Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden have always been a notoriously private couple, but their whirlwind
romance still makes for one of the sweetest love stories in Hollywood. The pair wasted no
time getting married, and just when people thought that they were going to join the very long list of
short-lived Hollywood marriages, Cameron and Benji proved that their love was one like no other.
Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden already knew of each other, but
the pair was formally introduced in May of 2014 at a dinner party that was hosted by Cameron herself.
She had invited her good friends Nicole Richie and Joel Madden for dinner over at her place,
and Joel asked if his twin brother, Benji, could join them.
Cameron later recalled. "And I said, 'Of course, it's family,
we're having a barbecue' and then Benji walked in the door and I was like … you! You!"
Their chemistry was instantaneous and the new couple did their best to keep their budding
romance away from the public eye. It was just six months later that Cameron and Benji
sparked engagement rumors after the actress was spotted with what looked like a sparkly ring on
that finger. However, the couple didn't confirm their engagement until just before Christmas.
In December of 2014, an insider close to the couple admitted that the engagement
rumors were true, sharing, “Everyone thinks it's wild but are so happy for them. Benji
always tends to fall in love easily, but this time it's for real and he landed a great girl.
They obviously both make each other incredibly happy and there's nothing better than that.”
It didn’t go unnoticed that Cameron and Benji seemed to be moving pretty quickly
in their relationship. They had been dating for less than a year before getting engaged,
but it seemed that they were completely smitten with one another.
At the beginning of 2015, after less than 10 months of dating,
Cameron and Benji got married in a ceremony held at their home in Beverly Hills in front of 100
guests, including Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lionel Richie, and Drew Barrymore.
Benji’s brother - and technically their matchmaker - Joel, was his best man.
Cameron gushed over their special day, sharing, "Marriage was the biggest thing I’ve done in my
40s, and it opened me up in different ways. It’s pretty awesome. I didn’t think it was something
I’d do, and I don’t know if I’d have done it if I hadn’t met my husband. It was a surprise."
Just one month after they got married, Benji decided to commemorate their union
by getting a tattoo across his chest of his wife’s name.
He posted a pic of his new body art on Instagram, captioning “Thinking bout you ?????? #LuckyMan.”
The pair continued to keep their relationship as private as they could,
but they didn’t shy away from showing affection towards one another when they were out in public.
The newly-weds were often spotted together at basketball games in Los Angeles,
looking completely besotted with each other and happily kissing in front of the cameras.
In 2016, Cameron sat down with Andy Cohen for his radio show,
and gave a little insight into their marriage. She shared, "Nothing matters now that I have my
husband. "Like that's the thing, that's how I know he's my husband because no one compares."
She admitted that she now knew that she was with the right person and that what they have
is real because, “This is what real love is and this is what commitment and devotion is.'"
However, the actress also shared that just because she and Benji were happy and in love,
doesn’t mean that their marriage was free from any challenges.
During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Cameron confessed that she had discovered a
lot about herself that she wouldn’t have learned if she hadn't gotten married.
She explained, “So, it’s like this double-edged sword. But I’m just so grateful for it because
I couldn’t do it without my husband and I couldn’t do it with anybody else except for him."
In 2017, Cameron described her and Benji as "two peas in a pod." She gushed that
she has a husband that is her “partner in life and in everything.” On the other hand,
she also said that she and Benji were “two very different people” but despite their differences,
they share the same values and that was what makes their marriage work.
For her birthday, Benji called himself “the luckiest guy alive” when he wished her a
happy birthday on Instagram. He captioned, “I don't think anyone could ever know the Depth,
Kindness, and Compassion that I get to experience everyday
thanks to My One and Only - You got me til the end baby.”
In 2018, it was reported that the couple were having troubles expanding their family.
An insider close to the family shared that Madden and Diaz “would
love to have a baby,” but Cameron was struggling to fall pregnant. The insider revealed that they
tried procedures such as acupuncture and IVF, but still haven’t been able to get pregnant.
Thankfully, there was light at the end of the tunnel for the couple. After almost two years
of trying to conceive, the couple announced the birth of their daughter at the beginning of 2020.
The pair shared the happy news on Instagram, captioning, "We are so happy,
blessed and grateful to begin this new decade by announcing the birth of our daughter,
Raddix Madden. She has instantly captured our hearts and completed our family.”
They also said they wouldn't be posting any pictures of their little girl
or won't be sharing any more details, but they did say she is "really, really cute".
A month later, Madden couldn’t contain his excitement over his wife and their
new bundle of joy via Instagram.He gushed that Cameron and thier daughter fill him up
with so much joy and gratitude, and that he feels “so lucky” everyday.
Diaz gave a rare insight into their marriage during a chat with makeup
artist and close friend Gucci Westman. She shared how much she loved being married
and that the best thing that’s ever happened to her is finding her husband.
She also opened up about motherhood, revealing, "I love being a mother. It's the best, best,
best part of my life. I'm so grateful and so happy and it's the best thing ever and I'm so
lucky to do it with Benj and we're having the best time. I'm thrilled. I can't believe it."
Cameron went on to say that Benji is an “amazing father.” She shared that in the evenings,
he’s the one that puts their daughter to bed while she goes to have “a nice glass
of red wine,” cook dinner and get her chance to unwind for the day.
To mark Mother's Day, Benji shared a rare tribute to his wife on Instagram.
"Forever grateful to my wife for making me a Father, and taking such good care of us everyday.
Best Mom and Wife and Friend." He also added that after six years together,
that things get more meaningful everyday and that their love continues to grow stronger.
In 2021, Diaz reflected on how stepping back from acting allowed her personal life with Madden to
flourish. "I met my husband, we started a family. All of those things I didn't have time for before
and didn't have the space to make the right decisions for me at the time to bring that in.”
She admitted that while she was at the height of her fame,
there were many parts of her life that she didn’t feel like she was managing.
Cameron explained, “I couldn't really manage it because it was so big. Everything was so massive.”
For Cameron’s 49th birthday, Benji celebrated with a sweet Instagram post. He captioned,
“Happy Birthday to my Wife, you are beautiful in all ways,
we are so lucky to have you … I love to have a reason to say it out loud, I love you..”
Later that year, the actress opened up a little more about the moment that they met
all those years ago. "I was like, 'How come I didn’t see him before?'"
Cameron then went on to explain why she finds Benji attractive,
but not his identical twin, Joel who initially introduced them.
She said that even though they’re twins, “they’re very, very different obviously."
She continued, "I saw him walking towards me and I was like, 'Huh,
he’s hot, I haven’t seen him before,' but then when I saw him, like who he was, that’s what made
me really be like, 'Oh you, you’re special, you’re the guy, you’re the hidden gem in my life'."
In 2022, Cameron and Benji celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary.
While the couple have always tried to maintain the privacy around their relationship,
they took this moment to express the gratitude that they shared for one another.
Madden captioned in an Instagram post dedicated to their anniversary, "Today 7 years married.
Always dreamed of having a family like this. Happy, peaceful, consistent, loyal
and unconditional equally filled with passion and depth. Calling it a Honeymoon doesn’t cover it.”
For Diaz, marriage helped her see herself in a new light. Benji taught her how to value herself more.
She admitted that before she was married, she was receiving a lot of validation through her
career and fame, but when she met Benj, she learned what it really meant to be seen,
valued and appreciated in real life.
She added, “With our marriage, I learned how to really go all in. You know what I mean?
Like, completely—nothing else comes before this."
It’s all thanks to Benji that Cameron has a new perspective on life.
She understands what really has to come first, and for her, that’s her husband and their daughter.
Diaz explained, "It's not hard to do because it's the most valuable thing I have.
We know that no matter what we can just go and be just a family anywhere and we're fine.
We don't need any of the things that we have—other than each other."
There’s no doubt that when Cameron and Benji first got together, people simply thought that
it was going to be another Hollywood marriage that wasn’t going to last.
Despite the fact that they got married less than a year into knowing each other,
they’ve shown the world that the love that they share is the kind that lasts a
lifetime. We are so happy for the couple, and we wish them only the best for their future!