Since the very beginning, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have been at the forefront of Hollywood’s most glamorous couples. The iconic actors have weathered numerous public meltdowns and cheating scandals, and have somehow managed to stay together. In 2015, they were even voted the sexiest couple in the world by their fans.
Their romantic story began way back in 2007, when filming on the indie drama Your Sister’s Sister (currently streaming on Netflix) brought them together. The love story continued to blossom after the film’s premiere, with Kristen even going public with her feelings for the first time in years.
“There’s always a risk with love, especially with love that is not appreciated. But at least I have appreciation. I appreciate what he’s brought to the table,” she said at the time of their engagement in 2014. “I appreciate his films. I appreciate his talent. And I appreciate his heart and his soul.”
Theirs is undoubtedly the most recognizable celebrity partnership in the world. The actors regularly attend star-studded events and have long been surrounded by a swarm of paparazzi. Their unique story has captivated audiences worldwide, and made them a hot topic for discussion even outside of Hollywood.
Inseparable Friends
The friendship between Stewart and Pattinson spans almost 10 years and is often compared to that of Edward and Bella in Twilight. The actors have long worked together, with Pattinson appearing in all of Stewart’s films and vice versa — a relationship that started when they were both 22-years-old.
When asked about their unique relationship in a 2015 interview with Vanity Fair, Pattinson responded: “It’s difficult to put into words. I think we just work really well together. […] We have the same professional respect for each other, and that’s rare in this industry. Most people don’t respect their co-workers, but we do.”
Together, they have a unique chemistry that seems to complement and balance out their individual personalities. Wherever she goes, Stewart is accompanied by a swarm of photographers, while Pattinson tends to be a more low-profile fixture. And yet, whenever the two are seen in public together, it seems as though everyone wants to join the fun.
A Decade Of Publicity
While fans might still be buzzing about their incredible on-screen chemistry, it’s safe to say that the last 10 years haven’t been kind to both actors. In 2007, when filming broke out on Your Sister’s Sister, both were already well-known, having made a name for themselves in the indie world.
The film was a critical and commercial flop, but the media frenzy that surrounded its production proved to be a bonafide publicity machine. In the years that followed, the public domain surrounding their personal lives was never far from the spotlight. The actors continued to rack up paparazzi sightings, with Stewart even becoming the target of international ridicule after a video of her singing in a karaoke bar made its way around the world.
The highlight of their decade-long partnership was Snow White and the Huntsman, a 2012 fantasy adventure starring Charlize Theron and directed by Rupert Sanders. The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews and became the highest-grossing independent film of all time, not accounting for inflation.
The following year, Stewart and Pattinson were each nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for their roles in Cloud Atlas. Many credit the film with restoring their careers and putting them back on the map. The film became their first box office hit in years, and also marked the beginning of a new era for both actors. They began working together more frequently, with the schedule for Cosmo Cosmo (2014) including a 24-hour shoot on the final day of principal photography.
Couples’ Therapy
The decade that followed Cloud Atlas wasn’t entirely kind to Stewart and Pattinson. Theirs is a celebrity couple that has weathered the ups and downs of a long-term relationship and still managed to stay together. While they have been open about their love for one another — in the most recent issue of Vanity Fair in fact — they have also each spoken publicly about the strains that their demanding schedules have placed on their marriage.
“It’s definitely been a real balance between wanting to be supportive of each other and wanting to be alone,” Pattinson said of their decade of ups and downs in a 2015 interview with Vanity Fair. “There was a time when we weren’t even seeing each other, which was really hard. So now that we’re working together again, it’s nice to have that support system.”
The Secret To Their Success?
It’s no secret that Stewart and Pattinson are Hollywood’s ultimate power couple. While their careers have risen and fallen with the times, they have always managed to land on their feet, and remain in the spotlight as one of Hollywood’s most engaging couples. What is it about their unique friendship that has allowed them to stay together for so long? And what can other couples learn from their timeless romance?
To find out, we reached out to therapist Emily Sklarska who, along with her husband Marc, runs a private practice in Beverly Hills, California. Sklarska has been practicing couples’ therapy for over 10 years, and was eager to share her insights with us.
“I can definitely see what would make them a great couple. They’re both extremely talented and creative, but in different ways,” Sklarska tells GoodTherapy.com about her favorite Hollywood couple. “They both have a really strong sense of identity, and that makes them really compatible, but also puts a lot of pressure on the relationship because they each have such individualities. They are constantly having to prove to each other who they are as people and as a couple.”
Stewart and Pattinson might not always make for the most convenient screen couple. They can be incredibly demanding of each other, with a shoot for one of their films, for example, requiring them to spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in each other’s company. Yet, in person, they are arguably the sweetest, most affectionate couple you will ever meet. It’s not hard to see why their fans continue to pour out their adoration in the form of endless hashtags on social media.
“They’re both very empathetic, and they really listen to what the other person is saying. That, to me, is the most important thing. Sometimes you just want to talk to someone, and they’ll let you know that they’re right there with you,” Sklarska says. “Even when things are difficult, they have this ability to be like, ‘I’m really sorry, I understand what you’re going through.’ You can’t fake that. That’s what makes them such a great team — they have each other’s backs, and they know that they can depend on each other, but also challenge each other.”
Perhaps the most impressive (and also heart-breaking) thing about Stewart and Pattinson is that they’ve been able to weather the extremes of both good and bad publicity and remain together. While their on-screen chemistry is undoubtedly one of the main reasons why people keep coming back for more, their ability to persevere through all of this seems to be the key to their success. Their enduring love has helped them become a symbol of hope for those in the thick of marital crisis, proving that you too can survive — and even thrive — in the Celebrity Spotlight.