As with anything over a long period of time, social norms surrounding marriage have changed and are still changing. Fifty years ago, the nuclear family was still normal, and people were expected to marry in their early 20s and settle down. Now, couples may be together for decades without marrying at all. This is true with Marvel star Don Cheadle and his longtime partner, Bridgid Coulter, as the couple got married last year, after spending 28 years together beforehand. While you may think the marriage would be only a romantic gesture, there's actually a pretty funny (and practical) reason behind the union as well.
Apparently, there wasn’t some planned, grand romantic proposal from either of the lovebirds. In an interview with ET Online, where he spoke about his new film Space Jam: A New Legacy, Don Cheadle explained that it actually wasn’t even his or his now-wife’s idea to get hitched but someone else close to the couple. Here’s what the actor says exactly:
Our accountant proposed to both of us and he showed us the numbers, and we said yeah, we should probably do it.
That's one hell of an accountant. While it may be unexpected that a marriage proposal comes from someone outside of the couple getting married, it sounds like it’s just what the pair needed to take the plunge. Even though Don Cheadle and Bridgid Coulter had plenty of love in their life together without the piece of paper, there are perks that come from marriage, which their accountant undoubtedly pointed out in his proposal.
Apparently, this final proposal was not the only time the couple’s accountant would bring up the possibility of marriage to the two. In the same interview, Don Cheadle went on to explain that his accountant had actually been pretty persistent when it came to bringing up an official union between the two. Here’s what Cheadle says on that front:
It came up a lot of times. But every time, we were like, 'But we're already together?' He's like, 'Yeah, but this is a better reason to be together.' Really it's because our accountant proposed to us, I wish there were some big sweet romantic story, but the romance happened, you know, the first year.
Getting married 20+ years into a relationship can still absolutely be romantic, though. Don Cheadle says the romantic love story between him and his wife happened in the first year, so maybe the marriage last year would be more comparable to a vow renewal some couples have years after their wedding. So even though their accountant technically proposed, it doesn’t at all mean the romance was dead surrounding their “practical” marriage. And as they embark on this new chapter, we'll them nothing but happiness in the years to come.
