As you may have heard, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and global superstar Taylor Swift have been seeing each other, and that has some folks in a tizzy. I don’t know if we’ve ever witnessed this level of madness surrounding a celebrity/athlete coupling — but we have seen dozens of such relationships play out over the decades. What follows is a partial list of some of the more high-profile couplings.
Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe
The retired New York Yankees legend and movie icon married on Jan. 14, 1954, and divorced nine months later, though they remained close until Marilyn’s death in 1962. As the story goes, when Marilyn returned from a trip to Korea, she told her husband, “Joe, you’ve never heard such cheering,” to which DiMaggio replied, “Yes, yes, darling, I have.”
Joe Namath and Raquel Welch
The Jets QB known as “Broadway Joe” and the star of such films as “One Million Years B.C.,” “100 Rifles” and “The Three Musketeers” reportedly dated on and off in the early 1970s. In 1972, Namath was Welch’s date at the 44th annual Academy Awards.
John McEnroe and Tatum O’Neal
The bad boy of tennis and the actress who won Oscar at age 10 for “Paper Moon” (co-starring with her father, Ryan O’Neal) were married in 1986 and divorced in 1994. The couple had three children.
Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi
Started dating in 1993, married in 1997, divorced in 1999. The sometimes-tumultuous union included an incident in which Agassi reportedly stormed out of a taping of a “Friends” episode in which Shields played a stalker obsessed with Matt LeBlanc’s Joey, saying it humiliated him. Shields says when Agassi returned to their home, he “smashed all his trophies.”
Dennis Rodman and Madonna/Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra
I remember being courtside for a Bulls game in 1994 when Madonna glided by, for some reason holding a Mardi Gras type mask in front of her face. The Madonna/Rodman relationship lasted just a few months. Four years later, Rodman married Carmen Electra — and filed for annulment nine days later. The marriage officially ended a few months after that.
David Justice and Halle Berry
Atlanta Braves star David Justice married Halle Berry in 1993 and the couple divorced in 1997.
Derek Jeter and Mariah Carey and Minka Kelly and Jordana Brewster and Vanessa Minnillo
No, not at the same time. After a series of high-profile romances, the Yankees’ Hall of Fame shortstop married Hannah Jeter née Davis, in 2016. These days, you can see Jeter piloting his Jeep Wagoneer to the sounds of “I Drove All Night” as he makes it home to Hannah in a ubiquitous TV ad.
Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones
The Great One, who once famously said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” married the star of “The Flamingo Kid” and “A Chorus Line” in 1988. They have five children, including daughter Paulina, who married pro golfer Dustin Johnson in 2022.
David and Victoria Beckham
The legendary footballer started dating Victoria Adams, aka Posh Spice, in 1997. They married in 1999 and have four children. In a teaser for an upcoming Super Bowl commercial for Uber Eats, the couple make fun of the recent “Rolls Royce” viral moment and talk about the upcoming “Super Big Baseball Game” and also reference “Jessica Aniston” hahaha.
Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias
The former pro tennis player and the singer-songwriter have been together for 23 years.
Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan/Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen
The GOAT QB dated “Coyote Ugly” actress Bridget Moynahan from 2004-2006 and they had a child together. Tom married model Bündchen in 2009 and they had two children before divorcing in 2022.
Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow
The bicyclist and the singer got engaged in September of 2005, but never married. Crow has cited Armstrong’s doping case as the impetus for the breakup, saying, “He lied to me, too.”
Tony Parker and Eva Longoria
The former San Antonio Spurs great married the “Desperate Housewives” star in 2007. They were divorced in 2010. I always kind of hoped Eva Longoria would hook up with Major League Baseball third baseman Evan Longoria so she could change her name to Eva Longoria-Longoria, but no such luck.
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
The reality star and the troubled basketballer married in September 2009, divorced in 2015. (Sidebar: Rumor has it various Kardashians and Jenners have dated other pro athletes.)
Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari
The former Bears QB and the reality star/entrepreneur were married in 2013 and split in 2020. At least we’ll always have “Very Cavallari,” which showcased Jay’s flair for dry comedy and deadpan goofiness.
Justin Verlander and Kate Upton
The future Hall of Famer and the Sports Illustrated supermodel and actress (“Tower Heist,” “The Other Woman”) have been together since 2014 and got married in 2017. They welcomed a daughter in 2018.
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union
The pride of Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn and eventual Miami Heat legend married the “Bring It On” star in 2014.
Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez
J-Rod got together in 2017, split in 2021. Jen is now with Ben again.
Russell Wilson and Ciara
The Denver Broncos QB and the singer have been married since 2016. Last December, they welcomed their fourth child, Amora Princess Wilson.
