Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe were the “perfect” young Hollywood sweethearts in the late 90s. We look back on how the Cruel Intentions’ co-stars first met and their whirlwind trajectory to newlyweds and young parents. We discuss their questionable wedding venue, the Oscar love curse, gender stereotypes, Ryan’s past controversies, and more. Related and Similar Episodes: Episode 25: When Johnny Cash Met June Carter Episode 82: When Debbie Reynolds Met Eddie Fisher Episode 65: When Joaquin P...
Jul 09, 2025•8 min
In a special bonus episode, Kelly is joined by Nathan from the podcast Silent Generation . Nathan tells us the fascinating love story between Emma Goldman and Ben Reitman, two radical people who lived very unconventional lives together in the early twentieth century. Once called “the most dangerous woman in America,” Emma was an anarchist revolutionary, writer, and political activist. Ben Reitman was a hobo-turned-doctor (for real!), the founder of a hobo college, and a notorious ladies’ man. Wh...
Jul 03, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Like many girls, Taylor Swift has an unlucky history with J names. We’ve covered her relationships with Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer, and Joe Alwyn. Today, we’re going back to 2008 to revisit her very first high-profile relationship with the original Joe, Mr. Perfectly Fine himself, Joe Jonas. This short relationship took on a life of its own after ending with the infamous 27 second phone call. Back then, Taylor was the least bit coy telling us about the juicy personal details in connection with ...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Ditch your old jalopy, and steal yourself a new vehicle, because you’re gonna need it to keep up with this whirlwind of an episode. You won’t want to fall behind and get left in the dust. In this episode, Kaitlyn takes us deep into the infamous love story of one of the most notorious duos in American history: Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. We cover it all. From their humble beginnings in Texas to their days on the run, to their unfortunate bloody end. We also answer all your most burning questi...
Jun 11, 2025•8 min
A note to our listeners: We are taking a little break from the podcast due to some current hardships in our family. We should be back by June 2025, and we will keep you updated on our Instagram (@significantlovers). Now on to the show... The year was 2016. A relatively unknown British actor named Tom Holland had just recently been cast (the year prior) as the newest Spider-Man. He made his first appearance in the film Captain America: Civil War, and his solo trilogy as the famous web-slinger had...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 54 min
“Have you ever loved a woman / so much you tremble in pain?” Eric Clapton certainly has. As he wrote on the album “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” Eric Clapton was deeply, madly in love with his best friend George Harrison’s wife, Pattie Boyd. Picking up from last week, we tell Eric’s side of this iconic rock ‘n roll love triangle. There’s a voodoo spell, two love letters, obsession, music, and more. What happened when Pattie flew to meet Eric in Boston? And who was really her true love: G...
Mar 26, 2025•8 min
We’ve covered John (and Yoko) and Paul (and Linda) . It’s time to finally discuss “the Quiet Beatle”—George Harrison. When George Harrison first laid eyes on Pattie Boyd in 1964, there was an instant connection. It was on the set of the Beatles’ film ‘Hard Days Night,’ where Pattie played a schoolgirl with one line. Off set, Pattie was an ‘it girl’ model of the swinging ‘60s London, known for her iconic style. George asked her on a date, she ditched her current beau, and the two began a whirlwin...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 35 min
They say, when you know, you know. Such was the case for Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff and actress Margaret Qualley and their whirlwind romance after first meeting in 2021 and getting engaged ten months later. Mel walks us through their full timeline, '80s aesthetic, silly interviews, PDA moments, and more! For added context, be sure to check out our past episode on Jack’s relationship with Lena Dunham! ***** This is a teaser for a bonus episode. You can listen to it in full on Patreon ! About Signif...
Mar 13, 2025•8 min
Today we are dissecting the hidden details of William Shakespeare’s private life. You know his romantic plays, characters and sonnets, but what was The Bard like as a lover? Did his marriage to farmer’s daughter, Anne Hathaway (no, not that one) inspire his work? To hell if we know! Elizabethan gossip columnists SUCKED at archiving the juicy details. Alas, we are left to piece together the scant intel available to imagine what their marriage was like. Join us as we dive into the historical and f...
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 40 min
The year was 1992, and the longtime married man Ted Danson had just wrapped filming the 10th season of the popular sitcom Cheers. The 11th season would not film for another couple months, and so with an abnormally long hiatus ahead of him, Ted decided to sign on to the comedy movie Made in America , starring alongside the recent Oscar winner, Whoopi Goldberg. What happened next was pop culture history. An affair that would go down in infamy. The '90s may be a black hole in terms of primary sourc...
Feb 26, 2025•8 min
You may be thinking to yourself, didn’t you already cover this couple already? Nope! A few weeks back we covered the brief affair between Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. This week, we’re diving deep into the legendary romance between Cleopatra and Mark Antony. One of history's most famous power couples, and the inspiration for at least two of William Shakespeare’s plays (maybe even more). Join us as we explore the passionate love affair that transcended political alliances, shaped the future of the...
Feb 19, 2025•1 hr 39 min
Ciao! Buongiorno! It’s fashion week for Significant Lovers! Did you know Dolce & Gabbana isn’t just a fashion brand? Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were real-life lovers before becoming world-renowned fashion designers. Today, we may think of D&G as a status symbol of wealth, but the real Dolce and Gabbana were scrappy, struggling, aspiring designers when they first met in 1980. Join us as we piece together the love story between Dolce and Gabbana. D&G are known for saying contro...
Feb 12, 2025•8 min
Ellen Degeneres, the comedian, actress, and talk show host, has faced her fair share of controversies. First, she was literally cancelled in 1997 after coming out as gay on network television. Actress Portia de Rossi—young and in the closet—watched Ellen come out and rebuild her career, in awe and terrified of ever doing the same. Ellen and Portia were both in relationships when they first met, but quickly fell for each other. Through all their individual ups and downs over 21 years (including E...
Feb 05, 2025•2 hr 12 min
It’s 2004 and British heartthrob Jude Law is newly engaged to his Alfie co-star and boho-chic “it-girl,” Sienna Miller. The couple appear madly in love, dominating British tabloids and style boards. That is until Jude’s former nanny goes total TMI in a jaw-dropping, tell-all interview, revealing a month-long affair with her former employer. We look back on the salacious scandal and the chaotic years that follow in their off-and-on relationship, featuring supporting characters: Daniel Craig, Sadi...
Jan 29, 2025•8 min
Sometimes rejection is just redirection. Jenn Tran’s whirlwind year took her from an unknown physician assistant student to Bachelor contestant, to the star of The Bachelorette, to a devastating broken engagement on live TV. But then ABC producers knocked on her dressing room door with an offer to join Dancing with the Stars. Paired with pro dancer Sasha Farber, Jenn quickly learned ballroom dancing as fans picked up on their natural chemistry. But it wasn’t until after their elimination, when t...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 36 min
Were you alive in 2021? Then you most definitely have heard of Olivia Rodrigo and her breakout hit “drivers license.” And you probably have also heard of Joshua Bassett, Olivia’s ex-boyfriend (and then current co-star) who inspired the song. But what you might not have heard was the whole story of their relationship… From their on-screen chemistry in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series to the real-life drama that played out on radios across the globe, listen as we explore the rollercoas...
Jan 15, 2025•8 min
Hop on your royal river barge, and join us this episode as we time-travel back to antiquity and explore the mysterious and often mischaracterized romantic relationship between Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman dictator, Julius Caesar. Listen as we answer all your burning questions about these two iconic lovers. Like, how did these two powerful rulers even meet? What about their spouses? Was Cleopatra really married to her brother? Who was the father of her child? And was Cleopatra and Caesa...
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Note from Kel, Mel & Kait: We are still on Christmas break but will be back with a public episode next week! If you’ve been living under a rock for the past year…that’s ok! We’ve got you covered. In a very special bonus episode, we’re creating a time capsule of 2024, documenting the year’s notable breakups, new relationships, marriages, and babies. We’re talking about Sabrina Carpenter & Barry Keoghan, Doja Cat & Joseph Quinn, the Golden Bachelor wedding (and divorce), Lana Del Rey &...
Jan 01, 2025•8 min
Oftentimes we want to cover a couple, but there’s just not enough information to fill an hour. So for a *very special* bonus episode, we’re discussing nine rapid-fire relationships never before shared on the show! Rapid-fire couples include: Renée Zellweger and Jim Carey Sarah Jessica Parker and JFK Jr. Emma Stone and Keiran Culkin Elliot Page and Kate Mara Nicole Kidman and Lenny Kravitz Andrew VanWyngarden (of MGMT) and Kirsten Dunst/Camille Rowe …And more!! We are on a Christmas break— we wil...
Dec 18, 2024•8 min
By 1990, exes Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham had both quit their band Fleetwood Mac. So there was no reason for them to interact anymore, right? …Wrong! It’s never really over with Stevie and Lindsey. In this second part episode, we follow Buckingham Nicks through the ‘90s to now—including their iconic reunion during The Dance tour and *that* Silver Springs performance. Did something happen between them during The Dance? Are feelings still there even now? And why was Lindsey kicked out of t...
Dec 04, 2024•8 min
Dreams. Go Your Own Way. Silver Springs. The Chain. These iconic Fleetwood Mac hits from the legendary Rumours album capture the emotional highs and lows of the tumultuous breakup between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. But their love story spans far beyond the music. Stevie and Lindsey’s passionate, love-hate relationship began in high school and evolved through decades of collaboration, heartbreak, and creative genius. In this episode of Significant Lovers , we explore the first several d...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 47 min
While princess fairytales end with the wedding, that is where today’s story begins. To start the second installment of our William and Kate series, we revisit all of the details of their 2011 royal wedding. Then we dive into their significant events that have shaped their marriage, including the birth of their three kids, their rift with Meghan and Harry, rumors of infidelity, conspiracy theories, and Kate’s ongoing battle with cancer. ***** This is a teaser for a bonus episode. You can listen t...
Nov 20, 2024•8 min
A tale as old as time: an ordinary girl meets a dashing prince, and though all young maidens in the land pine for his hand, he only has eyes for her. Well, this was the plot of a young Kate Middleton’s middle school play; unaware she’d grow up to one day live out a real-life fairytale. Was it written in the stars? Was real life just as much of a storybook? We’re going back to 2001, when Prince William first laid eyes on the beautiful, yet unassuming brunette in the dorms at the University of St....
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 21 min
It's our 100th episode!! To celebrate, we spend the first 20 minutes or so playing trivia about our past episodes, then dive into the scandalous love story between King James I and George Villiers. Sit back, relax, and grab your pop-corn with this episode. It’s almost too crazy to believe. You may almost think you started accidentally listening to an audio book of a Shakespeare play. After all, this episode has got it all: bitter exes, rival lovers, house explosions, poison, trials, fighting, ex...
Nov 06, 2024•8 min
In March 2010, Nina Dobrev sat down and told Seventeen Magazine that she would NEVER date one of her Vampire Diaries costars. But less than two months later, she was spotted getting cozy with Ian Somerhalder court side at a basketball game. What changed? Did Somerhalder’s smoldering good looks finally get to her? If so, what happened to his girlfriend? To quote Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder themselves: “We started dating on the show. And then we started dating in real life. And then we broke u...
Oct 31, 2024•1 hr 33 min
We’re getting into the Halloween spirit with this truly gothic, spooky, and surprisingly non-monogamous relationship from the 1800s. You may know Mary Shelley as the writer and creator of Frankenstein, but her love life really was stranger than fiction! Enter Percy Shelley, the devilishly handsome poet and advocate of ‘free-love.’ Percy’s already married when he meets young Mary, and they declare their love for each other in the most fitting of places: a graveyard. ***** This is a teaser for a b...
Oct 23, 2024•8 min
Aliens, vampires, cults, Scientologists… It’s all here for a spooky season episode of Significant Lovers! We’re going back to the early ‘90s when actor Tom Cruise, already married and dabbling in the cult of Scientology, met and fell for actress Nicole Kidman. Tom and Nicole quickly dropped their partners and began a passionate, whirlwind romance, and she even showed a mild curiosity in Tom’s new religion. But unbeknownst to them, Nicole had been labeled a “Suppressive Person” and potential thre...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 38 min
It’s 2017 and Selena Gomez is the most followed person on Instagram. Her brand is evolving to be more mature and sexier, enhanced by her new relationship with the mysterious Abel Tesfaye (aka: The Weekend). Oh no—queue the conspiracies that this was a PR contract. By all accounts, this relationship seemed to be evolving sweetly until it was abruptly interrupted by Selena’s ex Justin Bieber crawling back one last time. But is that the full story? Join us as we dissect their full ten-month timelin...
Oct 09, 2024•6 min
Imagine you get back together with your ex after 20 years and they still haven’t changed. Bennifer 2.0’s recent break up may serve as a cautionary tale for all who fantasize about that one who got away. Or…maybe these two superstars will reconcile once again and force us into a Part 3. Good grief. Whether this relationship reboot was a publicity stunt or a true whirlwind romance that burned brighter than the red flags—we may never know. Nonetheless, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have given us a...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 16 min
You may know him from playing narcissists like Tony Stonem on Skins or Emperor Peter III on The Great. You know her for playing Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and receiving three nominations at the Academy Awards (and winning once!). It’s Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence ! Back in the early 2010s, Nick and JLaw dated off and on for five years. We’re looking back on this oft-forgotten couple with run-ins from Miley and Liam , a bathroom milestone, and the woes of breaking up with a co-w...
Sep 25, 2024•7 min
