Although this actress and her cinematographer husband have been together for more than 20 years, their romance wasn’t without its share of drama.
Early in their relationship, makeup artist Vera Steimberg, the ex-wife of the cinematographer, accused the actress of stealing her husband and even bought her off to get the divorce.
The actress, who is renowned for her beauty and talent, was linked to other well-known men before she finally found her match in this cinematographer. She married musician Lyle Lovett after a brief engagement to Kiefer Sutherland.
Other actors Jason Patric, Matthew Perry, Dylan McDermott, and Liam Neeson were also said to be dating. But her life didn’t drastically change until 2000, when she met the cameraman while working on the set of The Mexican.
It is Julia Roberts, the actress. While Danny Moder, the cinematographer, was still wed to Vera Steimberg, Roberts was seeing actor Benjamin Bratt at the time. Even though they didn’t start dating straight away, they clicked immediately away. Six months after meeting Roberts, Moder filed for divorce, but it was not an easy process because Steimberg first denied him one.
Looking back on their early days together, Roberts characterized discovering Moder as a transformative event that was both “comfortable and terrifying.” In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she clarified, saying, “Terror because the person I want to impress the most is staring at me.”
Roberts denied the allegations about them, pointing out that a lot of assumptions were made about her romantic life. Roberts explained that she did not end Moder’s marriage in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, but she acknowledged that the public singled her up because she was a convenient scapegoat.
Roberts was questioned by Winfrey regarding the nature and start of her relationship with Moder. Roberts revealed that they had been friends for a long time prior to their romance developing, and that their collaboration on a film project had strengthened their bond.
She acknowledged that it was challenging to fall in love with a friend, particularly because Moder was still married at the time. But before committing themselves completely to one another, she insisted that both she and Moder made sure to discontinue their prior relationships.
Roberts and Moder started dating after Moder and Steimberg eventually reached a divorce settlement. Roberts believed that because they had handled their own matters independently, they were able to fall deeply in love with one another. Roberts and Moder disproved Steimberg’s assertion that Roberts had taken her husband and her guess that their romance wouldn’t endure.
According to the New York Post, there have been rumors that Roberts paid Steimberg $200,000 to sign the divorce papers. Steimberg claims that Roberts, who was frantic to have Moder all to herself, coerced her into signing. However, the couple continued their relationship despite Roberts’s image in the media as the “husband-stealer.”
Roberts frequently credits Moder with improving her quality of life. She acknowledges that before to him, she was egocentric and focused on her work, but he assisted her in realizing that.
2002 saw a surprise wedding between Roberts and Moder at her New Mexico estate. Instead of the anticipated Fourth of July celebration, their guests were welcomed to a wedding. Roberts wore a pastel pink halter dress embellished with pearls and flowers, while Moder wore a red shirt with ruffles and brown leggings. The couple kept their outfits modest.
Despite the turbulent start to their romance, Roberts is ecstatic to be in Moder’s life. She said she was the happiest and most pleased she had ever been after their wedding.
Roberts was all over Moder’s support during Winfrey’s interview, thanking her for letting her be herself and for teaching her to value the more private, less publicized parts of life.
Roberts is one of the few Hollywood celebrities who has managed to lead a happy life away from the spotlight, and Winfrey acknowledged this, demonstrating that true happiness in a relationship can still be achieved even in the face of intense public scrutiny.
