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Bonnie Bartlett -

Bonnie Bartlett, the Emmy-winning actress best known for her work on 'St. Elsewhere' in the mid-1980s, spilled all the tea on her life and her 72-year-long marriage to 'Boy Meets World' star William Daniels in her memoir, 'Middle of the Rainbow.' The pair were married in 1951 and while they've stood the test of time, the tests were plentiful near the start. "I guess it was a little bit of an open marriage at first," Bartlett writes, as per ET, "but that was very painful. That didn’t work well."

"It was a time when people were doing that. It was at a time in New York when there was a lot of sex and a lot of people doing all kinds of things, you know–very free," she continued. "But I don’t know if there was a lack of commitment a little bit, and that’s not good." Bartlett explained that it didn't suit them because "there was a lot of pain connected with any transgression, with any extramarital thing," but that it was "something we had to go through, because we never went through it."

Daniels was her first boyfriend, so it makes sense that they'd want to try out an open marriage, even though they hadn't labeled it as open back then. She had an affair for a few months with another actor and wrote, "I never felt guilty because I never felt tied to fidelity, and neither did Bill." But it was Daniels' affair with another woman that emotionally ruined her and changed her mind on the whole concept, saying she "could no longer tolerate any kind of open marriage." Luckily they were able to move through it together and "somehow stayed together for seven decades."

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Nick Cannon and Abby De La Rosa -

Nick Cannon has been making headlines in recent years for his prolific reproduction with multiple women. Cannon has 12 children with six women. The majority of his pregnancies have overlapped, leading to speculation as to the nature of his relationships with the mothers. 

DJ Abby De La Rosa welcomed twins Zion and Zillion with Cannon in 2021 and their third child Halo in December 2022. She appeared on the 'Lovers and Friends' podcast to speak about her modern family. She revealed that she feels defensive when outsiders criticize her as a mother based on the nature of her romantic relationships. "Being in a situation, or polyamorous, if you absolutely need a label, relationship doesn't mean you have low self-esteem or low self-worth," she argued. "Me being open in my relationship does not change or take away from the type of mother that I am to my kids. I'm excited for my kids to grow up and be like, 'Mom and dad, y'all did it your way. And I love that.'" De La Rosa says that Cannon brought a "freeing vibe" to her life and clarified that all of his partners know about each other. 

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Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson -

In an episode of 'The Drew Barrymore Show,' Barrymore talked to Kate Hudson and realized they had something in common: they both dated Wilson brothers back in the day! She fondly recalled her time dating Luke Wilson in the '90s when they were both in their early twenties. "When we first met, we were young and wild," said Barrymore. "I was dating him, but I think he was also dating other people," she continued, "It was an open relationship; we were young." Hudson then chimed in, saying "I've been there with a Wilson too," causing them both to laugh.  

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Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith -

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have long been known for their unconventional parenting, but their relationship has also drawn quite a bit of attention. In 2020, singer August Alsina claimed in an interview on 'The Breakfast Club' that he had a four-year love affair with Jada, and that Will Smith himself gave him his blessing. According to Alsina, the married couple had changed their relationship from a romantic one to one of "life partnership," and as a result Alsina was allowed to go all in with Jada, emotionally and physically. Though Jada's representatives have denied Alsina's claims, Jada confirmed they had an "entanglement." 

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Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith -

August Alsina claimed that he didn't want to stir up any drama, but that his life had been negatively affected by the misinterpretation of what had occurred. He also said he loved the Smiths deeply, and added that he could die right now because of how satisfied he is with his experience of truly giving himself to Jada. 

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Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith - Suspicions of their open relationship first gained momentum back in 2013, when Jada told the Huffington Post that Will is his own man, and that she's told him he can do whatever he wants as long as he can look at himself in the mirror and be okay.

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Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith - Wanting to further explain herself amidst rumors that they were seeking out other partners, Jada posted a statement on Facebook that clarified that both Will and herself can do whatever they want, because they trust each other, and that while they don't call it an open relationship, they do call it "a GROWN one."

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Taika Waititi, Tessa Thompson, and Rita Ora -

Oscar-winning writer-director Taika Waititi had his hands full, quite literally, as he was spotted cuddling up and kissing both his then-girlfriend Rita Ora and 'Thor: Ragnarok' actress Tessa Thompson in Sydney on May 23. The Daily Mail reported that the photographs, which show all three stars sharing smooches and getting cozy, were taken following an all-night party at Waititi’s home. Waititi and Ora made their relationship public at the April premiere of 'RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under,' weeks after it was reported that Waititi was separated from his wife Chelsea Winstanley. Thompson was in Australia to film the Waititi-directed 'Thor: Love and Thunder.' Though nothing has been confirmed about the nature of the three-way affair, many suspect Waititi and Ora, who are now married, are in a slightly open relationship. 

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Ethan Hawke and Ryan Shawhughes - Hawke doesn't regret his marriage to Uma Thurman or their two children, but following rumors of cheating on her, he's come forward about his thoughts on monogamy. "People have such a childish view of monogamy and fidelity," he told Mr. Porter in 2013. To Hawke, cheating is not something that makes a person bad, but rather proof that "our species is not monogamous." He also said being shocked by infidelity is like being shocked at your hair turning grey.

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Ethan Hawke and Ryan Shawhughes - He added that he's committed to his current wife, but that they can't know what the future holds. "Sexual fidelity can't be the whole thing you hang your relationship on. If you really love somebody, you want them to grow, but you don't get to define how that happens." For Hawke, that meant growing into a relationship with the nanny, Shawhughes.

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Mo'Nique and Sidney Hicks - The Oscar-winner has always been candid about her open marriage, the couple even has a podcast about it, and in an interview with Barbara Walters she explained that she and Hicks are both allowed to sleep with other people because fidelity doesn't define their connection.

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Mo'Nique and Sidney Hicks - While opening the marriage was her idea, Mo'Nique told Oprah, "I've been best friends with my husband since we were 14 years old. When we say 'open,' we're very honest. There are no secrets. Oftentimes you have people that are married, but they're strangers, and we refuse to be those people."

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Tom Ford and Richard Buckley - Tom Ford was with his late husband, magazine editor Richard Buckley, for over 30 years, deeply in love and marrying in 2014. Despite that, Ford admitted in an interview with New York Magazine that he doesn't believe monogamy is natural.

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Tom Ford and Richard Buckley - "I think that monogamy is artificial," he said in the interview. "I do not think it's something that comes naturally to us." As the good, considerate husband he is, he then admitted he didn't want to get into it any further for fear of getting in trouble. Sadly, Buckley passed away after a battle with cancer in 2021. 

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Dolly Parton and Carl Dean - Parton and Dean have been married since 1966, which is a rare feat in today's society. Perhaps one of the reasons they've lasted so long is that they never made monogamy a priority. The two share a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy when it comes to their marriage.

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Dolly Parton and Carl Dean - "If we cheat, we don't know it, so if we do cheat, it's very good for both us," Parton told the Daily Mail. She explained that neither of them would want to know if the other was cheating, though if either of them wanted to know, they would tell each other. She also told Vanity Fair that monogamy is the "most overrated virtue," before slyly referring to it as "monotony."

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Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee - The Hollywood legends were married for an impressive 57 years, until Davis passed away in 2005. They lived and worked together throughout all that time, and yet the machine of their relationship remained so fine-tuned. The key? The emotional and romantic freedom they gave one another.

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Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee - In their joint autobiography, 'With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together,' they explained that it was no infidelity that destroyed marriages, "but rather the lies and deception that invariably accompanied it." Davis explained that they decided to allow each other to sleep with other people as long as they were honest, private, and didn't expose the family to scandal or disease.

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Maria Bello and Clare Munn - In 2006, Bello told Esquire she finds monogamy "nonsensical," adding that she understands the idea of a lifelong friend, but "when you have to stay sexually monogamous to this one person, I think it's usually a big fat lie."

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Maria Bello and Clare Munn - In 2013, Bello wrote a story in the New York Times about her modern family (her son, her ex-boyfriend, and her new girlfriend). Though she and Munn have since split, Bello wrote, "My feelings about attachment and partnership have always been that they are fluid and evolving," explaining that no matter who, how, or what it entails, "love is love."

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Shirley MacLaine and Steve Parker - The pair were married for nearly three decades, and in 2016 she told People of the open nature of their marriage: "No one understood it, we did. He lived in Japan basically, I lived in America working ... We'd meet up, always great friends, traveled sometimes together." She added that their arrangement, including being very open and honest, was the secret to their long-lasting marriage.

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Shirley MacLaine and Steve Parker - The couple were married for 28 years until their split in 1982, but MacLaine still refers to Parker as the "love of [her] life."

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Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer - This couple is so solid that they tied the knot twice, and their key to happiness is that they are clear about what they can realistically expect from each other. Though they're not currently in an open marriage, they agree that seeking physical love outside their relationship wouldn't be a deal-breaker.

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Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer - In 2014, Cumming told Out magazine, "What I do believe is that monogamy is not a natural state... So, in my own life, I realized it's not possible, and I don't pretend I can do it." He explained that if you're kind, honest, and "faithful in a true way, then it is not the worst thing that could happen—that you have a little something on the side."

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Tilda Swinton and John Byrne - Though the actress and playwright had separated, they were still living together with their two children when Swinton introduced her much younger partner, Sandro Kopp, into the equation, making that one very complicated household indeed.

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Tilda Swinton and John Byrne - Swinton told the Daily Mail that living with two men is actually a lot more boring than people think—good, but boring. "It's not something I try to promote as a radical lifestyle choice," she said, explaining that it's healthy for her because she can maintain her life with her family while still spending time with "the man [she's] become very fond of." She's grateful for the men's understanding. 

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Hugh Grant - In 2016, Grant said to Howard Stern, "If you ask me the question, 'Do I think human beings are meant to be in 40-year-long monogamous, faithful relationships?' No, no. Whoever said they were?" He added that he admired the way French and Italian people took their marriages seriously, but while "it is understood that there might be other visitors at 5 o'clock in the afternoon."

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Hugh Grant - Despite his unromantic notions of marriage, Grant was wed to Anna Elisabet Eberstein in 2018.

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T-Pain and Amber Najm - The rapper and his wife have been married since 2003, and while they don't have an open relationship, they do invite other people into their bed. "Me and my wife just sleep with other girls together. It's not like we can just go off and have relationships with other people," he said in an interview.

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T-Pain and Amber Najm - Things can get messy, however, and in 2007 T-Pain impregnated a woman outside of their arrangement, and she sued him for child support two years later.

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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt - In a 2009 interview with German magazine Das Neue Blatt, when Brangelina were not yet married, Jolie said, "I doubt that fidelity is absolutely essential for a relationship. It's worse to leave your partner and talk badly about him afterwards." She added that neither of them had ever claimed that living together meant they were chained to each other. "We make sure that we never restrict each other."

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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt - Two years after their 2014 wedding, however, news dropped that they were divorcing among rumors that Pitt was cheating on her with his 'Allied' costar Marion Cotillard. 

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Anthony Bourdain and Asia Argento - After Bourdain took his life, many cruelly pointed fingers at his girlfriend, Asia Argento, who had been photographed holding hands with a French journalist named Hugo Clément shortly before the celebrity chef's untimely passing. But Argento revealed the two had an open relationship.

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Anthony Bourdain and Asia Argento - Argento told Daily Mail TV in a tearful interview in June 2018 that sleeping with other people wasn't a problem for them. "He was a man who traveled 265 days a year. When we saw each other we took really great pleasure in each other's company. But we are not children. We are grown ups."

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Scarlett Johansson - While she's been married twice, it seems only to have cemented her uncertainty about monogamy. She explained in an interview that the very fact that romantic exclusivity takes so much work proves that it's not natural. "It's something I have a lot of respect for and have participated in, but I think it definitely goes against some instinct to look beyond."

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Margaret Cho -

The comedian has been very candid about her non-monogamous view, and though she's now separated from her husband, she once told The Real that they had only got together because they shared the same beliefs about fidelity. "I just don't want to have sex with the same person my whole life—that's just gross," she said.

See also: Longest loves: Hollywood marriages that stood the test of time

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