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Home · Love & Sex

Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years

To get you ready for the Academy Awards this weekend, take a look back at all the love shown between some of our favorite Black couples on the Oscars red carpet over the years.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
By Victoria Uwumarogie · Updated April 21, 2021

The Academy Awards are set to air on Sunday, April 25, and despite the pandemic, it won’t be virtual. The guest list will likely be much smaller than ever before, but as the show goes on in person, it’s expected that there will be a red carpet, or at least some photo sessions, and that is where some of the best candid moments happen. There have been many gorgeous images captured from the annual event of Black celebrity couples posing and sharing tender moments on the red carpet, and while it’s unclear what to expect from the event as a whole this year, there are enough colorful moments from the past to look over fondly. To get you ready for the Academy Awards this weekend, take a look back at all the love shown between some of our favorite Black couples on the Oscars red carpet over the years.

01
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
The couple brought the cool (hey crop top and laid back collar!) to the 69th Annual Academy Awards in 1997.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
02
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon
One of their first Oscars together was the 81st Annual Academy Awards in 2009. She was nominated for the first time for “Doubt.”
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Steve Granitz/WireImage
03
Beyoncé and Jay-Z
The couple’s first appearance at the Oscars together (they haven’t been back since) was at the 77th Annual Academy Awards in 2005.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
04
Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee
He wouldn’t win his first Oscar until 2019, but Spike Lee and wife Tonya Lewis Lee looked like winners at the 77th Annual Academy Awards in 2005.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Chris Polk/FilmMagic
05
Denzel and Pauletta Washington
Already an Oscar winner by this time, Denzel and Pauletta attended the 64th Annual Academy Awards looking lovely back in 1992.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
06
Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham
The queen of talk and her longtime love hit the red carpet for the 67th Annual Academy Awards in 1995.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Ron Davis/Getty Images
07
Antoine Fuqua and Lela Rochon
Lela Rochon and husband, director Antoine Fuqua, attend the 74th Annual Academy Awards in 2002.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Vince Bucci/Getty Images
08
Kevin and Eniko Hart
The couple had a great time at their first Oscars — the 87th Annual Academy Awards in 2015.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
09
Pharrell Williams and Helen Lasichanh
The couple share a tender moment on the red carpet at the 88th Annual Academy Awards in 2016.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
10
DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good
The producer and the gorgeous actress attended their first Oscars together, guests for the 91st Annual Academy Awards in 2019.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
11
Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett
The forever young and in love pair attended the 91st Annual Academy Awards together in 2019. During previous Oscar attendances, he wasn’t credited as her date.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
12
Forest and Keisha Whitaker
The couple are actually pictured at the 2007 Vanity Fair Oscar Party after Forest won his first Academy Award at the ceremony that night for “The Last King of Scotland.” We just loved this photo too much not to use it!
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
13
Debbie Allen and Norman Nixon
The color-coordinated couple have been to a number of Oscar ceremonies. They’re pictured at the 64th Annual Academy Awards in 1992.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
14
Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Evans
There representing for team Black Panther, writer and director Ryan Coogler looked regal with his then-pregnant wife Zinzi at the 91st Annual Academy Awards in 2019.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
15
Chadwick Boseman and Taylor Simone Ledward
The late actor and his love looked beautiful in black at the 91st Annual Academy Awards in 2019.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
16
Mahershala Ali and Amatus Sami-Karim
This chic duo showed up for the 90th Annual Academy Awards in 2018, a year after his win for “Moonlight.”
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
17
Samuel Jackson and LaTanya Richardson
The longtime couple was all smiles at the 70th Annual Academy Awards in 1998.
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
SGranitz/WireImage
18
Don Cheadle and Bridgid Coulter
Another longtime couple, Don and Bridgid attended the 77th Annual Academy Awards in 2005 when he was nominated for his work in “Hotel Rwanda.”
Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years
Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
TOPICS:  Ava DuVernay Academy Awards family
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