relationships with rockers Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes and Matt Bellamy of Muse. She's definitely more famous than her two exes. 

She and Robinson are still friendly, and she posted a photo of him along with their son on Instagram in summer 2022 after Ryder Robinson graduated from high school, writing, "Raising you has been one of the great gifts and pleasures of my life." It's unclear if she has that type of relationship with her ex-fiancé Bellamy. She told Allure in 2015 that the pair parted ways because "we chose to move on because we had different visions of how we wanted to live our lives." She and Bellamy also share a child together.

You may recognize indie musician Phil Elverum from The Microphones. But you're more likely to know actress Michelle Williams. She has been performing since she was a young girl, launching her career with the teen drama "Dawson's Creek." Unlike many actresses who get pigeon holed in the type of roles they take as teenagers, Williams was able to transition to film and has spent her career taking on a variety of dramatic and challenging roles. As Biography details, among her standouts are "Brokeback Mountain," "Blue Valentine," "My Week with Marilyn" and "Manchester by the Sea" — all of which earned her Academy Award nominations. 

Williams is also known for having a relationship and a child with actor Heath Ledger, who died in 2008 of a drug overdose.

A decade later, Williams married Elverum. They shared a bond in that he lost the mother of his young child due to cancer. The notoriously private star opened up about the relationship with Vanity Fair, stating, "Ultimately the way he loves me is the way I want to live my life on the whole." She decided to be transparent about their relationship in order to help other women, adding, "Don't settle for something that feels like a prison, or is hard, or hurts you. If it doesn't feel like love, it's not love." Unfortunately, the couple split in 2019, and Williams later moved on and had a child with director Thomas Kail.

Marcus Mumford is the frontman of folk rock group Mumford & Sons. He released his first solo album in 2022, according to All Music. British actress Carey Mulligan got her start in show business alongside Keira Knightley in 2005's "Pride & Prejudice" before playing other small roles in English productions. She was compared to Audrey Hepburn for her 2009 performance in "An Education," for which she earned an Academy Award nomination, according to Britannica. Other films include "Drive," "The Great Gatsby," "Suffragette," and "Mudbound." She earned a second Oscar nod for 2020's "Promising Young Woman."

The couple have kept their relationship fairly low key over the years, and you don't see a lot of photos of them together. But in summer 2022, Mumford posted a photo of himself with his arms around his wife on the set of his music video, "Cannibal." He also credited his wife on Instagram for being in charge of costumes and sound. The couple wed in 2012 and have two children together.

Ben Gibbard is a singer and guitarist and member of the band Death Cab for Cutie. He is also known for the band The Postal Service. Zooey Deschanel's most defining characteristic is her gorgeous blue eyes and signature bangs. Her most well-known role is as the star and producer of the TV series "New Girl." She has also appeared in a slew of films, including "(500) Days of Summer," "Almost Famous," "All the Real Girls," "The Good Girl," and Christmas favorite "Elf" alongside Will Ferrell, according to Broadway World. In addition, Deschanel has some musical skills and was a member of the band She & Him. So, it comes as no surprise that she would end up in a relationship with another musician.

She eloped with Gibbard in 2009 after a whirlwind relationship. Three years later the couple filed for divorce, according to InStyle. Deschanel never talked publicly about their courtship or marriage, yet Gibbard wrote some music that alluded to their relationship in the band's 2015 album "Kintsugi." Deschanel went on to marry and divorce producer Jacob Pechenik before pairing up with Jonathan Scott of the home improvement show "Property Brothers." Gibbard moved on as well and wed photographer Rachel Demy.

Royston Langdon is a British singer and bass player known for the bands Spacehog and Arckid. Daughter of a Playboy Playmate and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, Liv Tyler is a model/actress with several notable films and TV shows under her belt. She appeared in 1998's "Armageddon," as well as the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and HBO program "The Leftovers." Other credits include "Empire Records," "The Incredible Hulk," 2019's "Ad Astra" opposite Brad Pitt, and the Fox TV series "9-1-1: Lone Star,", according to IMDb. While her relationship with her biological father didn't begin until she was 11 years old, as per Biography, obviously there was something about the rocker lifestyle and persona that attracted her to that type of man.

Tyler hooked up with British rocker Langdon in the late '90s. The two met in 1998, and they tied the knot in March 2003 in Barbados, after Langston proposed just a month before on Valentine's Day. The pair were married for five years before splitting in 2008, according to the Evening Standard. The couple released a statement about their divorce, claiming they would continue a friendly relationship and remain doting partners to their only child, son Milo, who was 3 years old at the time. 

Christopher Jarecki is the frontman of the neopunk band S.T.U.N., as per US Weekly, a genre that appeals to a certain group of people. If you grew up in the '90s, one of the decade's most recognizable stars was Alicia Silverstone. She is most known for starring in "Clueless," but she has appeared in a slew of other films over the years, including "The Crush," "Tropic Thunder," "The Babysitter," "Batman & Robin," and recent projects like "Bad Therapy," "Book Club" and "Sister of the Groom." Silverstone married Jarecki in 2005, but the couple divorced in 2018, according to Britannica. According to Today, the couple had been together for more than 20 years.

The pair shares a son, Bear. The actress told Today in 2020 that she and her ex-husband are still friendly despite their split: "Bear and his daddy and I flow really well together," she explained. Over the years, Silverstone has made several headlines, largely due to her parenting style. She's known for co-sharing her bed with her son and following a vegan diet. "The food I choose for myself and for him keeps us calm and centered. That is my parenting trick, that's my tool," she stated.

Both actress Gwyneth Paltrow and rocker Chris Martin are well known, but Paltrow surpasses her singer ex-husband by a slight margin when it comes to fame. The daughter of a producer and actress, Paltrow has appeared in numerous films over the years, such as "Emma" and "Shakespeare in Love," for which she won an Academy Award, according to Britannica. She's also known for the movies "The Royal Tenenbaums" and the "Iron Man" franchise. In addition, Paltrow has a successful lifestyle company called Goop. 

She and Martin, the frontman of Coldplay, tied the knot in 2003. They split in 2014 and divorced in 2016, making headlines for their "conscious uncoupling," which remains a buzzword today. She revisited the moment she knew it was over between her and Martin in an article for Vogue, writing, "I knew –- despite long walks and longer lie-ins, big glasses of Barolo and hands held – my marriage was over." Paltrow opened up about how the phrase, introduced by a therapist, helped her make it through her divorce. It also introduced forgiveness into the equation: "I came to understand that forgiveness involves taking responsibility for your half of the relationship."

Kate Moss, one of the '90s most popular models, was entangled with not one but two rockers, just like Kate Hudson. Moss made her mark in the fashion industry despite being just 5-feet and 7-inches tall. She was also extremely slender, making her standout among the curvier and taller models in the business, according to Britannica. Before dipping her toes into the musician pool, she famously dated actor Johnny Depp. She married British rocker Jamie Hince 2011, but the couple divorced five years later. 

But prior to that she had what appeared to be an explosive affair with rocker Pete Doherty. At one point, images of her doing drugs with him were made public, and it temporarily suspended her career. Doherty opened up about their relationship in his memoir, an except of which was published in The Guardian. He explained, "We were attracted to each other. I really loved her, and I knew she loved me –- there was just all this messiness in between us, with all her chaos and my chaos." According to Doherty, their relationship ended because their worlds didn't mesh. Even though they had some great times together, they also had some very low points, some of which, obviously, involved drug use.

Rafael Reyes is a sessions musician from El Salvador who is also known as Leafar Seyer, the singer of The Prayers, according to Vice. He has also played in the band The Mariachi Ghost. His music covers a range of genres, including, rock, punk, reggae, and tropical Latin combos, according to Indestructible Productions. His partner is famous tattoo artist and reality TV personality Kat Von D, known for the TLC series "L.A. Ink." She also has some musical skills, according to TV Guide. The Mexican-born artist knows how to play classical piano and enjoys performing Beethoven's works.

The couple tied the knot in 2018 and had what Brides describes as a gothic wedding ceremony. They got married (twice) prior to the birth of their son. Eschewing convention, Kat Von D wore a red gown down the aisle along with a matching veil and horns on her head (yes, you read that right). She posted a picture of her non-traditional wedding dress and unique headpiece on her Instagram page. She mentioned in the photo that she and Reyes were "both so overwhelmed with all the Love." The venue (The Beverly Hills Hotel) was designed to represent a hellscape-type atmosphere with red accoutrements everywhere you looked. The couple that goes through H-E-double-hockey-sticks together, stays together, hopefully. 

Andrew W.K., a.k.a. Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier, has an interesting resume, as described by Discogs: Not only is he a singer and songwriter, he is also a motivational speaker and "professional partier." He sounds like just the type of guy a woman wants to take home to her parents. But it's tough to judge a person by their online footprint, particularly when there's not a lot of information available. He's engaged to Kat Dennings. The actress has appeared in several films, including "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" and "Thor," according to IMDb. But she's most well known for her TV roles in "2 Broke Girls" and "WandaVision."

During a 2022 interview with Drew Barrymore, Dennings talked about how the couple simultaneously proposed to one another. The pair were in the middle of a kiss when they had this intense, emotional moment, and Dennings realized he was the person she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with: "And we looked at each other, and we both proposed at the same time," she revealed. She was very thankful that she found the right partner, and the unexpected double proposal was an extraordinary moment in her life.

Joel Madden, the frontman of Good Charlotte, has had his share of celebrity partners. He once dated actress Hilary Duff, and according to AllMusic, they split in 2006. He started a relationship with Nicole Richie a few months later, and this was followed up by a pregnancy announcement. One could argue the two are almost equally as famous. Richie, daughter of Lionel Richie, started her showbusiness career alongside Paris Hilton on the reality TV show "The Simple Life," according to Biography. She has also been a member of a rock band, has acted in a few films, and has written a couple of books.

However, Richie's most successful endeavor to date has been as a fashion designer. She's the creator of House of Harlow 1960. She also has a jewelry line and has appeared in the fashion shows "Fashion Star" and "Making the Cut." Madden and Richie have two children together and tied the knot in 2010 after welcoming their son and daughter into the world.