Think of the rom-coms you’ve seen in the last decade, and chances are Cameron Diaz has been in at least a couple of them. From There’s Something About Mary to The Other Woman, the actress has earned her place in Hollywood with her acting chops, goofiness and girl-next-door charisma. While she arguably could have landed pretty much any guy on the planet, she waited until her 40s to get married.
In a panel discussion at the Goop Wellness Summit, founder and moderator Gwyneth Paltrow questioned Cameron’s decision to postpone marriage, and her response was so levelheaded and frankly inspiring—particularly for anyone who feels the immense societal pressure to settle down. “I think it’s a matter of I just hadn’t met my husband, you know?” Cameron said, referencing Good Charlotte guitarist and singer Benji Madden, whom she married two years ago after a 17-day engagement.
She went on to describe the rare connection she shares with Benji—that is, compared to other long-term relationships she’s had in years past. “We women are objectified so much. Somehow my husband has just been able to kind of show me what it’s like not to have that be a part of a relationship, and being an equal,” she said. “I never experienced that before. I’d never been loved in that way. I look at him every day and he inspires me—he works so hard. I feel so lucky.”
We think equality in a relationship is worth waiting for, too.
