When we talk about Hollywood stars who have been in long-term relationships, a lot of names pop up.
But for some reason, Christian Bale's almost 2-decade-long marriage is never mentioned as
often as it should be. There isn't that much information out there about Bale's love life,
and he likes it that way. Naturally, we had to do a little digging to find out who was the
woman that stole his heart and changed the way he looked at marriage and fatherhood forever.
Before Christian Bale met Sibi Blažić, he was totally against marriage. So much so that he
actually told Easy Living in 2012 that he had never imagined walking down the aisle.
It was never something he saw himself doing. The whole idea of marriage wasn't something
that he found appealing, and for the actor, it was all with good reason.
"Everyone was divorced in my family, so I didn't have very healthy ideas about marriage."
That was until he met the right woman. When he met Sibi,
suddenly, his perspective about marriage changed. She had made him realize that
when you meet the right person, marriage isn't something so terrible after all.
Because of the actor's love for secrecy, not much is known about his relationship history.
However, what we do know is that he's had at least four relationships before he started dating Sibi.
Bale and actress Drew Barrymore went on a single date in 1987.
They only talked about the date years later because it was so awful.
"We went to see some bloody awful horror film, and that was the end of it,"
Bale recalled to GQ Australia. "She never called again."
Bale and actress Samantha Mathis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK3DrH_8pak
- 2.10) were castmates on Little Women and were rumored to have dated,
but not much is known about their relationship.
Bale's former assistant and publicist revealed that he dated Winona
Ryder (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK3DrH_8pak - 0.41) in 1994. The two met on the set of Little
Women, but it didn't last long either. His former assistant also claimed that Christian dated Anna
Friel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK3DrH_8pak - 2.02). The two met on the set of A Midsummer
Night's Dream in 1999.
"He told me the entire production was like summer camp in Tuscany, but with lots of sex.
He later stayed with Anna in her London flat,
but they fell out when she came to LA," The former assistant shared.
Considering his string of unsuccessful flings, it makes sense that the thought of
marriage never seemed to cross his mind. Then he met Sibi, and suddenly everything changed.
The idea of a married life sounded like "a fantastic idea." He was completely turned
off by the notion of marriage and kids… until he met the right person, that is.
"I never planned to marry," he told the magazine.
For almost 2 decades, the Oscar-winning actor has kept his relationship from the prying
eyes of the paparazzi. So when Christian finally spoke about the love of his life,
his fans saw a completely different side of him that made them love him even more.
A model and makeup artist, in 1999 Blažić was working as an assistant for Bale's friend and
Little Woman co-star, Winona Ryder, when they first met. As soon as Christian lay his eyes
on Sibi, he was immediately swept off his feet. He saw something in her that he had
never seen in another woman before, and he knew she was going to be the person to change him.
They quickly started dating, and a year later, in 2000, Bale did the one thing he never thought
he would. He got married. The couple eloped in Las Vegas and have been inseparable ever since.
Today, they've been married for over 20 years,
which in the world of Hollywood is something that is almost never heard of!
So how has the couple managed to "beat the odds" and build such a long-lasting, unfaltering
relationship? Maintaining their privacy is one of the most important roles in their marriage.
Christian shared, "My wife likes to be very private and, of course, I want to maintain that."
When Bale won the 2011 Critics' Choice award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Fighter,
he took the opportunity to let the world know just how important his wife has been to his success.
With tears in his eyes, the actor shared in his speech that he didn't
think it was possible to celebrate any of this without having his wife by his side.
"I know that it truly would be impossible to do it without her, and she's such a good strong woman.
I owe everything to her. She's probably the most strong woman I've ever come across in my life.
And I — You're making me all tearful!
I'm too much of a softie! I don't think I am, but then you got me with that!"
Not only did Sibi change his thoughts on marriage, but she also changed his thoughts
on becoming a father. Her influence continued as the pair considered having kids and, in 2005,
they had their first child, Emmeline, and in 2015 they welcomed their second child, baby Joseph.
In a 2010 interview, the actor revealed just how passionate he had become about living life
as a family man, saying, "I've got incredible pride for my family. I've absolutely fallen
into that cliché of a dad who could just happily talk about my daughter endlessly."
Christian went on to share that fatherhood is "the best thing
ever" and admitted that he never wants to leave his daughter's side for one second.
The actor became the epitome of the doting father figure, and he wanted to make sure that his
life as a famous celebrity didn't interfere with his children's lives as they grew up.
Bale became renowned for his ability to portray edgy roles on-screen and his dedication to
method-acting, pushing both his mind and his body to unbelievable extents. Blažić
has that madness in her too. She is a strong woman in every aspect,
and she never fails to compliment her husband as well as she could
Christian even admitted that his wife "terrifies" him in a good way.
In a way that keeps their marriage alive. Their love for living their lives on edge
actually keeps them together and compatible in every phase of the relationship.
"My wife was a stunt driver — she was chasing me through the city in Batman," he shared,
"She was driving one of the cop cars. She can do 180s and stunts and all that." He went on to say,
"She terrifies me. My wife terrifies me."
Though that was her first stunt credit, she received a number of thanks from Bale,
casts, and crew of 'The Dark Knight Rises' for her support during long months of production.
Even during the 2008 scandal of Christian's arrest, Sibi never left his side and stood
by him as a pinnacle of strength during his nightmare with the press.
Bale was arrested just before the premiere of 'The Dark Knight' by officers investigating
claims that he had become violent with his mother and sister during a family row.
As it turned out, the investigators claimed they found "insufficient
evidence" to support the reasonable prospect of a conviction, and the actor was never charged.
Christain's mother, Jenny, and sister, Sharon, made the complaint the day after the alleged
attack, claiming that the actor pushed his mother during an argument at a hotel. Their allegations
were passed on to Scotland Yard, who questioned Bale the day after he attended the premiere.
The actor spent several hours at a police station before being released on police bail.
Christain, as always, adamantly denied the allegations made by his mother and sister, and
there has never been any more information released about the incident. When it comes to his private
life, he's always remained a mum, and we can only assume that it's to protect his wife and children.
Thankfully today, Christain and his sister and mother have worked on their relationship
and moved past the incident. They are all now on speaking terms and have put the past behind them.
While we don't know the details on how they mended their ways and moved forward,
we can't help but wonder if Sibi was there, urging him to forgive and forget for the better.
She's been such an incredible influence on him as a man;
why not be the person that helps him forgive his family for their previous accusations too?
Bale may keep his private life on the down-low, but that doesn't stop him from
absolutely gushing about his wife and their kids. In fact,
he regularly thanks to her for making him a father, sharing,
"And thank you for our beautiful children, Banana and Burrito.
They've given me a love and a soul I never thought possible."
January 2021 marked the couple's twenty-first wedding anniversary, and if there's one thing
that proves it's that no matter what your preconceived notions may be about relationships,
marriage, or children, they can all change in a mere second once you meet the right person.
Christian allowed someone into his life who challenged his beliefs, and while some of us
might have thought that to be something frightening, Sibi brought out the best in him.
She is the woman that "terrifies him," and yet she was the best decision he ever made.
As Bale has learned first-hand, stepping outside of your comfort zone in life,
love and work is a surefire recipe for happiness and success.
We can't help but swoon over the fact that these two have been going strong
over the last twenty years. This couple is proof that meeting the right person can
change your outlook on life like you never imagined and shake you to your very core.
In the ever-shifting world of glitz and glamor, a long-lasting relationship has become quite rare.
Therefore, Bale and Blažić walked that extra mile to make sure that their 'forever' means 'forever.'
Their relationship proves that when two people feel blessed and grateful to have each other,
there is nothing that will get in the way of their happiness.
Don’t forget to subscribe to Rumor Juice, for more
Hollywood love stories that will make your head spin!