… from those whose marriages have lasted longer than 72 days

Most celebrities have a very poor track record when it comes to upholding marriage vows. 
From Britney Spears and Carmen Electra, to the latest spectacle that was Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries' 72-day marriage, it seems that getting married has become a money-making gimmick to ensure that your name and big day is splashed all over the pages for weeks to come. It’s become a PR exercise really.
Of course, we get that most celebs don't get married with the intention to get divorced, but some stars make it hard for us to actually remember (or believe) this. And with all the hoo-ha surrounding the Kardashians - who, it should be said, seem to be revelling in selling their emotions to every tabloid that still cares enough to listen - we couldn't help but wonder:  Just how do the celebs whose marriage have lasted longer than 5-minutes, manage to make their union work? 

What's their secret? 
Well, amongst setting time apart for each other, keeping the spark alive by having date nights and ensuring that communication channels are kept open, it would seem that the celebs below could teach their fellow peers a thing or two. 

Beyoncé and Jay-Z
They're one of the most dynamic duos in Tinseltown, but for all their star power, they've never ever flaunted their relationship. And perhaps, this is where the secret of their successful marriage lies. In an interview with FHM, she was quoted as saying: " Jay and I have always been very discreet when it comes to our relationship. Even after we got married nothing changed about that. I think that saved us a lot of trouble.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones
When their relationship first started, people thought that it wouldn’t last because of their 25-year-old age gap. The couple wed just a few weeks after Michael divorced from his ex-wife Diandra Luker. Their marriage has managed to stay strong despite drama from a stalker, his cancer treatments and Catherine’s bipolar disorder. Michael claims that their marriage works because they are kind to each other: “A lot of times we are nicer to strangers than the people that are close to us.”

Bill Cosby and Camille Hanks
They’ve been married for 47 years – that’s a lifetime by Hollywood standards – and Bill keeps things simple. His advice for husbands around the world? “Let us now set forth one of the fundamental truths about marriage: the wife is in charge.”


Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith
This couple managed to blend families almost effortlessly, it seems. Will claims he’s still with Jada because he doesn’t have to put on a front when he’s with her (they do seem like very down-to-earth people, don’t they?). Will told Essense Magazine:  “A lot of women will impress them, but it’s the one they can always laugh with and be themselves with that will ultimately impress them the most. If you can be yourselves around each other, 100 percent of the time, and they can make you life like no one else can, you’ll never have a dull moment together.”
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Jada said it is important to ignore other people’s thoughts about her marriage: “You have to look at your marriage and understand what is needed in your marriage, not what people think your marriage should be and not what people want your marriage to be. You need to look at your husband and see what he needs and your husband needs to look at his wife and see what she needs, and the two of you need to look at the union and see what the union needs, not what other people think.”

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
Tom and Rita have been together for almost 25 years as well. Remarkable. His marriage advice is so sweet, it’ll make any woman swoon: "My secret to a happy marriage is just being married to the right woman. I got lucky with the wonderful Rita Wilson. I'm the luckiest man alive," he told People.

John Travolta and Kelly Preston
This duo have also survived some challenging situations, including the death of their son. But they’ve stuck together for the past 20 years. Their philosophy is simple and could apply to any healthy relationship, really:
“Communication is number one, but our church does a lot to help us keep together,” said Kelly. “When we have issues, we go settle it up. Almost every six months we go and do a retrofit of what we are thinking, what we need and want and we match it up with what the other needs and wants… If you don’t do that you kind of get stale a little bit. Certainly our children have kept us tied together.”

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith
Who wouldn’t want to be married to Antonio Banderas? This couple have managed to have 15 years of marital bliss despite living in Hollywood and their union was made stronger by Melanie’s rehab stint. He puts it all down to passion: "If you lose your passion, all these other virtues that are way more important, they just all fall.