The American public is not only obsessed with celebrities, they also want to know when celebrities are dating each other. Hollywood power-couples are nothing new; think Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Sometimes these celebrity hookups lead marriage (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), sometimes only to long-term relationships (Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell), or often end up in divorce court (Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger). Then there are those who take dating right up to the brink of marriage (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez) before falling apart in the spotlight.
In The Arena
It doesn’t occur as often, but sometimes the love lives of well-known professional athletes can draw our attention. Shawne Merriman (formerly of the San Diego Chargers) had a wild fling with reality-TV “star” Tia Tequila, culminating in a night they’d both like to forget. The latest sports-dating gossip has Green Bay Packers quarterback – who has a date with Super Bowl destiny next month – in a relationship with Gossip Girl actress Jessica Szohr.
Politics as Usual
Even politicians find their romantic sides being watched from all angles – even when they don’t want that. California Congressman Gary Condit was only found out to have been having an on-the-side relationship with intern Chandra Levy when she disappeared (her body was later found in a D.C.-area park; Condit was summarily exonerated). North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was caught having an affair with Rielle Hunter even while his wife was suffering from breast cancer.
It is much the same in other countries, with leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin and France’s Nicolas Sarkozy dating models much younger than themselves. Writing gossip columns may indeed be the world’s second-oldest profession – no matter the language in which they are written.
For more information check out dating expert Neil Strauss.