We don’t need to tell you that this week is a big one in the world of celebrities. After nearly a year of going strong underground, the couple finally made their long-awaited red-carpet return at the Grand Prix Gala in New York City on Tuesday. There, the two shared an intimate moment as they danced together while holding hands. Though their on-screen chemistry didn’t make an appearance, their personal connection was on full display as they took turns locking lips and gently grinding their bodies against each other. And just like that, they made our list of top celebrity couples of 2016.
16. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have been dating for almost a year now, but their time apart made it officially count as “intermittent monogamy.” The relationship received so much attention that it became a frequent topic of discussion, whether it was about celebrity couples, love triangles, or even the state of celebrity culture in general. They made many headlines in the year 2016 and have been a steady presence in the tabloids ever since. The Daily Mail dubbed the couple “Hollywood’s It Couple,” and even Time included them on its 2016 list of 100 most influential people, proclaiming them to be “the most talked-about celebrity couple of 2016”.
15. Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
After years of being at the center of one of Hollywood’s longest-running romances, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux finally made their long-awaited red-carpet return at the 66th Golden Globes Awards in Beverly Hills, California on January 11. The couple didn’t shy away from displaying their undeniable chemistry, as they locked lips and squeezed each other’s cheeks during a passionate kiss. The moment was caught on camera and has since gone viral. Aniston looked radiant in red, while Theroux kept things cool in black.
14. Kate Bosworth and James DeMonaco
Another couple that didn’t need to be on the red carpet to show off their chemistry was Kate Bosworth and James DeMonaco. The couple have been dating since 2014 and were first shown publicly locking lips at the 2014 American Film Institute Awards in Los Angeles. Since then, they’ve attended a number of events together, including the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. Though they’ve yet to address the media about their relationship, they’ve kept themselves busy, as Kate Bosworth starred in two big-name films that premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival: The Contessa and Dirty Grandpa. In the former, she played the role of Lavinia, a predatory women who schemes to marry an heiress, while in the latter she portrayed Lolly, the wife of a dirty old man who has an affair with a young blonde. She’s represented by the Gersh Agency, which also represents many other celebrity couples.
13. Hailee Steinfeld and Matt Cain
Hailee Steinfeld and Matt Cain might not be famous in the same way that some of the other couples on this list are famous, but the comparison isn’t exactly fair. While some celebrities have established themselves through years of starring in films (e.g., Jennifer Aniston, Kate Bosworth, and Kirsten Stewart), the duo’s fame mostly came from their involvement in Kanye West’s Yeezus tour. Aside from acting as tour guides who share anecdotes about the band and their experiences with them, the 21-year-old actress and the 35-year-old musician have also curated an annual fashion collection dubbed “The Family,” which is named after the iconic fashion family in Pretty Woman. Since the tour wrapped in June 2016, Steinfeld and Cain have kept busy by releasing a debut album and embarking on a romance that has attracted a lot of media attention. They’ve been photographed kissing, cuddling, and holding hands on numerous occasions. Just last week, they were spotted celebrating Cain’s birthday with a trip to Trader Joe’s. Perhaps the most romantic gesture from the duo came when they held hands and danced to “Happy” by Pharrell Williams during a live performance in New York City.
12. Colin Hanks and Bridget Marquardt
Though they’ve been together for nearly a decade, Colin Hanks and Bridget Marquardt kept their nuptials a secret until the wedding party and guests had all left the venue. The couple wed at their Los Angeles home in front of a small group of family and friends. They celebrated with a cocktail hour and dinner that followed. Their ceremony ended with a reading of Ira Glass’ “Preliminary Musings” at the end of William Faulkner’s The Double Header. After the wedding, the newlyweds kept a low profile as they soaked up their newfound “single” status, as Hanks told Elle, “We don’t want to spoil the surprise.” Though they may have kept their wedding a secret, social media has continued to broadcast the event, with guests tweeting about their memorable evening and the couple’s engagement announcement.
11. Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes
Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes made headlines around the world when they began dating in September 2015 and revealed they were engaged a few months later at the Venice Film Festival. The celebrity couple kept the details of their romance and their wedding a secret until January 2017, when the 36-year-old actor revealed the news to Entertainment Tonight.
Their engagement and subsequent marriage were covered by every major news publication and followed by many viral hashtag campaigns on social media. However, despite all the attention, they’ve kept busy by appearing in a number of films together, including the 2017 Damien Chazelle film First Man, in which Gosling plays the title character, a lonely astronaut who moonlights as a FedEx employee and trains his eyes on the night’s biggest movie star, Olivia Wilde’s character. In the upcoming second season of the Netflix series Sex Education, they play a married couple who are trying to save their marriage as their daughter goes through puberty. They also appear in the upcoming drama Leave No Trace as a happily married couple whose vacationing turns into a nightmare when they get stranded in the wilderness due to a series of mishaps. Their romantic adventures were chronicled in the summer of 2017 in a lifestyle book titled, Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes: How to Love Each Other and Life Together.
10. David Arquette and Courteney Cox
Even more exciting than hearing that David Arquette and Courteney Cox are now officially a couple is that they’ve been married for quite some time now. Since 2012, the couple has been affectionately showing off their growing family with romantic Instagram posts, sharing photos of themselves and their children, Coco and Jack.
Last week, the 47-year-old actress tweeted a photo of herself and her husband, looking lovingly at each other with their arms around one another. She captioned the photo: “Still dreaming of a winter wedding. #CoxedInArquette.” Though it appears that their dreams of a white wedding might not come true, they continue to make the most of their time together, regularly sharing cute photos and videos of their adorable children.
9. Gwyneth Paltrow and Paul Stadler
Though they’ve been together for several years, it wasn’t until Gwyneth Paltrow and Paul Stadler made the formal announcement that they were engaged that the world truly took notice. In September 2015, the couple made headlines around the world when they attended the Apple Store in London to propose. There, the 45-year-old actress proposed to the 65-year-old billionaire businessman, and though they were both wearing glasses, people were able to see the sparkle in their eyes. Since then, Paltrow and Stadler have kept busy by appearing in a number of films together, including 2017’s Peter Rabbit, in which she portrayed Mrs. Rabbit, and Michael Bay’s Transformers 4, in which she portrayed the wise Cadezahua. More recently, they’ve begun to appear together in a number of interviews, sharing their affection for one another and talking about the joys of being a couple.