ICYMI, Mila Kunis' PDA For Ashton Kutcher Tends To Be Pretty One-Sided
ICYMI, Mila Kunis' PDA For Ashton Kutcher Tends To Be Pretty One-Sided
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher certainly took their time making things official, but four years since tying the knot and two kids later, it’s looking like it was well worth the wait.
Quick refresher: The couple met on That '70s Show in 1998, where their characters, Jackie and Michael, dated. In fact, because they played love interests, 19-year-old Ashton was 14-year-old Mila’s first kiss. Seems like a natural way for sparks to fly, right? Well, it would have been, if not for the age gap that Ashton described as “really weird.” Back then, their offscreen relationship was something more of a big-bro/little-sis situation, in which Ashton would help Mila with her chem homework. (Aw.)
Years later—as in over a decade later, in 2012—after Ashton married and separated from Demi Moore and Mila called it quits with her long-term boyfriend, Macaulay Culkin, the two reconnected at an awards show and started hooking up. As objectively hot as I can safely say that was, Mila and Ashton got over it pretty quickly and decided to DTR.
Since then, despite making only a few red-carpet appearances as a duo, Ashton and Mila have become poster children for matches made in primetime television. But when so much of a relationship is under wraps, how can you guarantee it's a sure thing?
That's where Terri Orbuch, PhD, author of 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage From Good to Great and professor at Oakland University in Michigan, comes in. She's the only person who can suss out what’s really going on behind the scenes of a celebrity marriage, thanks to her expertise in reading body language. Here's what she has to say about the pretty private couple:
1) Mila's affection can be a bit one-sided.
There isn't a ton of PDA happening here, which makes this body language particularly interesting.
While the signs might not be obvious, Mila's lean onto Ashton and her knees angled toward him are dead giveaways about how she feels, says Orbuch. Though her attention's on the game, her body language says she's got Ashton very much on the brain, too. Ashton on the other hand is all about the game. His hands, clasped between his legs, are closing him off from Mila's affection. Then again, says Orbuch, sitting court-side for an NBA game can have that effect. So no major foul here.
2) Ashton only has eyes for Mila.
Good thing Orbuch held out hope, because Ashton's body language is totally on point here.
Completely ignoring the cameras, Ashton's way more interested in making Mila laugh than posing for a photo. "He's very much into her," says Orbuch, crediting the way Ashton is leaning toward Mila and pulling her closer to him (as if that were possible).
3) Mila is always there for Ashton, and he's all for it.
Ashton's smile while Mila fixes his hair gives Orbuch a good idea of what happens behind the scenes in the Kunis/Kutcher household. And guess what? It's really positive.
The facts: Mila and Ashton are standing close together which means they're tightly bonded and trust each other fully, says Orbuch. And Ashton's lean toward Mila shows how proud he is to have someone looking out for him (a.k.a. adjust his hat hair).
4) They tend to hold back in public...
Yeah, kissing is usually pretty obvious and positive body language, but according to Orbuch, there are a few details you may have missed. Orbuch says she can tell "they're kissing like they mean it" because they're leaning into each other, their eyes are closed (as in, they've tuned out the game to focus on each other), and Mila's hand is on Ashton's shoulder.
Buuuut, they also could be giving a little (okay, a lot) more here. Clearly they're not a couple who loves flaunting their relationship in public, and that's understandable (#respect). Ideally though, for a more meaningful kiss, their knees would be angled toward each other and Ashton would have a hand on Mila, too.
5) ...But they're still a team.
Despite Ashton and Mila's shyness when it comes to putting their love on full display, Orbuch doesn't have a doubt in her mind that the couple is on rock-solid ground.
It's casual concert body language like this where Ashton and Mila hold onto each other proves the love is there. Ashton's move is his way of reminding Mila that he has her back, and Mila leaning on him is her way of showing him that she trusts he'll always be there. Their faces are a bit nondescript (maybe the band is that emo?), but but their closeness (they both have two hands on each other this time) says all you need to know.
6) Their connection runs deep.
These are genuine looks of love, says Orbuch. "Ashton and Mila might not fall all over each other and they may not sit on each other's laps, but here you can see they are looking at each other intensely and intently." And those smiles? They don't hurt, either.
Over-the-top PDA just isn't their thing, and that's okay. Ashton and Mila clearly get each other, and if there are people out there who don't...they're totally groovy with that.
7) Time spent together is time they cherish.
This body language proves that Ashton and Mila are all for one-on-one time, says Orbuch. Their smiles are pretty big clues about how stoked they were to spend a weekend in Disney together (who wouldn't be?).
More than that, though, check out how close their heads are. This means that they're mentally on the same page: happy to be together, Orbuch explains. And as usual, they kept things low-key by placing themselves in the corner of the selfie, rather than the main event. Magical, nonetheless.