Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary with a daring shirtless selfie and heart-melting tributes to each other that prove their love is still strong over three decades on.
The couple first met on the set of Bosom Buddies in 1981 and reunited on the 1985 film Volunteers, where they quickly fell in love and tied the knot three years later.
Decades of love
The Forrest Gump star posted a sweet selfie of the pair smiling and swimming during their Mediterranean getaway, with Tom showcasing his shirtless chest adorned with dog tags, while Rita donned a black bikini.
“37 years married. Today! Love you, Mrs. – Mr. T Hanks,” he captioned the post, which has garnered over 200,000 likes.
His wife posted her own tribute on Instagram, writing, “Happy 37th Anniversary my love!!!” alongside several rainbow-colored hearts. Her chosen picture was decidedly more demure and saw the lovebirds rugged up in beanies and scarves as they stood in a lush green field.
© InstagramTheir A-lister friends took to the comment section to congratulate Tom and Rita on their anniversary, with Demi Moore, Octavia Spencer and Michelle Pfeiffer simply posting heart emojis, while legendary singer Gloria Gaynor wrote, “God bless you both. Happy Anniversary.”
Tom opened up about falling in love with the Now and Then star, sharing that they both knew it was meant to be. “Rita and I just looked at each other and — kaboing — that was that,” Tom told GQ. “I asked Rita if it was the real thing for her, and it just couldn’t be denied.”
They went on to welcome sons Chet and Truman, and Rita became the loving stepmother of Tom’s older kids Colin and E.A., whom he welcomed with his first wife, Samantha Lewes.
The secret to their lasting marriage
© Variety via Getty ImagesMany fans have asked what the secret to their long and happy marriage is, and the father of four admitted that it all came down to three key elements.
“The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity and our willingness to have an intimate connection,” he told Oprah.
“When I married Rita, I thought, ‘This is going to require some change on my part.’ I won’t deny that providence was part of us finding each other, but our relationship isn’t magic — the way it’s shown in movies.”
© Getty ImagesHe added: “In real life, our connection is as concrete as me sitting here. Not that marriage doesn’t come close to being hell in a handbasket sometimes. But we both know that no matter what, we’ll be with each other — and we’ll get through it.”
For Rita, it’s Tom’s humour that has kept the romance alive for so long. “One of the things, when we met, was that we just got along instantly,” she shared on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “First of all, I love a good storyteller. So anybody who could tell a good story, I’m down with that…I love that. He makes me laugh all the time. He’s a great storyteller.”
The pair have built a production empire together, joining forces to work on projects like the My Big Fat Greek Wedding trilogy.
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