15 Hollywood Superstars Who Married Pro Athletes

Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes are kind of the perfect pairing, in a sense. After all, both of them are professions where you're used to being under constant scrutiny, followed by the paparazzi, and judged on your every move - it's hard to explain just what that feels like to someone who hasn't experienced it. Both have super-sized salaries, which can be great when it comes to buying a luxe house, but both also have a lot of responsibilities and know that those salaries come with certain expectations. Whether they're heading to a game in another city or heading on a press tour or filming somewhere on location, they're also both used to traveling a lot for work.

So, it likely comes as no surprise that there are a ton of Hollywood celebrity and pro athlete romances. Whether they're introduced by a mutual friend or meet at some kind of work event, their paths cross, sparks fly, and the rest is history. Both are in industries where relationships can be tough, so it's twice as amazing when a couple manages to find a love that actually lasts beyond a few months.

Here are 15 amazing Hollywood star/pro athlete couples that we're totally in love with.

15 Country Cutie, Carrie Underwood And Her NHL Hubby, Mike Fisher

Fun fact - did you know that, according to People, Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher actually met at a Carrie Underwood concert? That's right - the pro hockey player came to a backstage meet-and-greet to get some quality time with the country cutie, and sparks flew.

They met back in 2008, ended up falling in love and getting married two years later, and now they have a little family and have been happily married for nearly a decade.

They've experienced a few changes since tying the knot - notably, the fact that Mike ended up retiring, since pro athletes don't have quite as long a lifespan in their career as singers do (although, right after retiring, he rejoined his former team to help them on their journey to the Stanley Cup, so who knows if that's even final). These two are totally adorable together and we have a feeling they're in it for the long haul - plus, it's likely a whole lot easier on their family dynamic now that Mike hopefully won't be on the road quite as often. Perhaps he and their son can even tag along on Carrie's tours from time to time and join her as she slays the stage in city after city.

14 'Scandal' Actress, Kerry Washington And Her Former NFL Hubby, Nnamdi Asomugha

Now that Scandal has officially wrapped, people around the world are wondering - what on earth is Kerry Washington going to do next? She's an amazing actress, but let's be honest, any role is going to seem a little underwhelming after getting to play the incredible Olivia Pope for several years. Well, while she figures out which characters to tackle next, she at least knows her real-life relationship is nowhere near as complex as Olivia's relationship with Fitz was. She met her hubby Nnamdi Asomugha back when he was playing with the Philadephia Eagles, and kept things pretty private until they decided to tie the knot in 2013 (and even that, they kept on the total down low). They now have two children together and slay any red carpet they step on together. Asomugha actually ended up retiring from the NFL, and he's trying to follow in his gorgeous wife's footsteps and giving the whole acting thing a try. Well, given that he has Kerry Washington to bounce scripts off and practice with him, we have a feeling he'll do pretty darn well. Who knows, perhaps one day they'll even end up appearing in a film together - that would be totally adorable.

13 The Ageless Gabrielle Union Married NBA Superstar, Dwyane Wade (Her Second Athlete Marriage)

It seems that Gabrielle Union has a bit of a thing for professional athletes - and hey, who are we to judge? Everyone has a type, and is fit and successful is your type, power to you! Back in her younger years, she married NFL player Chris Howard, and the marriage lasted around 4-5 years. (And, according to Bay State Banner, she also actually dated Jason Kidd back in high school, before he got in the NBA - talk about a crazy coincidence!). She continued to rock it in the entertainment industry, getting a ton of fantastic roles in both film and television, and eventually ended up meeting basketball superstar Dwyane Wade.

The two have definitely had a bit of a tumultuous relationship - they started dating in 2009, split around 2013, then got back together and ended up tying the knot.

During the time they were broken up, Wade had a child with another woman, but Union was mature and managed to embrace the blended family with total class. Now, they've been together for just under 4 years, and they're going strong - if you don't follow them both on Instagram yet, you totally need to, because the amount of silly photos and videos they post of their life together is just amazing.

12 Blonde Bombshell, Kate Upton Is Off The Market - She Married MLB Pitcher, Justin Verlander

When Kate Upton first stepped onto the scene as a teenage bombshell, the world immediately fell in love with her gorgeous face and crazy curves. She started in swimwear modeling, then eventually progressed to acting, managing to snag roles in a few box office hits like The Other Woman alongside Leslie Mann and Cameron Diaz. She's young and many assumed she'd just play the field for a while, but she ended up finding a pitcher that really caught her eye, and the rest is history! She began dating MLB pitcher Justin Verlander in 2014, and despite her young age, she ended up taking the plunge and marrying him just a few short years later in 2017. And, fun fact - according to Cheatsheet, they actually almost missed the wedding because Verlander's team made Game 7 of the world series. Upton dished about the crazy situation on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, saying that everyone was texting the two of them, already waiting in Italy and enjoying the pre-wedding festivities. Luckily, although Verlander ended up having to skip the World Series victory parade, they ended up making it to Italy for the wedding. I mean, you can't exactly miss your own wedding, especially when people are flying all the way to Italy!

11 Actress, Hayden Panettiere, And Hubby Boxer, Wladimir Klitschko Certainly Have Quite The Height Difference

Hayden Panettiere is definitely no stranger to the crazy environment of Hollywood. After all, she first started acting when she was just a child, scoring quite a few major roles on soap operas and in films before she was even old enough to learn how to drive or order a drink at the bar. She also earned plenty of fans with her fantastic television roles on Heroes and Nashville.

She ended up meeting boxer Wladimir Klitschko, who is 13 years her senior, at a book launch for a mutual friend back in 2009.

They began dating when Panettiere was just 20, ended up splitting for a while, and then got back together in 2013 and got engaged. They had their daughter together not long after, and Panettiere is now a mom and wife. It's crazy to think of all she's accomplished before the age of 30! These two are definitely an interesting pair, given their size difference, but they obviously make it work and seem completely crazy in love, which is adorable. We're not sure if Panettiere will ever manage to learn perfect Russian and be able to chat with Klitschko's family, but you'd better believe she'll be in the front row ringside for all his matches, cheering him on.

10 Singer Turned Fashion Icon, Victoria Beckham Married Soccer Superstar, David Beckham - Now, They're Britain's Golden Couple

I mean, is there any athlete/celebrity duo quite as iconic as Posh and Becks? They're basically British royalty! They met back when David Beckham was without a doubt the biggest soccer star on the planet, and Victoria was part of the pop supergroup Spice Girls, and though their careers have evolved since then, their love has remained just as strong as ever. Victoria talked about their relationship with Popsugar, saying that "we travel a lot with our respective businesses and charitable commitments, but we always make time for each other as a couple and as a family. David and I have nothing to prove. We love each other, look out for each other and are strong as both partners and parents." Aww! And David's story is just as adorable. He discussed their meeting on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, saying "I just wanted to meet one of them [the Spice Girls[ and the one I wanted to meet was Victoria. I was in a hotel room with my best friend, who was my best man at my wedding, and I remember turning around before I even met Victoria and said 'I want to marry that one, the one in the black dress, the one with the bob." Talk about love at first sight!

9 Model Turned Actress, Brooklyn Decker Found Love With Tennis Player, Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick is a total pro when it comes to his game on the tennis court - the man has racked up millions and millions in prize money over the course of his career, and we have a feeling that he'll be just as successful now that he's hung up his racket to pursue other things. However, his wife Brooklyn Decker wasn't exactly tripping over her feet to date him, even if he was a wildly successful pro athlete. She spilled their story to The Daily Mail, saying that Roddick ended up seeing her on a talk show promoting a project, falling for the blonde bombshell, and having his agent give her agent a call.

She was a little wary that he was just another player (pun intended), so she didn't call him back until five months later after Roddick kept persisting and trying to convince her to go on a date with him.

The rest is history - they have a child together now, and Brooklyn has hung up her bikinis to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. We have no doubt that both of them will be successful in whatever fields they pursue, and they both seem to support one another completely, which is refreshing.

8 The Gorgeous Noureen DeWulf Married NHL Player, Ryan Miller (And Appeared On The Reality Show 'Hockey Wives')

You may have seen the stunning Noureen DeWulf in her roles in Anger Management or The Back-up Plan, but fans really got to know her on a whole different level when she agreed to join the cast of the reality show Hockey Wives. And, obviously, she had to be with a hockey player in order to snag that role - she's been married to NHL goaltender Ryan Miller since 2011, and the duo has an adorable baby together. When chatting with the Toronto Sun, she got real about the other wives and the players and discussed the fact that so many of Miller's teammates seemed to be getting married quite young. DeWulf's theory is that "perhaps having someone with them when they're in and out of hotels and after games gives them a sense of comfort. A lot of the women in their lives, they've known since they were in high school. They really need stability. These guys are regimented, they need habits, not having stability doesn't work for their mentality." Luckily, Miller has his gorgeous wife to come home to, and to join him on the road whenever she's not too busy filming - and we just have to say, they're totally adorable together.

7 Two Canadian Cuties - Actress, Elisha Cuthbert Married NHL Player, Dion Phaneuf

There's something so amazing about the fact that an actress who is originally from Canada ended up marrying a fellow Canadian NHL player. I mean, you can take the girl out of Canada, but you can't take Canada out of the girl, right? Forget football players and basketball players - a hockey player was the only option for the Canadian cutie. Cuthbert began dating Phaneuf in the late 2000s, according to Popsugar, and they got engaged after about five years of dating then married less than a year later in 2013. And, they didn't shed their Canadian roots to head straight to the most luxurious spot in Beverly Hills for the ceremony. Nope - they picked a small church in Summerfield, Prince Edward Island.

The spot had a lot of meaning for them because they spent a lot of their time in the summer in Prince Edward Island, which is where Phaneuf's parents are originally from, so it seemed like a great pick for their big day.

They've been married five years now, and recently had their first child together. And, it definitely doesn't hurt that Phaneuf currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings, which means Elisha can be close to the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.

6 Actress, Joanna Garcia Found Love With MLB Player, Nick Swisher

JoAnna Garcia has basically been on television since she was a teenager. She got her start on shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Freaks and Geeks, then moved on to Reba, then spent some time on Privileged, Better With You and Once Upon A Time. I mean, the woman has basically just jumped from show to show with very little time in between - truly impressive. Given how long she'd been in Hollywood, you might assume that she'd find someone else in the entertainment industry as a partner - but she surprised everyone by starting to date pro baseball player Nick Swisher in 2009, according to People. They ended up getting engaged less than a year after they started dating, and married just a few months after that - when you know, you know! The couple now has two adorable daughters together and Nick retired in 2015. He's moved on to an in front of the camera role, working as an analyst for one of the networks, so he has a lot more perspective on what his wife does for a living now. After all, the pressure of performing in a major game is a lot, but the pressure of being on camera is no joke either.

5 Dancer And Actress, Julianne Hough Recently Tied The Knot With NHL Player, Brooks Laich

Even though she didn't even date him for that long - about three years or so - most people associate Julianne Hough with Ryan Seacrest because their relationship was so high profile. They were both super glossy, a total Hollywood power couple. However, a year or so after they split, Hough started dating NHL player Brooks Laich, and sparks definitely flew.

The two got engaged in 2015 and were married just under two years later, in 2017.

Though he's getting a bit up there in professional athlete years at 34, Laich is still an active athlete, so Hough may just have to move a few more times to be with her hubby wherever he's playing. However, once he decides to retire, we have a feeling they'll settle in Los Angeles so she can continue to pursue things in the entertainment industry. Or, who knows - maybe she'll want to switch to a more quiet, private life if they decide to have children, and they'll want to head back to her native Utah. Either way, these two are super cute and look like they're totally in love - it's pretty impressive how she's managed to transition from just a dancer to a multi-talented dancer and actress, so we can't wait to see where her career goes next.

4 Pop Star, Jessica Simpson Ended Up With A Football Player, Eric Johnson

There's no doubt about it - no matter what else she does in her life, no matter how long she's married, Jessica Simpson's most memorable relationship will likely always be to fellow pop star Nick Lachey. I mean, the two had a reality show together that documented their new marriage, they did duets, they were basically the Britney and Justin of the pop world (if Britney and Justin had stayed together and worked together on songs). However, things didn't end up working out, and Jessica gave up musicians for good, instead dating NFL player Tony Romo for a few years before finding her forever partner in football player Eric Johnson. Like many of the athletes who begin dating celebrities when they're later in their careers, Johnson has since retired and is focused on being a great husband and dad to their two children. Who knows - perhaps he'll follow in Nnamdi Asomugha's shoes and decide to enter his wife's industry. Does anyone know if Johnson can carry a tune or not? Simpson has proven she's not opposed to doing a duet with her partner, so perhaps that can be his big debut in the music scene - we'd certainly be curious to hear that song!

3 Reality Queen, Kristin Cavallari Fell For NFL Quarterback, Jay Cutler

We have to admit - never in a million years did we imagine reality queen Kristin Cavallari would end up marrying a pro athlete, but sure enough, she did! They started dating in 2010 and got married just a few years later in 2013 when Cavallari was still in her mid-20s. And, they certainly didn't waste any time in starting a family - they had their first son, Camden, before the wedding, and two more children, Jaxon and Saylor, followed after.

While they've been going strong for five years now, Cavallari is the first to admit that a good relationship takes work.

In an exclusive with Us, Cavallari said that "honestly, I think communication [is crucial] and it's so much easier said than done. I know that Jay and I have to make a conscious effort. You have to put in work for a relationship. You can't just get complacent and lazy. You have to still value and appreciate the other person. I think that when you don't that's probably when you start to get in trouble. And, I mean, we have our issues. Our relationship isn't perfect. But we love each other and we work on it and we make a conscious choice to work on the relationship and I think that's what you just have to do." Wise words!

2 International Sensation, Shakira Married Spanish Soccer Superstar, Gerard Pique

Did you know that singer Shakira and her soccer-playing hubby Gerard Pique actually met on the set of Shakira's "Waka Waka" music video, the song she sang as the theme song for the 2010 Fifa World Cup? Talk about the perfect meeting ground, considering both their careers! They got together in 2011 and now have two children together. Like many couples who are constantly scrutinized by the public, the two had to weather some breakup rumors a few months ago, but their teams were quick to squash that line of conversation. An insider spilled the details to Us, saying that "anyone around them could see that the split rumors from last year were pure BS. They literally looked like they were on their honeymoon! They were absolutely inseparable and squeezed in a hug or kiss whenever or wherever they could. It was adorable." Shakira is fortunate enough to be able to travel and work on music around the world if she wants, so she can easily follow her hot young hubby around to watch his games or travel to whatever city he's playing for. It definitely makes it easier. While most actresses have to be able to spend significant amounts of time in Los Angeles for work, singers have the option to be a little more flexible.

1 Supermodel, Gisele Bundchen Is Just As Famous As Her NFL Quarterback Hubby, Tom Brady

No list of celebrity/athlete couples would be complete without supermodel Gisele Bundchen and quarterback extraordinary Tom Brady. I mean, the two seems so perfect they aren't even real.

Still, she makes her own money, and she's not about to take a step back in her own career to cater to her pro athlete hubby.

She's definitely front and center at all the major games, cheering Tom on and even snapping at the press if they dare question his gameplay, but she's also continuing to slay in campaigns. The two definitely have a bit of an interesting personal life - everyone knows they both follow super strict diets, which can't make for too much fun eating out on date nights - but they obviously make a great team. At this point, both have more money in the bank than they could ever possibly spend, so who knows - perhaps when Tom decides to retire from the NFL, Gisele will take a step back in her modeling career as well, and the whole Brady-Bundchen family will head to a private island in some tropical locale to live out the rest of their years. Or, who knows, maybe they'll get a reality show - the possibilities are endless for this high profile couple.

References: cheatsheet.com, si.com, hellomagazine.com, stylecaster.com