﻿Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance have a relationship of dreams! This couple has
been together for 26 years, and whenever we see them, they look so in-love! Although,
the pair had to face some challenges in their years together — from struggling to get pregnant
to juggling their careers with raising twins. Through team work and unconditional support,
Angela and Courtney have created their own recipe for a successful marriage!
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance first met at the Yale School of Drama in the 1980s. However,
their romance didn’t blossom until a few years later. Both actors had been in relationships
when they were in school together, so they didn’t pursue anything with each other at the time.
"He had a beautiful, beautiful girlfriend, who was also in drama school with us," Angela
shared. There wasn’t an immediate connection or undeniable attraction between the two,
but they had a few interactions before going their separate ways after graduation.
“I didn’t run into Courtney again until 1994,” Bassett shared. “I was out with some friends,
and he was too. It was like, ‘Hey! Great to see you,” she added. They reconnected
about 14 years later in Los Angeles. The pair decided to go on a date,
but according to the Black Panther actress, her now-husband didn’t make much of an impression
on her at the time. “He just seemed like a really, really nice guy, which translated
to kind of boring,” the beauty explained. Even though Angela felt their first date was
unmemorable, her feelings for Courtney changed after their first kiss. The star shared the
moment in hers and Courtney’s joint 2007 memoir — Friends: A Love Story. “I got pinpricks and chills
up the back of my thighs and across my butt, up my neck and across my scalp,” the actress wrote.
Courtney said the pair’s second date was to play golf, and that was when
they really started to fall for each other. The lovebirds went on to tie the knot in October
1997. For the next ten years, their careers would continue to grow, and their romance would make us
wish for love as bright and adoring as theirs. After their wedding, the couple tried hard to
fall pregnant but struggled greatly. Bassett and Vance tried IVF for around seven years
and still struggled to conceive. The couple wanted to grow their family, so eventually,
they decided to use a surrogate. In January 2006, the Hollywood legends welcomed their fraternal
twins, Bronwyn Golden, and Slater Josiah. "I had a dream about seven years ago that we
were going to have twins. I didn't know how it was going to happen," Courtney told Oprah the
following year. Angela added, "Just standing there, holding each other with the realization
that this is the moment that we've been working toward, praying for … it's a dream come true."
The year after the lovers welcomed their children, they released their joint memoir. By this time,
they had already been married for a decade — which is a cause for
massive celebration in Hollywood. Their book follows the story of how
the pair ran in the same social circles for years before being romantically involved. It
also detailed the hits and misses with their former partners and how their dreadful first
date ultimately led to their union. We feel it was fate that connected Angela and Courtney.
Nothing could stop them from ending up together. Their memoir also talks about how the celebrity
couple navigates the fickle tides of fame while keeping their relationship fresh and
authentic. Despite working in an industry known for infidelity, substance abuse,
parties, and the emotional ups and downs of stardom, Vance and Bassett were able
to carve a meaningful life together. Although the two actors continued to
juggle parenthood and busy careers throughout their relationship, they made sure to maintain
their priorities. “Our focus is on our children and what we need to do as a family. Careers and
things follow that,” Courtney said. Angela, for her part, said that she
credited the couple’s success to picking the right person to marry. “Make sure you’re both
looking in the same direction, basically. You’re not clones of each other, but you have similar
or closely similar belief systems and, you know, pleasant personalities,” she explained.
Now, in 2023, the couple has been married for 26 years. A lot of work has gone into two and a
half decades of a happy marriage. Vance likened his relationship with Angela to being in a rock
band. According to the ‘Terminator Genisys’ actor, his analogy comes from talking, communicating,
and allowing his romantic partner to have her own space and then come back together.
"Initially it was about, 'they made it,' and then 'what about my individual glory?' And 'I don't
want to get so caught up in the band and talks about going our separate ways.' And then going,
'You know what? We're better together and stronger together,'" he explained.
A successful marriage is complete with date nights! Most people who have been
married for a decade and over will vouch that date nights are crucial to keeping a romantic
partner engaged and happy. Angela and Courtney firmly believe that date nights keep their spark
alive. “We used to go see two and three movies a night. Just fun things,” Angela recalled.
The recipe for 26 years of marriage includes unconditional love and support. Vance and Bassett
prove that showing up for your person makes their partnership successful. Considering that both
halves of this couple are famous actors, their lives are not always easy. However, for Vance and
Bassett, all the hard work is worth it because of the supportive family they have built.
"It's great to have someone there in your corner supporting you. It makes the success
all the more sweeter,” the ‘9-1-1’ star shared. Another sweetening agent in this relationship
is that these lovers are happy to take turns holding down the fort at home, so their partner
can go out and pursue their career! Angela explained that there are no
expectations for and from each other — like having dinner on the table every day. “I can’t
be there sometimes, and he steps in there. He’s right there,” she gushed over her husband.
Accommodating home life for work isn’t just reserved for the actress. Angela always
encourages her lover to pursue his own dreams. “I’ve always told him: ‘Do what you want to do,
because I don’t want you to get to the end and blame anything on me,’” the ‘American Horror
Story’ alum explained. In a separate interview,
the actress said that when she has to leave for work, she trusts her man will look after
their twins to the best of his abilities. “It’s extraordinarily helpful that I have a partner
in Courtney who is…on ’em!” Bassett shared. One time, Angela had to spend two months in
Europe, and while the couple usually decline jobs that would keep them from their family,
there can be exceptions. The stars have cemented that their family and marriage come before work
and their careers, but as parents, they know it is important to motivate their children.
The actress explained that her extended time away from her family was an excellent opportunity for
her career and personal life. “I can only hope and pray that my children will see the passion
that I have for what I do and that they’ll go after their dreams and things they’re passionate
about,” the ‘Supernova’ star explained. Clearly, the couple that works together
stays together! These two starred alongside each other in Courtney's stage production
of ‘His Girl Friday’ for a month-long run in 2005. They also teamed up and started
a production company together called Bassett Vance Productions. Just some of the projects
the company has helped make happen? A remake of Courtney’s 1996 film ‘The Preacher’s Wife’
and the docuseries ‘1000 Years of Slavery.’ In the latter half of their 26 years together,
Vance and Bassett have been navigating parenthood — and having twin teenagers is double the efforts!
Around 15 years old, Bronwyn entered the world of teen dating. While mom has been able to handle
the news well, dad was on a different page. Angela is the chilled-out, open-conversation
parent, while she described Vance as more of the helicopter parent. It was highlighted
especially after Bronwyn told her parents about her boyfriend. “Sometimes I’ll have
the nerve to ask, ‘Have you kissed?’ And she says, ‘No.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, OK, well that
wasn’t my journey,’” the actress shared. The New York native shared that during the
coronavirus pandemic, the teen lovebirds had to “stay six feet apart and mask it.”
She told Us Weekly magazine that Vance is “all about respect, respect, respect” while allowing
Bronwyn to date. “It’s awkward,” Bassett added. However, her son Slater is a different story. “I’m
thinking he’s not interested,” Angela explained. “At three years old, he was interested. ‘Mom,
I like that girl.’ But at 15, he just wants to work on his music,” the actress shared.
The ‘Boyz n the Hood’ star said she taught her children how to make their beds and tidy
up after themselves at 18 months old. “You got to put the work in with them when they’re early,
in the young years,” she explained. By teaching them discipline from young, Bassett built a
relationship with her teenagers built on trust. The parents also taught Slater and Bronwyn how to
pray, and did so by talking about gratitude. The couple hopes to teach their children how
to stay grounded by exposing them to gratitude exercises and prayer. “You have to start them
early and model it by saying, ‘Here’s what I’m thankful for.’ Then they sort of get it
and realize they’ve got some stuff to be happy about, too,” Angela shared.
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance seem to have everything figured out — from their marriage to
parenting two teenage twins. That’s because in this household, teamwork makes the dream
work! This power couple built the empire on trust, loyalty, and love. The most valuable
lesson they’ve shared is that staying married for 26 years means knowing to prioritize our
families and relationships over work. Thank you for taking the time to watch
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