19 people who have dated a celebrity share what it was like.
Many people dream of knocking boots with the stars. But few normal people actually get to experience dating celebrities outside of their fantasies. However, for those folks who have had a Notting Hill-type romance in real life, dating a celebrity may not be all it's cracked up to be.
In a popular thread on Reddit, people who have dated (or hooked up with) celebs are sharing their experiences—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
From SmellTheFoxglove:
I dated an actor who played the lead in an oscar-nominated movie. He was charming at first but turned out to be the most self-centered and insecure person I've known. He needed constant attention and praise. He would call me at least five times a day to talk about himself. He constantly complained about not having a prettier face, tore himself down as an actor but got angry if I didn't contradict him etc etc
Utterly draining, like an energy vampire or something. I called it quits after one month.
From KookyMycologist2506:
i dated a hollywood actor, he took me to a hollywood party, where ALL the other celebrities were...he left with a hollywood actress...i met enough celebrities that night not to care(although i do like to say THEY all got to meet me)did get invited to more hollywood parties and was blown away that it was all the same people at every single party.
From Ravetti:
D lister and most insecure and narcissistic person I know. I really did care about him but I couldn't handle the lack of accountability and them always having to be right or the center of attention. Too much. I will stick to my non-celebs.
From Revolutionary-Low257:
It was surreal with verrrry little private time for him to be himself. I knew him from high school before fame so he liked being himself around me. Ultimately, he became very controlling (no one tells them no) and upset so would drop my life for his.
The social and financial power imbalance is always present.
From catsweedcoffee:
I dated (and am still close friends with) a retired model. In his early career, he was a model for A&F, was on the bags, huge posters in the stores, the whole early 2000s shebang. He’s real nice to look at, especially now in his 30s.
He’s such a lamb, the sweetest man on the planet, thinks the best of others, genuinely kind hearted … and he is completely ignorant to being fawned over. He just thinks all people are really nice! He gets hit on left and right and doesn’t even clock it. My theory is that he’s one of those rare people who has been attractive since birth, so he doesn’t even realize he’s playing on god mode instead of hard mode like the rest of us.
We didn’t make it as partners long term because massaging his ego is a full time job. He’s cripplingly insecure, needs a constant cheerleader to amp him up and compliment his appearance/workout/etc. As his bestie (and occasional FWB when we are in the same city), I can [tease him] and tell him about himself in a way he would never be able to handle from a romantic partner. Far superior, I’d say.
From SadlySpooky:
He was a D lister; very charismatic, handsome but he wasn’t getting much work so he was bitter & he knew how much I was into him. So much so I gave him money to help with bills etc. I was stupid. He used me & now he’s back in the circuit with a new young woman doing all the things he promised to do with me.
So I guess I’m bitter now but the experience helped me learn to be tougher. He may be doing well but he’s always going to be a nasty person on the inside & karma will get him.
From moochir:
Courtney Love flirted with me at a bar in Indianapolis in 1995.
It was late night after her concert (Hole) at a nearby arena. She stared daggers at me when I walked in, like I thought she somehow hated me? It was a little odd, but she was a little drunk.. so whatever.
She walked up to me at the bar with a couple of very large guys who I assume were security. She loudly ordered me a drink, and made a big deal of standing very close to me and touching my shoulder and chest repeatedly. I kind of fumbled through the conversation as the experience was pretty jarring overall. At some point she told me that I reminded her of the character Linus from Charlie Brown. I dunno what that meant, but eventually I kind of weaseled my way to the bathroom and then just left.
This was at the now defunct “The Patio” nightclub in Broad Ripple.
Courtney Love was a lot more attractive than you’d think in real life, and also a lot shorter than she looks like on tv. Not really short, but she definitely did not look 5’ 9” like google says she is.
From kendric2000:
RJ Mitte (Walt Jr. from Breaking Bad) hit on my daughter at a poker tournament and bought her a drink, she had to gently tell him she was waiting for her hubby who was in the tournament. She said he was super nice and laid back. LOL.
From welIokaythen:
About 8 years ago, I met Corey Feldman at a comic con. He proceeded to ask me out. I respectfully declined. Then he tried to get me to go to a haunted house with him (?). My parents say I could’ve been with a D list celebrity every time we watch a movie he was in.
I dated a fairly famous female heavy metal musician for a while. The long distance/constant travel thing ended up being very much not for me so we ended things
From mandalorian_guy:
Not me but a coworker's sister in law. She hooked up with TJ Miller in the late 00s before he hit Hollywood and was still a traveling stand-up comic.
My coworker, his wife, and sister in law all went to a comedy show where TJ hooked up with the SIL and they all went back to their house to presumably drink and hang where he spent the night.
In the morning they found the front door open and the cookies the wife had cooked the night before were gone. He wouldn't shut up about it for years until he finally saw the guy and realized it was the same person.
TLDR: TJ Miller is an alleged cookie thief
From Crystal_crone:
Well he wasn't a celebrity when I dated him. I got pregnant and he was just talking to somebody about moving to the west coast and playing in their band. He didn't want me to have the kid but I did anyway and told him I wouldn't bother him. I knew it would screw him up because almost 30 years ago they would make guys get a job and working gigs playing guitar wasn't going to cut it. So I never went for child support and we only rarely spoke after that.
Child turned 15 and something went on with my husband and I had to file child support for the first time. That's when I found out that he was a full-blown rock star! He pulled the whole that's not my kid thing. We got the DNA test, 100% you are the father! Kid got to know him in between his concert tours. He's definitely a different person now and I'm kind of glad I didn't know that person way back when.
From bon688:
It was fairly difficult. For us it was too much traveling on her obligation for work me not being able to accompany her because of my obligation for work. She was faithful she never cheated but constant attempts from coworkers and others to get her. But she was in my opinion very respectful that way.
For us through other issues not being able to do holidays or plan them just normal things couples do. But it was otherwise a good relationship we actually parted as friends. Stay in contact once in awhile. After we dated I got was married for 23 years and her and my wife we're friendly.
Never disrespectful to our marriage she ended up actually marrying and divorcing more than once. But she's been in a relationship for the last 12 years and happy. He's in the industry. And they're actually pretty famous couple not Superstars but definitely recognized.
From Joygernaut:
He was an NHL player. We dated for about eight months and actually were engaged. I broke it off and give back the ring when I realized being a hockey wife would make me go insane in the long run.
From YoungtheRyan:
Slept with and briefly dated a girl who was a child actor when we were in college. She was.... Kind of a mess honestly. It was sad because she was nice and really funny, but she had a lot of issues. Like sleeping in her barn with her horses drinking till she passed out. A lot of issues with her parents and self esteem issues. I hope she's doing better now. I looked her up a while ago and she seems happy at least on Instagram.
From Kaysie:
We met in a random club when he showed up for a surprise performance. I happened to be dancing on stage and was told to keep dancing as all but one or two other girls were kicked off the stage. We danced on stage for a couple of songs after his performance and then asked me to give him a ride to the studio. He was really down to earth and signed a bunch of autographs.
The weekend after he left town he flew me to his hometown and we spent like 3 days together, which ended in me meeting his mom and sisters. Before I left he asked me to stay with him, quit my job, and commit to a relationship (I would have to travel with him nonstop as he was promoting a new album). I liked him, but couldn’t hand over my financial security for a guy that I barely knew.
I tried to slow things down and he took it super personal. Then he wrote a song about me (which made me sound like a bitch) and it played on the radio constantly for the next few months. I know he wrote it about me because he left a voicemail of recording it in studio.
From t-4y:
My mum dated Michael Hutchence from INXS when they were both teenagers. She met him at one of their shows when INXS was a small band and she quickly became buddies with them. They would oftentimes pick her up in their van and she’d go to shows with them. After a year or two my mum moved on from them and they blew up in popularity shortly after she left.
She didn’t speak to them for years but bumped into Michael at Sydney Airport not long before he died and he remembered her dearly. They shared hugs and caught up for a good while in the airport.
My mum claims they were “just friends” but we all know the truth. My mum has been tight lipped about it all, but described him as “shy”.
From FabulousCallsIAnswer:
I sat next to Natalie Portman on a plane once. We talked all about designer handbags, and then were there for each other through some bad turbulence. She was already taken, and I’m gay, but…it was still a relationship I’ll never forget.
From orneroffice_noview:
She was famous in another country. We met when she was visiting friends in my country. I met her at a group outing and didn't know who she was. I asked her out and she said yes because she thought I was funny.
I didn't clue in that she was famous until our third date and only because, on a few occasions, expats from her country recognized her out in public. She was really hesitant to explain but when she finally did, I was just like, "Oh, that's cool." I didn't make a big deal out of it, which in retrospect I think preserved our relationship.
I've never showed her off as a my celebrity girlfriend because, well, I'm not a fan, haha. I think if I did, that would've been a dealbreaker.
She has a weird relationship with fame. She didn't enjoy being famous at all. To her, fame was the price she had to pay to do the thing that she loved and was really good at.
When we were together in my country, we could be more normal, occasionally being approached by fans notwithstanding. The couple times I visited her in her country, we spent most of our time in the hotel or in places where her privacy could be guaranteed.
Eventually, she just quietly withdrew from the public eye and moved to my country. We've been married 7 years now and I'm constantly on the lookout for signs that mommy's talents got passed on to either or both of our kids, haha.