Denzel Washington Has Been Married For 40 Years – And Here’s Exactly How He’s Made It Work
Hollywood isn’t exactly renowned for its stable relationships — but don’t tell that to Denzel Washington. He and his wife, Pauletta, have bucked the trend and stayed together for 40 years. And even though the Oscar-winning actor is intensely private, he has revealed exactly how he’s made his marriage work.
The fateful first date
It seems that Denzel has been just as dependable in his private life as in his professional career. After all, the star has been married to the same woman for 40 years, and the couple met six years before their wedding day. Denzel met Pauletta (née Pearson) during the filming of his on-screen debut, the TV movie Wilma, in 1977. The pair began dating a year later — after a fortuitous turn of events.
Catching his eye
Denzel told Live with Kelly and Ryan, "I had talked at [a] party about going to see a play. I went to see the play, and at intermission, the lights came up and [Pauletta] was sitting [there]. She said she just happened to go see the play..." he let the viewers make up their own minds about whether or not that was a coincidence! But their first date happened shortly after.
The first date dilemma
And the couple is still arguing —playfully — about what happened on that first date. When Denzel appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2017, he joked that Pauletta thinks she paid on the first date — but Denzel says that he paid. The Oscar winner later clarified that he paid for the meal, but Pauletta had to cover the cab fare. Either way, the pair must have had quite the connection.
Can't help falling in love
The acting duo has remained tight-lipped about this early part of their relationship. But in a joint appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996, Pauletta did reveal why she fell for Denzel. “I thought he was cute, but I fell in love with his spirit really,” she told the host. “That I saw first, and then I thought, ‘Hmmm not a bad package.’”
