This actress has been with her cinematographer husband for over two decades, but their relationship didn’t begin without controversy.
Early in their romance, the cinematographer’s ex-wife, makeup artist Vera Steimberg, claimed that the actress had stolen her husband and even paid her off to secure the divorce.
The star, one of Hollywood’s most beautiful and talented actresses, had been linked to several high-profile men before finding her match in this cinematographer. She was briefly engaged to Kiefer Sutherland and married to musician Lyle Lovett.
Other rumored relationships included actors Liam Neeson, Dylan McDermott, Matthew Perry, and Jason Patric. However, it wasn’t until the year 2000, when she met the cinematographer on the set of The Mexican, that her life changed dramatically.
This actress is Julia Roberts. At the time, Roberts was in a relationship with actor Benjamin Bratt, while the cinematographer, Danny Moder, was still married to his wife Vera Steimberg. Their connection was instant, though they didn’t begin dating right away. Moder filed for divorce six months after meeting Roberts, but the process was not smooth as Steimberg initially refused to grant him a divorce.
Reflecting on their early days, Roberts described finding Moder as a life-changing experience, filled with both “comfort and terror.” She explained in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar: “Terror because the person I want to impress most is looking right at me.”
Despite the rumors swirling around them, Roberts dismissed the speculation, noting that people made many assumptions about her love life. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Roberts clarified that she didn’t break up Moder’s marriage, but admitted that the public targeted her because she was an easy scapegoat.
Winfrey pressed Roberts about the nature of her relationship with Moder and how it began. Roberts explained that they had been friends for a long time before their relationship turned romantic, and working on a movie together brought them closer.
She admitted that falling in love with a friend was difficult, especially since Moder was still married at the time. She insisted, however, that both she and Moder made sure to end their previous relationships before fully committing to each other.
Eventually, Moder and Steimberg finalized their divorce, and Roberts and Moder began their relationship. In Roberts’ view, they had resolved their personal issues separately, allowing them to truly fall in love with each other. Despite Steimberg’s claim that Roberts had stolen her husband and her prediction that their relationship wouldn’t last, Roberts and Moder proved her wrong.
Reports surfaced that Roberts allegedly paid Steimberg $200,000 to sign the divorce papers, per the New York Post. According to Steimberg, Roberts pressured her into signing, desperate to have Moder to herself. Nevertheless, the media portrayal of Roberts as the “husband-stealer” did not deter the couple from pursuing their relationship.
Roberts often describes Moder as the person who changed her life for the better. Before him, she admits she was selfish and career-driven, but he helped her shift her priorities.
Roberts and Moder married in 2002, in a surprise ceremony at her ranch in New Mexico. Their guests, expecting a Fourth of July party, were treated to a wedding instead. The couple kept things simple, with Roberts wearing a pastel pink halter dress decorated with pearls and flowers, and Moder donning a red ruffled shirt and brown pants.
Though their romance began with drama, Roberts couldn’t be happier to share her life with Moder. After their wedding, she described herself as the happiest and most content she had ever been.
During her interview with Winfrey, Roberts constantly praised Moder for allowing her to be her true self and for helping her appreciate the quieter, more intimate aspects of life, away from the Hollywood spotlight.
Winfrey acknowledged Roberts as one of the rare Hollywood stars who successfully built a happy life with someone outside the industry, showing that true contentment in love is possible, even under the harsh glare of public scrutiny.
