In Hollywood, things seem to move a lot faster when it comes to relationships than they do for us regular folk. Maybe it’s the whirlwind nature of the business, the fact that you’re filming pretty closely with costars or the recognition that, since you’re surrounded by beautiful people 24/7, you need to lock this one down ASAP!
Whatever the case, the expiry date for most Hollywood marriages is pretty short, and those who do manage to make it past five, 10, or even 20 years earn the public’s seal of approval.
But we’re not here to talk about marriages – we’re talking about the before part, the time when you become engaged, with a big ol’ ring on your finger and a Facebook status change. While those of us who aren’t so rich and famous can spend years engaged, planning and saving for the perfect wedding, celebrities are not so restricted by finances or empty saving accounts.
In fact, since their schedules can be so demanding, a quick engagement is preferable to waiting. The longest of our “short” celebrity engagements is a pretty reasonable six months while the most OMG barely-there engagement is just 24 hours (if that)!
Does the length of an engagement impact the success rate of a marriage? Take a look and see!
20 George Clooney & Amal Alamuddin: Six Months
In comparison to the rest of the celebrity engagements on this list, six months for George and Amal Clooney (née Alamuddin) is practically an eternity! However, this one earns the distinction of being the first on our list because George had basically sworn off marriage and had a reputation for being a lifetime Lothario who bedded dozens of beautiful women in high-profile romances before cutting them loose (or vice-versa).
In April 2014, the actor popped the question to the human rights lawyer after six months of dating, and it was another six months before they tied the knot in an official ceremony in Venice, Italy.
19 Ariana Grande & Pete Davidson: About Four Months
Ah, arguably the most high-profile and fraught relationship in recent memory, Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande had everyone clutching their pearls when they got engaged in June, less than a month after they began dating.
There were matching tattoos (and multiple ones on Pete commemorating Ariana), sappy posts on Instagram, a new song from Ariana titled, appropriately “Pete Davidson,” a shared pet pig ...
And then they split.
After roughly four months of being engaged and having everyone dissect every facet of their relationship, they pulled the plug. Pete continued to make jokes about the situation on Saturday Night Love, and Ariana released a new song called “Thank U, Next”.
18 Scarlett Johansson & Ryan Reynolds: Four Months
Before Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively were husband and wife and parents to two of the most adorable children in Hollywood (and that's saying something), he was engaged (and married) to the equally breathtaking Scarlett Johansson.
After a little more than a year of dating, Ryan proposed to the Oscar-nominated actress and did what he failed to do with ex-fiancée Alanis Morissette, which was to actually walk down the aisle just four months later!
They exchanged vows in true Canadian fashion, in a small ceremony just outside of Vancouver. But, after less than two years together, they separated.
17 Nikki Reed & Ian Somerhalder: Four Months
Nikki Reed does not like long engagements! Prior to her marriage to actor Ian Somerhalder (to whom she was engaged for just four months), Nikki had another fiancé, American Idol alum Paul McDonald, whom she had known for less than a year before walking down the aisle!
But back to Nikki and Ian: After a brief dating period in the summer of 2014, the couple announced their engagement the following January before proceeding to get married in a gorgeous ceremony in Malibu in April 2015.
And, unlike quite a few people on this list, they’re still going strong, and welcomed a daughter in July 2017, named Bodhi Soleil Reed Somerhalder.
16 Renée Zellweger & Kenny Chesney: Four Months
Renée Zellweger has an interesting history when it comes to relationships, to say the least. A few notable former beaus include Jim Carrey, Bradley Cooper, and Jack White before she wed country singer Kenny Chesney.
The pair met after the Concert for Hope tsunami relief benefit in January 2005 before tying the knot in May of that year in front of 35 close friends and family.
Rather than cite “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their divorce, four months later Renée claimed “fraud” on her application, and asked for the courts not to award spousal support to Kenny (whom we haven’t really heard from since!).
15 Reese Witherspoon & Jim Toth: Three Months
Reese Witherspoon had already tied the knot before to former co-star Ryan Phillippe when she was in her early twenties; a union that gave the pair two beautiful children (who just happen to look like doppelgangers of their famous parents!)
While this might lead some to wait a bit longer the second time around, Reese dove right into the approach of “when you know, you know" with talent agent, Jim Toth.
After getting engaged in December 2010, the couple tied the knot three months later in March in front of 120 guests, with her two kids by her side. They're still together and added to their brood, welcoming son Tennessee in September 2012.
14 Kaley Cuoco & Ryan Sweeting: Three Months
It seems that three was quite the unlucky number when it came to Kaley Cuoco’s relationship with Ryan Sweeting which has since ended in divorce:
The couple got engaged after three months of dating, made things official three months later on New Year’s Eve, and separated only 21 months later, and, if you know your basic math, you’ll recognize that 2 + 1 = 3. Creepy!
For what it’s worth, after splitting from tennis player Ryan (who allegedly was dealing with a series of substance issues), Kaley has since found love again, this time with professional equestrian Karl Cook, whom she wed after seven months of being engaged.
13 Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries: Three Months
In something that has to be a record somewhere, Kim Kardashian was engaged to basketball star Kris Humphries for longer than she was married to him! While their engagement of 90 days might seem quick for some, it’s nothing compared to her infamous 72-day marriage!
The couple (the second of Kim’s three marriages) met in New York in 2010 before Kris popped the question in May 2011. Three months later, they tied the knot in a lavish, multi-million-dollar televised ceremony in California and, as we all know, Kim filed to split just 72 days later.
12 Britney Spears & Kevin Federline: Three Months
Immediately prior to Britney Spears’ 2007 breakdown was Kevin Federline. The pop star and the backup dancer had only been dating a few months when Britney subverted the stereotype and asked K-Fed – as he became known – to marry her.
Initially, Kevin refused because he didn’t think she should be the one asking, and eventually got down on one knee minutes later.
Three months later, they wed in a secret ceremony that included matching velour tracksuits on its list of attire.
Two kids and two years later, the couple split and Britney later admitted that the marriage had been a mistake, saying, “I just did it for the idea of everything.”
11 Naya Rivera & Ryan Dorsey: Less Than Three Months
2013 was a rough year for actress Naya Rivera, who has been none too successful in the relationship department. That year, the Glee actress was engaged to rapper Big Sean, called it off, accused him of cheating and stealing, and then had him calling her a paranoid liar.
Months later, she wed longtime friend Ryan Dorsey in a beachside ceremony, in the dress she was supposed to wear for her wedding to Big Sean!
After almost four years, two divorce filings, (and a few arrests), the couple are since divorced and co-parenting the child they share together, son Josey Hollis Dorsey.
10 Jeffrey Dean Morgan & Mary-Louise Parker: Two Months
How’s this for a couple you probably never knew even existed? Actors Jeffrey Dean Morgan (of Grey’s Anatomy, The Walking Dead, and Supernatural fame) and Mary-Louise Parker (of Weeds) met on the set of her aforementioned show in 2006 and dated on and off for a while.
They got engaged in February 2008, but by April of the same year, they had called it quits, but not before adopting a baby together!
Mary-Louise already had a son from a previous relationship and adopted a daughter from Ethiopia in September 2007, during her relationship with Jeffrey. (We assume that the adoption was done solely on her behalf, as he has made no mention of the child.)
9 Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon: About One Month
Chanteuse Mariah Carey has always had a flair for the dramatic, and what’s more dramatic than being engaged to someone 10 years your junior for only a month before making things official?
The pair met at the Teen Choice Awards in 2005 but didn’t start dating until March 2008, where things subsequently took off! By April 30 of that year, the couple surprised everyone by eloping in the Bahamas.
They later had two children together, twins Monroe and Moroccan, before Nick filed for divorce in 2014 after six years of marriage.
Mariah has since been engaged, to billionaire James Packer, but she called off that wedding – and kept the ring!
8 Miranda Kerr & Orlando Bloom: One Month
This gorgeous couple gave the tabloids a fair share of drama towards the end of their marriage. Victoria Secret model Miranda Kerr and actor Orlando Bloom had been dating for about three years from 2007 to 2010 before deciding to get engaged in June 2010 and marrying just one month later!
Son Flynn followed shortly afterward, in January of the following year. But alas, this striking pair was not to be. After three years together, they announced their separation, Orlando got into a bar brawl with Justin Bieber over his ex (while casually seeing Bieber ex Selena Gomez), and Miranda later moved on and married Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel.
7 Gisele Bundchen & Tom Brady: One Month
Maybe there’s something in the water over at Victoria Secret that drives models to have extremely short engagements, because supermodel Gisele Bundchen is the second on our list to wait only one month before tying the knot with NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
The couple got engaged in January 2009 and married the following February, but there was one fly in the ointment: Tom’s ex-girlfriend, actress Bridget Moynahan. While Tom and Gisele began dating in 2007, shortly after he split with Bridget, the actress announced that she was pregnant with Brady’s son, upping Gisele from new girlfriend to new stepmom!
6 Megan Fox & Brian Austin Green: 24 Days
Second time was the charm for this pair, whose off-and-on status extended even into their engagement! Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green met in 2004 and got engaged in November 2006, but called it off in February 2009, making their first engagement last a little over two years. The second one, however, was much shorter.
On June 1 of 2010, Brian popped the question again, Megan accepted, and they were married a few weeks later on June 24 in a tiny ceremony in Maui.
Still going strong, the low-key pair has since welcomed three children – but not before Megan filed for divorce and then called it off calling it after discovering that she was pregnant with their third. Whew!
5 Julia Roberts & Lyle Lovett: Less Than Three Weeks
A couple widely referred to as odd when they first made their debut in the early 1990s, country singer Lyle Lovett and America’s sweetheart Julie Roberts had heads scratching when they met on the set of the 1992 film The Player. The two got together, dated for three weeks, and then eloped in June 1993. They divorced less than two years later, but apparently remained as good friends!
For the record, Julia has a habit of dating and then breaking up with her costars, like Matthew Perry (after guesting on an episode of Friends), Kiefer Sutherland (after meeting on the set of Flatliners), Dylan McDermott (Steel Magnolias) and Liam Neeson (Satisfaction)!
4 Cameron Diaz & Benji Madden: 2.5 Weeks
Another couple that leaves us wondering how they got together (and have stayed together) actress Cameron Diaz and rock star Benji Madden of the band Good Charlotte met through mutual friends and got engaged after six months just before Christmas in 2014.
Considering their busy schedules, the two decided to get a jump on things and have the actual wedding during the holidays – just 17 days later! By January 2015, things were made official in a living room ceremony at their home in Los Angeles and the pair seems to be going strong despite being what some might describe as “unconventional."
3 Pamela Anderson & Tommy Lee: Four Days
According to all records, these guys were actually engaged because drummer Tommy Lee proposed to the actress and Playboy model almost immediately after he met her!
In fact, it was only 96 hours (four days for those who don’t count math among their strengths) from when they were engaged to when they actually tied the knot in a real ceremony! Oh, how the '90s were a crazy time!
While the couple didn’t last, they did have an on-again, off-again relationship that bookended her other marriage to rocker Kid Rock, and gave them two children together, sons Brandon Thomas Lee and Dylan Jagger Lee.
2 Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom: A Few Days
While the engagement was short-lived, their marriage seemed to drag on forever, thanks in large part to NBA star Lamar Odom’s substance problems and Khloe Kardashian’s unwillingness to leave him on his literal deathbed.
After knowing one another for just a month, Lamar proposed to the reality star and the two got married just days later on September 27, 2009. Naturally, like big sister Kim, the ceremony was filmed and broadcasted for their reality show, and the two further ensconced themselves in the TV genre with their own show, Khloe & Lamar.
Divorce was filed by Khloe in 2013 but wasn’t finalized until December of 2016.
1 Ludacris & Eudoxie Agnan: 24 Hours
Taking the cake for the shortest engagement possibly ever, we have rapper Ludacris and his wife Eudoxie Agnan! Seriously, these two are pretty much the definition of a “whirlwind romance,” at least as far as engagements are concerned (they wed in 2014 but had known each other since 2008).
While on a private jet, Ludacris asked Eudoxie for her hand, via a projected message from the plane onto the ground. Then, the two got married in their home as soon as they debarked!
The two remain together and, after experiencing a miscarriage, became proud parents to a daughter, Cadence, who joins two sisters from Ludacris’s previous relationships.
Sources: engagementringbible.com, seventeen.com, msn.com, popsugar.co.uk, alloy.com,
