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Hollywood was all about #CoupleGoals back in the '90s. There were Winona Ryder and Johnny Depp who hit it off while filming Edward Scissorhands, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis who stayed friends even after their divorce, young sweethearts Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, then music's controversial pairs, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, and Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley.There were also underrated matches like Friends star Courteney Cox and Batman actor Michael Keaton. Unlike most couples at the time, the two managed to stay off the tabloids. Here's how.
How Did Courteney Cox & Michael Keaton Meet?
In a 1995 interview with People, Cox revealed that she first met Keaton in 1989 when she was introduced to him by a friend. She'd been a fan of the actor since she first saw him in 1988's Clean and Sober. She was 25 and he was 38. They had their first date at the actress' house where they "talked for five hours," recalled Cox. "We talked about our dream homes — the great ones we'd seen and the kind we'd like to build ourselves."
That same night, she discovered that they "were sympathetic on so many levels," that "If something weird happened, we would turn to each other and just say, 'I know.'"
Despite having a 13-year age gap, Cox said that she and Keaton enjoyed the same things and bonded over regular things. "The things we liked to do were all in the neighborhood," she shared. They also practiced scripts together throughout their relationship. "He always came up with the most clever ways of making a line funny," said the Scream star. "No matter how upset or pissed off I was, Michael could make a little face and crack me up."
Why Did Courteney Cox & Michael Keaton Break Up?
At the time of Cox's People interview, she had just broken up with the Beetlejuice actor after five and a half years of dating. Still, she only had nice things to say about their time together.
"It's the most important relationship I've ever had, and I think he's the most wonderful person I've ever met," she said, with tears in her eyes. "We still love each other." However, she also noted that "nothing about our relationship was ever simple." A year later, the actress told Ladies Home Journal the real reason she and Keaton broke up.
"Our lifestyles are very different," Cox explained to the magazine. "We just have different personalities. I don't want to tell too much about him because he's a very private person ... and he's not quite as impulsive as I am about making decisions." Despite keeping their relationship low-key, tabloids immediately targeted them after their split. Back then, the Shining Vale star was rumored to be "rebounding into the arms of actor Christian Slater," per People.
She denied the rumors while speaking to the publication, saying: "Christian and I have been friends for eight years." They merely attended a book party for Gore Vidal one night which was followed by a friendly dinner.
Who Are Courteney Cox & Michael Keaton Dating Now?
Following her split from Keaton, Cox started dating David Arquette after working together on 1996's Scream. They tied the knot in 1999 and later split in 2010. They currently co-parent their only child, Coco. In 2013, the actress found new love in Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid. The two have been in a steady relationship since.
In January 2022, Cox gushed about her longtime partner while speaking to People. "[McDaid] is a great listener. And I've never met someone more patient," she told the outlet. "He's a great advice-giver. I love his heart, his intentions. His morals. He's extremely talented and obviously musical, but he's a poet and a writer. He's just so smart, and I find that really sexy. And then he is gorgeous."
Meanwhile, as of 2022, Keaton isn't dating anyone. His last-known public relationship was right after Cox. In 2003, he dated Audra Lynn for only a month. The 70-year-old was previously married to late actress Caroline McWilliams from 1982 to 1990.
They have a son named Sean whom Keaton once described as "a great guy because of her [McWilliams]." He also noted that he and his son have "always been tight, but the bond's even tighter, we're family."