Is age really nothin' but a number? From wrestlers and Playmates, to ballers, yogis and Gucci
girls… the heart wants what the heart wants: A jaw-dropping rock and Grade-A beefcake, baby!
New York Mets pitcher Justin
Verlander met model Kate Upton on a commercial set in 2012. The celeb
couple revealed their relationship in 2013 and tied the knot four years later. But
it hasn't always been smooth sailing. The pair briefly parted ways in 2013,
during which time Upton began dating "Dancing With the Stars" choreographer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Verlander found his way back to the model,
and they appear to still be going strong. They welcomed their daughter Genevieve in 2018.
And as far as Upton being 10 years younger than her husband, she told People in 2017,
"It's kind of great to be with someone who is in a similar place in their life."
Noting that the pair experienced similar trajectories in prioritizing their careers,
she says they were both ready for the next chapter together.
"Coming into our own, we kind of both did it at the same time."
Former NFL player Jeff Garcia married
model Carmella DeCesare in 2007. He might be a football star, but his wife has also enjoyed
quite the career. She was a WWE Diva Search contestant, the 2004 Playboy Playmate of the year,
and a Sports Illustrated model. Garcia is 12 years older than his better half.
But Carmella also made headlines when she was hit with a misdemeanor assault charge,
according to ESPN, when she reportedly got into a fight with one of Garcia's ex-girlfriends at
a club. In court, Carmella claimed that Garcia cheated on her with the woman,
which led to the altercation. Carmella was ultimately acquitted of the charge.
Since then, it appears that this couple has matured and settled into parenthood.
As Garcia posted about his 4 kids on Instagram,
"Here's my crew, the greatest team a dad could ever dream of."
Brock Lesnar and his wife
Rena — better known as Sable — have a lot in common. The pair found fame as WWE wrestlers
and supported each other throughout their careers. But there was also some tension. Lensar revealed
that he wanted his then-girlfriend — who was 10 years his senior — to join him in leaving
the WWE after he walked away in 2004. As he recalled in his book "Death Clutch,"
"Rena was still on the road with WWE. […] I didn't like the fact that she was
in that environment anymore. I already knew she was the woman that I wanted to
be with for the rest of my life, but she wasn't ready to let go of her career yet."
Brock revealed that he wouldn't move forward in the relationship
until she left the organization. He wrote,
"I wanted to marry Rena. […] 'If we want a relationship,' I told her, 'neither one of
us can work for that company. We both know the long-term side effects of everything there.'"
Rena finally agreed and they went on to get married.
Former pro cyclist Lance Armstrong married
Anna Hansen in 2022. By that point, the longtime couple had been together for over a decade and
had already welcomed two children, along with Armstrong's three kids from his previous marriage.
"As I look back, I was like [snap], it was an instant."
Armstrong is 9 years older than Hansen, but as he shared on Instagram after their wedding:
"Anna, you have been my absolute rock the past 14 years and let me be clear,
I would not have survived them without you. […] It took us doing the work,
the really hard work, and I am so glad that we did."
Armstrong and Hansen both appear to be passionate about fitness. Hansen
is a yoga instructor and teaches classes on her YouTube channel.
Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was 33 and
his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, was 23 at the start of their relationship. In the
Netflix series "I am Georgina," Rodriguez revealed that the couple met while she was
working retail at Gucci. She recalled him picking her up from work, adding,
The couple seem to have had no problem finding common ground. They're now raising five kids
together, including Ronaldo's child from a previous relationship. But sadly, in 2022,
Ronaldo revealed devastating news, writing on Instagram,
"It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy
has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel."
He was one of a set of twins. His sister, Bella, survived.