The Most Notoriously Private Celebrity Couples

By Charli Penn · Updated July 29, 2021

Writer, actress and producer Issa Rae is the reigning queen when it comes to celebrities keeping their private lives private.

First, Rae and her longtime love, Senegalese businessman Louis Diam got engaged back in April 2019, without a peep, then over the weekend the couple surprised fans by revealing they had officially tied the knot in the South of France during an intimate ceremony before their closest family and friends.

Many fans reacted to the news with shock that Rae was even in a serious relationship, which is further proof as to just how good Rae and bare are at keeping Hollywood’s spotlight focused on her work, not her personal life. But Rae isn’t the only celebrity who’s keeping the intimate details of their love life under wraps. Here’s a list of other notoriously private celeb couples we love.

Editor’s Note: This gallery was originally published in 2016 and is updated in an ongoing manner.

01

LeBron James and Savannah James

NBA champion Lebron James and the love of his life, wife Savannah James, are tight lipped when it comes to their marriage and their kids, and who could blame them. The high school sweethearts and parents of three have been together forever and are still going strong.

02

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian

Tennis star Serena Williams and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, are another lowkey couple we love! The champ and the tech king tied the knot in October of 2015 and welcomed their daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., 3, in 2017. Sure, they shared their best wedding moments with the world, but if you’re looking to see regular PDA from the couple on your feeds, you shouldn’t hold your breath.

03

Kerry Washington and Nnamdi Asomugha

America’s favorite former gladiator was never afraid to go public with a good story, but in real life Hollywood leading lady Kerry Washington prefers to do the opposite when it comes to her marriage to actor, producer and former football cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The couple tied the knot in 2013 and have two children together.

04

Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham

We know that Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham have been a couple since 1986, but to this day, they rarely make their love the center of the conversation. While media mogul Winfrey will occasionally share a romantic anecdote during an interview or speaking engagement but ultimately we still only know what they want us to, which is just the way these lovebirds like it.

05

Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Before Beyoncé served up that tall pitcher of Lemonade to fans, she rarely ever spoke out about the private details of her marriage to husband Jay-Z. And, he was equally hush-hush about their love. While they’re not shy about their love for one another when spotted cuddling on Instagram across the globe or courtside for date night at an NBA game, they’ve consistently chosen to keep the intimate details of their 13 year marriage private.

06

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz

Happily married with kids, this musical power couple prefers to stick to storytelling with their lyrics. Smart choice!

07

Denzel and Pauletta Washington

Marriage veterans Denzel and Pauletta Washington have been married for 38 years and counting, and rarely, if ever, hear about their marriage being the topic of national discussion. We love their love.

08

Magic and Cookie Johnson

Magic and Cookie remain a positive example of black marriage at its finest and have proven to be professionals when it comes to keeping their personal lives private.

09

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance have been happily married for 24 years and counting. What we love most about their love is that they prefer to keep it to themselves and let their outstanding onscreen work do all of the talking.

10

Samuel Jackson and LaTanya Richardson

If you want to know about how screen king Samuel L. Jackson gets into character, he’s game to talk about it, but steer clear of asking about his home life with his beautiful wife, actress LaTanya Richardson.