'Golden Bachelorette' proves it's never too late to find love: Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford found romance after 50
"The Golden Bachelorette" is ready to show that you can find love later in life, something that is pretty common in Hollywood.
This year's bachelorette is Joan Vassos, who first appeared as a contestant on "The Golden Bachelor," departing the show during week three due to a family emergency. Many of Hollywood's biggest stars have also been open about their romances and heartbreaks, with many of them finding love at a later stage in their life.
"By this age, people often have a better sense of who they are and what they want," Amy Laurent, professional matchmaker and author of "8 Weeks to Everlasting- How to get (and keep!) the guy you really want," told Fox News Digital about dating after 50. "This type of self-awareness should lead to better choices, which in turn means more meaningful connections and less time spent on relationships that aren’t a good fit."
Laurent expanded on the benefits of finding love later in life, explaining that most people "in their 50s have a clearer idea of their priorities" and their focus has shifted to "finding someone who has their shared interests rather than just seeking to settle down or start a family."
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"They are looking for genuine companionship and an emotional connection. They often value deep, meaningful conversations and shared experiences over superficial interactions."
Laurent noted having "shared interests in health and activity" can also be important.
"It becomes crucial to understand someone's lifestyle and energy levels to make sure you are compatible," Laurent said. "Many people want a partner who values a healthy lifestyle and enjoys activities that can be done together, whether it’s traveling, exercising or exploring new hobbies."
She went on to add that "while not the sole focus," a person's "financial values and goals" should also be taken into consideration when choosing a partner during the later stages in life, "especially when planning for retirement or managing assets."
"Having similar financial values is different than having similar 'net worth,' although in certain cases this may also matter to some individuals," she said. "Regardless, respect and equality in a partnership are crucial. Many people in their 50s seek relationships where both partners contribute equally and respect each other’s individuality and independence."
Alessandra Conti, Celebrity Matchmaker to matchmakersinthecity.com, noted that in addition to financial security and shared interests, "location also needs to be a priority when moving forward in a romance."
In the first season of "The Golden Bachelor," Gerry Turner chose Theresa Nist, both of whom are in their 70s, as his bride. The two got married after the end of their season in January 2024, but they filed for divorce just three months later in April.
"As with the baffling breakup between last year's ‘Golden Bachelor’ Gerry and his fiancée, location also needs to be a priority when moving forward in a romance," Conti told Fox News Digital. "It is essential for two people to either be willing to travel from one home base to another or to commit to starting anew in a brand-new city that is of equal distance from both families. It is essential to avoid becoming too set in their ways; sometimes a little inconvenience can bring a lot of joy and love into a life."
Here are a few celebrities who found love after turning 50.
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Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon made their red carpet debut at the Venice Film Festival premiere of "Wolfs" in 2024 after first sparking romance rumors in November 2022.
The 60-year-old actor and 31-year-old jewelry executive have remained tight-lipped about their relationship. However, a source told People in August, "He's serious about Ines. He's very happy and enjoys spending time with her."
Both Pitt and de Ramon have been married in the past. Pitt was famously married to Jennifer Aniston for five years, from 2000 to 2005, and later to Angelina Jolie for two years, from 2014 to 2016, but were together for over a decade, having started their relationship in 2004. De Ramon married "Vampire Diaries" actor Paul Wesley in 2019, with the couple finalizing their divorce in 2024 after legally separating in 2022.
John Schneider and Dee Dee Sorvino tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas wedding ceremony over the summer.
"Just when we thought our happiest days were forever behind us …. WE HAPPENED," the couple shared in a statement provided by their representative about the wedding.
Both Schneider, 64, and Sorvino, 57, lost their spouses within the past two years. Schneider lost his wife, Alicia Allain Schneider, in 2023 after a four-year battle with breast cancer, and Sorvino lost her husband, Paul Sorvino, in 2022.
"God sent a widower to a widow and a widow to a widower who [gets] it, who understands. Because I tell you what, I was ready to give it up, all of it, everything," Schneider said on the "Grace Begins, The Podcast" earlier this year. "Then just when I thought the very notion of dating or holding another hand was repulsive, I met this one, that crazy dame over there."
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Harrison Ford found his happily-ever-after at 60 years old when he crossed paths with Calista Flockhart at the 2002 Golden Globe Awards. The couple got engaged seven years later, with Ford popping the question on Valentine's Day in 2009, and were married in June 2010.
While this is Flockhart's first marriage, it is Ford's third. Ford was previously married to Mary Marquardt from 1964 to 1979, and they share two sons, Ben and Willard. He later married Melissa Mathison in 1983 before welcoming two kids, Georgia and Malcolm, and finalizing their divorce in 2004.
Those marriages didn't work out in the end, but his relationship with Flockhart continues to flourish, even after 22 years.
"My life has been enabled by my lovely wife, who has supported my passions and my dreams, and I'm grateful," Ford said in May 2023 during a speech at the Cannes Film Festival. "And you know, I love you, too. You've given my life purpose and meaning, and I'm grateful for that, so grateful."
Paul McCartney, 82, met his wife, Nancy Shevell, in 2007, when the former Beatle was 65 years old. The couple debuted their engagement on the red carpet at the Met Gala in 2011, tying the knot later that year in London in October.
"I try to be helpful as a husband too. If there's a problem, I like to be the guy that will lend some strength to it," McCartney wrote on his website in January 2023. "I'm always very happy to be the person Nancy relies on, and to be her strength when she goes through tough times."
His relationship with Shevell is McCartney's third chance at love. He was previously married to Linda Eastman, who he met in 1966 and was married to from 1969 until her death in 1998 from breast cancer. He was then married to Heather Mills from 2002 until their divorce was finalized in 2008, after separating in 2004.
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Barbra Streisand and James Brolin met after they were set up on a blind date by mutual friends in 1996, when the legendary singer was 54 and the actor was 56.
The two have been married for 26 years after tying the knot in July 1998.
"I can't tell you how lucky I am that this would happen to me so late in life," Brolin said in his wedding speech. "Every night is a new adventure. Sleeping is a waste of time. I can't wait to see her again in the morning."
Annette Bening, 66, and Warren Beatty, 87, first met in 1990, prior to working together on the film "Bugsy," and quickly hit it off. The two wound up getting hitched in 1992, two years after meeting, when Beatty was 55 and Bening was 34.
Over the course of their relationship, the couple have welcomed four children: Stephen, 32, Ben, 30, Isabel, 27, and Ella, 24. During an appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in January, Bening told the host she found Beatty to be "incredibly intelligent" and funny, saying, "That was honestly ... the biggest aphrodisiac."
"I really thought about it professionally when I first met him. I didn’t think that there would be, like, a thing between us," she said on the show. "I think marriage is like the greatest thing and greatest challenge to really make it all work and to stay together, and that is the thing that I am so, so proud of with us."
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Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton met in 2014 when they both signed on as judges on the singing competition show "The Voice." At the time, Stefani was married to Gavin Rossdale and Shelton was married to Miranda Lambert, but after both of them got divorced around the same time, they began dating in 2015.
After six years together, Stefani and Shelton tied the knot in July 2021, when she was 50 and he was 45. When on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in November 2022, Stefani said she didn't expect to find love again after her divorce.
"I was like, 'I'm going to wake up every day, I'm going to have a coffee, I'm going to take care of my kids, and then I'm going to go to bed.' Like, I'm never going to kiss anyone," she said. "I thought my life was over, and then Blake Shelton's like, 'Hey, I'm Blake Shelton.'"
"Finding a best friend, someone that is on the same plane when it comes to morals or just the way you look at life, that's the dream," she added.
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David Foster and Katharine McPhee first met in 2006 when she was a contestant on "American Idol" and he appeared as a mentor. The two reconnected nearly a decade later when they were spotted together on multiple occasions throughout 2017, later making their red carpet debut as a couple in May 2018 at the Met Gala.
The two were married a short time later, in June 2019, when Foster was 70 and McPhee was 35. His marriage to McPhee is Foster's fifth chance at love, having previously been married to B.J. Cook, Rebecca Dyer, Linda Thompson and Yolanda Hadid.
Since getting married, the couple has welcomed one son named Rennie David.
Fox News Digital's Larry Fink contributed to this report.
Original article source: 'Golden Bachelorette' proves it's never too late to find love: Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford found romance after 50
