A marriage so secretive even the father of the groom hasn't met his
daughter-in-law. Why won't Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova serve up the truth?
Even though Anna Kournikova never won a tennis singles title, she became a hot
commodity in the sports world and beyond during the early 2000s. Companies clamored to snag her
for endorsement deals, and she was even asked to be Enrique Iglesias' leading lady in 2001
in the music video for his chart-topping track, "Escape." During that fated first meeting,
the script for the video required the couple to make their way inside a restroom. Then, Kournikova
ends up being propped on a counter, followed by a steamy make-out session with the singer.
Looking back on the video, it's obvious the pair had some major chemistry on set,
and sparks were flying all over the place. In a Hollywood kind of way,
it's sweet that their first meeting was captured on film for them to look back on for a lifetime.
On another note, knowing how secretive they are about their relationship, it's super ironic that
anyone can head over to YouTube and get a glimpse of what could be their very first kiss in action.
When he's not on tour, Enrique Iglesias likes to
unwind just like us normal folk. He told Ventaneando,
"A day off for me is being at home on the sofa,
watching TV with my girlfriend and our two pets — just having a good time."
If we owned a piece of real estate like Iglesias and Kournikova's,
we would stay cooped up inside all day, too! The couple splurged on a
20,000-square-foot dream home in Miami's Millionaire Row in 2013.
The Iglesias-Kournikova pad is situated in the private waterfront community,
and the palatial estate includes a tennis court for Kournikova to play her favorite game.
There's also a private dock where they can keep their boat when they're not out hitting the waves.
You would think that living in the exclusive, ultra-ritzy neighborhood would provide the
couple with the type of privacy they crave. But after the birth of their twins in 2017,
they went to great lengths to quarantine themselves even further. TMZ reported they were
in the process of building a huge 16-foot-tall wall to surround their entire residence,
ensuring their kids will grow up without any interference from the public.
During an interview on Loose Women, Kournikova flashed a mega-sparkler on her ring finger.
Naturally, the hosts assumed Anna Kournikova was set to marry her long-time partner,
but when she was asked whether she was engaged, she gave a rather convoluted response saying,
"I kind of, you know, understand him a lot because, you know, he's the male version of me."
So how did we go from talking about her proposal
to the Latin star being the male version of her? Classic Kournikova deflection.
Fans of the couple have grown accustomed to the roundabout way they answer questions
about their relationship. We just hope one day they'll let the cat out of the bag and
come clean with all the details. The day may come sooner than fans previously thought
because Kournikova sneakily added the last name Iglesias to her Instagram bio in 2020.
Could this mean the couple has officially tied the knot?
Enrique Iglesias attended the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards and he had a leggy blond beauty
by his side. The woman was none other than Anna Kournikova, of course. She sported a crop top
and a pair of white jeans and she looked chill and relaxed in her casual attire. She was also
sporting something else that couldn't be missed: A grin on her face. Love was definitely in the air.
At an after party that same night, video director Dave Meyers, the man behind the music video for
"Escape," spoke to The New York Times about the industry's hottest "it couple." He said,
"I got [Iglesias and Kournikova] together. Enrique liked Anna and wanted her in his video. So I wrote
in a scene that made them kiss even though she had a no-kissing clause in her contract."
Everything worked out in the end, but Meyer's plan to get the pair to lock lips was a bit
on the sneaky side. However, we're sure if Kournikova didn't want to kiss Iglesias,
she wouldn't have. Maybe it was love at first sight?
In an interview with People, Anna Kournikova said she was forced to put her career on hold
after a debilitating back injury. But the Russian tennis star still attempts to remain
as active as possible, frequently sharing videos of her workout routine on Instagram.
She even participated in the First Annual Nautica South Beach Triathlon.
People magazine caught up with her at the race and asked for her thoughts about fellow tennis star
Andy Roddick's then-engagement to model Brooklyn Decker. She expressed hope that their relationship
would work out. Unsurprisingly, she was then asked when she and Iglesias would walk down the aisle.
She answered defiantly that she had no intention of getting married. Despite her reluctance to get
hitched, Kournikova hasn't been opposed to wearing a massive engagement ring on and off the court,
which is super strange for someone who seemed very opposed to the idea of marriage.
During a concert in Russia, Enrique Iglesias reportedly introduced Anna Kournikova to the
crowd as his wife. When Parade magazine told him he had some explaining to do,
he skirted the question, explaining,
"It was just meant to be sweet in the moment. I honestly didn't mean to confuse people. I
thought it'd be easier for the audience to understand than if I said 'my girl.'"
He was then asked if wedding bells would be ringing for them any time soon,
and the "Bailando" superstar answered,
"I've never really thought marriage would make a difference. Maybe it's because I come from
divorced parents, but I don't think you love someone more because of a piece of paper."
Enrique Iglesias once told a KISS FM 103.5 radio host that he had broken up with Anna Kournikova,
leading to an interesting revelation later on. When Iglesias returned to the
same station for a follow-up interview, the host began to ask him about his love life,
wondering whether or not he was in a new relationship. However,
Iglesias shocked the host when he shared he was back with Kournikova. In fact,
he revealed that the two had never even broken up in the first place! The singer jokingly said,
"I just wanted you to play my record so I thought I could actually, you know, I
thought we could go on a date, and I said, 'Maybe she'll put me in high rotation if we go out.'"
Joking about his relationship with the public seems to be Iglesias' preferred
way of deflecting any questions about it. On an appearance of Loose Women,
Kournikova was shown a clip of Iglesias' last time on the show. On that visit he told one
of the hosts he'd say he was single if she would as well. The host was married and jokingly tried
to pull off her wedding ring. Kournikova seemed to find the interaction amusing,
so fibbing about breaking up seems to be a game the two of them play together.
Following the news of Kournikova's surprise pregnancy and the birth of twins in December 2017,
an insider close to her and Enrique Iglesias told People magazine how
they managed to keep everything hush-hush. The source claimed,
"They basically only hang out with family and very close friends. They mostly keep to themselves."
If that's truly the case, it makes the interview Enrique's father,
fellow Latin crooner Julio Iglesias, gave to The Mirror a bit odd. He told the website,
"You know I have to tell the truth, I have never met Anna. Yes, my wife,
and my kids and his brothers have, but I have never met her, no, no, never."
At the time of that interview, the couple had already been together for 12 years.
Julio himself blamed his son's schedule for the lack of connection.
"My kids are very independent and it is difficult to see Enrique because
he is all over the world. But Anna is very beautiful — they have good taste, my kids,"
However, considering Enrique and Julio were both residents of Miami at the time,
we have to wonder if claiming he's never met Kournikova was
just another way to avoid having to answer questions about her.
No wonder the Spanish heartthrob has a song entitled "Mentiroso."
Translated to English, it means "liar," and that's what Enrique Iglesias has proven himself to be,
at least when it concerns his private life.
In May 2007, he spoke to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet
and said he and Anna Kournikova had secretly tied the knot, but things didn't work out. He said,
"We're divorced. I am single now, but that's okay ... I don't mind being alone."
It seemed that even Kournikova believed he had gone too far, because her rep released a statement
to the publication, saying the duo was "still together," which is pretty noteworthy in itself.
For someone in their camp to actually acknowledge their relationship existing was a big deal.
That interview wouldn't be the last time the "Tu y Yo" crooner would be less than truthful
about his marital status. During a stop in Los Angeles for his 2014 tour, he told Univision:
"I got a divorce three days ago and I wanted to give you guys the exclusive. I'm serious.
No, seriously. Don't laugh."
As of this video, legal proof that he and Kournikova are married has never surfaced,
but again, with her having three kids together and adding his last name to her Instagram profile,
we have to think everything's okay in the Iglesias-Kournikova household.
Enrique Iglesias admitted to People en Español that his relationship with Anna
Kournikova was the first time he got serious with a partner. However, when he was asked
if he could picture being with her for the long haul, he threw a curveball. He admitted,
"I don't know. The only thing I can say is that, in my opinion,
Anna, whether we are together or not, would be an ideal mother."
A little over nine years after that interview,
the marriage question popped up once again. This time, it was E! News who
was attempting to pry the information out of the Grammy award-winning artist. He answered,
"Who knows what the future holds ... or the past ... haha."
Seems he still gets a kick out of misleading the press all these years later. Nonetheless,
Iglesias did get to see how great of a mother Kournikova would be.
As of this video, the couple shares three little ones, twins Lucy and Nicholas and daughter Mary.
Mary, who was born in 2020, is the newest addition to the family.
Iglesias told People that the baby girl's older siblings welcomed her with open arms.
We're glad to see the family all getting along, despite all the rumors they like to spread.