With the recent news that Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are set to renew their vows at a luxurious Las Vegas wedding later in the year, it’s once again time to ask: What is the real deal with these two Hollywood royalty? Let’s take a look back at their history and see if the rumors are true – or false – about what makes the on-screen couple tick.
From Beverly Hills to the Screen
It all started with a love story that was so romantic it made readers and viewers alike swoon. When “Every Man” magazine featured a spread on their celebrity wedding, readers were treated to an intimate glimpse into the love lives of America’s most fashionable couple. And it wasn’t just the pictures that got everyone excited – it was also the detailed write-ups about the couple’s glamorous, high-stakes world.
What made the story even more exciting was that it was a reunion of sorts for both the bride and groom. After years apart, Stewart had decided to settle down and wed the man she loved. Knowing that their time apart had made them stronger, Pattinson decided to propose to his girlfriend at the same historic site that had been witness to their first meeting.
Stewart had initially met Pattinson while filming “Twilight” in New York City. On meeting, she had famously quipped, “You’re either going to love me or hate me, but you’re not going to have anything interesting to say.” Little did she know that the interesting things she would say and the things that would be said about her would create one of the most beloved love stories of all time.
From ‘Twilight’ to ‘Snow White’
While many were excited to read about Stewart’s and Pattinson’s happily ever after, not everyone was thrilled that her “Beverly Hills 90210” days were about to be revived. Critics panned the former-Disney princess’s wardrobe and noted that Stewart was back in her old, pre-‘Twilight’ attire. That said, the negative reviews largely missed the point. After all, who cares about clothes when you’re talking about love?
What they didn’t miss, though, was the chemistry between Stewart and Pattinson. While appearing together on a talk show, they couldn’t stop smiling at each other. It was as if they had never stopped loving each other, and it was easy to see why – they were both shining stars in a film that became a cultural phenomenon.
Pattinson’s Bad Boy Trajectory
Pattinson’s personal life, too, was a fairy tale story. After meeting Stewart, he had embarked on a path to self-reflection, which had led him to spend a lot of time alone. The British actor had also begun to question the fame and fortune that had come his way so easily. While filming “Snow White,” he had reportedly said, “I want to feel like a normal person again. I don’t want to be famous for being famous.”
After wrapping up that shoot, he had gone on retreat to the Spanish countryside. There he had rekindled some of what he had missed in Stewart during their long hiatus. When he returned to Hollywood, he had decided to give acting a go, landing a role in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s bestselling novel “Juliet Takes A Sniper.”
The film didn’t do well at the box office, and it seemed that Pattinson had hit another speed bump in his acting career. Things then took a dark turn when Hornby himself called out the British actor for his inauthentic portrayal of a character based on himself.
To make matters worse, he was soon cast in the lead role of Edmond in the film adaptation of John Grisham’s legal thriller “The Rainmaker.” Many had expected Grisham to pen the story about a lawyer, but instead he had chosen to adapt it into a legal thriller about baseball. When that film premiered, it received mostly negative reviews.
The final nail in the coffin was when Edmond was pummeled in court by the formidable Ms. Plum, played by Angelina Jolie. For his roles in “The Rainmaker” and “Juliet Takes A Sniper,” Pattinson was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2012 British Academy Film Awards. The two performances were, in the words of one critic, “a steaming pile of…whatever.”
Stewart Meets Robert Wagner
While many may have been distracted by Pattinson’s professional struggles, Stewart’s personal life was flourishing. After years of being a single mom in Los Angeles, she had decided to move back to her home city of New York to be with her family. She felt that this was her natural habitat, as she’d grown up there and had attended the High School of Performing Arts.
It was in the Big Apple that she had met the woman who would become her wife-to-be. Wagner was, at the time, dating a musician named Rami Malek, who went on to become the lead in the Showtime series “Mr. Robot.” The three had hit it off and started a passionate relationship that would see them wed in a high-profile Hollywood ceremony.
Their love story was, in many ways, the inverse of Stewart and Pattinson’s. Where theirs was a tale of Hollywood glitz and glamour, Wagner and Stewart’s were blue-collar, working-class romances that had seen them struggle financially but emerge stronger on the other end. The two had, as Stewart put it, “made it against all odds,” and their marital bliss had been celebrated at multiple star-studded events, from the Golden Globes to the Tony Awards. The media had, at times, referred to them as the “Kings of the Castle,” due to their opulent lifestyle and enviable marital union.
The Fallout From ‘Snow White’
Not everyone was thrilled that Stewart had rekindled her friendship with her ex-boyfriend Wagner. In fact, when the wedding photos were published in Vogue and other high-profile magazines, it seemed that the backlash had begun. Unhappy with what they saw as a lack of character and conviction from Stewart (she had, in fact, considered returning to her maiden name after her divorce), fans had taken to social media, posting a variety of hurtful comments about the actress, whom they felt had betrayed them.
The hate had surprised Stewart. She had never expected her romance with Pattinson to generate such passion. While she understood that she was, in a way, a symbol of women going against societal norms and expectations, she felt that she had given the fans a new perspective on romance and, more importantly, herself. The hate had hurt her deeply, and she had decided that it was, perhaps, time to move on. While it had been difficult, she felt that she had, in fact, grown from the experience.
New York City, New York
After spending a little more than a year in New York City, Stewart had decided to make the Big Apple her permanent home. There she had set up shop with her husband and continued to thrive as one of the city’s most in-demand media personalities. Additionally, she had become a naturalized citizen, earning her a place on the New York City Council, where she now served as the representative for District 8. While her public life was fulfilling, Stewart had, in private, begun to wonder if Los Angeles was, in fact, a place she wanted to be anymore. After a lifetime in the City that Never Sleeps, Stewart had, perhaps, found a home in New York. She had, as she said, fallen in love with the city all over again. Plus, as a City Council member, she was able to continue advocating for her constituents on social media, something that had been difficult while on the campaign trail in California.
After wrapping up a tough day of work in Manhattan, the couple often hit the gym to work out. While they had, in fact, been keeping busy, Stewart had, at times, been thinking about the future. If all goes well, she and Pattinson will be adding another baby to their family in a couple of years. As for Wagner, after several false alarms and a grueling court battle that had dragged on for years, he had finally won the right to be with his wife. The couple now lived in a big house in Connecticut, where they continued to be doting parents to their daughter, Emelia. It was a family that had endured much and been through a lot, but that had, perhaps, found happiness at last.