Courteney Cox & Johnny McDaid were off-and-on for a little bit, when they even ended their engagement and broke up completely, in 2015. At some point – mid-2016 – they got back together and people still say they’re engaged, although at this point, I don’t think anyone is planning a wedding. Is there any kind of rule about that? If you break off an engagement and break up completely, are you back to being “engaged” when you get back together? Miss Manners is shook. Anyway, my guess is that they probably won’t ever get married and my guess is that they’re fine with that. CC and Johnny chatted with People Magazine last week about how they “feel married” already. Sure?
Courtney Cox feels like she’s already tied the knot with boyfriend Johnny McDaid. While attending the Irish Arts Center Spirit of Ireland Gala presented by Bushmills Irish Whiskey in New York City on Friday, the couple — who got engaged in 2014 before splitting up and eventually reuniting — opened up about their relationship status. Although the program for the night indicated that the actress would be attending with her husband, the Snow Patrol musician told PEOPLE that husband is just “a label.”
“We’re not married,” added the Friends alum, 54, before remarking, “I’m married in my heart.”
When asked whether that meant that the pair didn’t have an actual ceremony, McDaid, 42, sweetly answered, “We have one every morning when we look at each other. My thoughts are never without Court. She’s my best friend. She’s my partner, in everything,” he shared, before detailing one of the romantic ways he illustrates those feelings. “When I write her poems, it’s just an extension of how I feel every second anyway, and that’s true for me.”
The couple also opened up about how they like to spend the holiday season together.
“We get together. That’s our tradition. We don’t really have anything laid in stone because that would box us in. We just get together and see what happens,” McDaid shared, adding that Cox and her 14-year-old daughter Coco “come over — and we hang out, sing songs, play music, eat and drink…and be together.”
The whole “I write her poems” thing reminded me of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s marriage. That sort of… saccharin, uber-romantic, performative-love thing. I mean, in Keith and Nicole’s case, I think they are completely obsessed with each other. But Courteney and Johnny? I think Court is finally with a guy who is “in charge.” Every other relationship she’s had, she was the one calling the shots and being the Type-A one dictating the terms. That’s just my take on it – Johnny doesn’t want to get married, so they aren’t getting married and she’s learned how to be okay with that.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I’m hoping she will leave her face alone for now. I’ve always had a soft spot for her.
Agreed.
She looks better now than she has in many years, hope she lays off on the fillers and junk from now on.
funny, I was thinking the opposite. the first pic of her, in front of the blue sign?…her face looks so weird.
she looks like someone who resembles CC…almost like Amy Brenneman?…
“We have one every morning when we look at each other”?? Blech. I know every married couple is different, and there’s no one way to practice that commitment, but that seems crazy to me. Over-the-top and probably untrue.
But I sort of get the (albeit poorly phrased) “married in my heart” thing. I don’t think marriage becomes as big of a deal until kids enter the picture or one person wants to move, etc. Even then it’s not necessary, but it makes marriage seems like a bigger deal then.
I wanted to ask here — what is the general thought on ultimatums? My now-married sister gave her husband one. “Propose or I’m not renewing the lease.” When I first heard that I was completely shocked because I generally think of my big sis as an independent woman. But then I thought maybe that’s just her way, and maybe I’m being insensitive or judge-y to think that you can’t be a strong, independent woman but also give an ultimatum. Thoughts?
I really don’t like the word ultimatums. When I was with my dude, I talked about my plans. We were together for about six months and my Mother was coming for a visit and I asked him about it. It lead to the talk and about where I see things in the future. It was never a ‘give it to me at this deadline or we are over’. It was always, ‘ We have been together for six months and I want to introduce you to my family’, or ‘ I see myself married in two years’.
That gives you insight into the other person. Needless to say he did not want to meet my Mother and just ignored me after that. When I finally spoke to him he said it was too much to meet her and there was pressure. Would I have liked to have heard that when I brought up the visit, hell yeah, am I glad it happened and I did not waste more time with him, hell yeah.
Better off without him then! I remember many years ago my then boyfriend couldn’t bring himself to come visit me in hospital after surgery. Said hospitals gave him the queazies. I dumped him.
I think the ultimatum makes sense if marriage is what she truly wanted. There’s no use wasting time on someone who doesn’t want to enter into the same kind of commitment as you. Some people believe in the “married in your heart” concept — but I don’t think that invalidates someone believing in marriage as tied to a piece of paper either. People want different things, and I think that’s okay. She accurately stated what she wanted instead of pretending. I think the latter would have hurt her down the road (i.e. see Jon Hamm’s ex-partner).
I think if you are going to be in a committed relationship, these things should be talked about very early on. If you have to give your partner an ultimatum than something ain’t right. I’ve been with my man for 15 years and known him since we were 12. We talked about it very early that marriage didn’t matter to either of us. We have our daughter, and our house, and we are happier than ever, we’ve talked about getting married, it may happen but we are in no rush.
Hey, it worked for her pal, Jen.
When you have millions, etc. marriage must be so very bureaucratically messy. Why bother?
She needs to cut out the black. Her hair is dyed jet black. She needs some color lessen the starkness of it all. Why she can’t put on a cute shirt with some color in it is a mystery to me. And that dress she’s wearing looks like something Goodwill had on clearance. She’s pretty but like SJP she doesn’t know how to use make-up and clothes to enhance what she has.
I felt like once we lived together (and we were engaged and had moved across country), I felt “married.” I didn’t feel any different once I had the ring on my finger. We did have kids together and I wanted to be married for that. If something happened to Mr. Contrary I don’t think I’d bother getting married again. I wouldn’t see the point.
I personally don’t have any interest in marriage and like what they’re saying here, but I feel like this would possibly offend people who are legally married. I know my mother, for instance, takes a lot of pride in her 30+ year marriage (rightfully so), so she doesn’t like it when I talk about how I don’t find a piece of paper important to make a relationship last. IDK. Different strokes for different folks.
I was married for 10 years to a horrible abusive man. I swore I would never remarry. Now, 2 years into living with the most wonderful man, I can’t wait to be married to him. People change, circumstances change and people evolve.
He makes it sound like they don’t live together if Courtney and her daughter “come over” for get togethers.
Like Lena Dunham, I think Courteney is going to get her heart broken (again) when her man takes off and tells her “married in my heart” = “not married and never wanted to be”.
I thought couples married as much for legal paperwork and access in case on of them ends up in hospital, etc., early on or even in later years? I feel like I’ve read stories where a partner was denied access to the husband/wife in hospital and to be part of paperwork, etc., after a partner’s death because there was no legal document (i.e., it fell to other family members).
As to Courtney’s case, I don’t know…maybe it works for them and I hope the best for her. But personally, I’m always a little suspicious of someone’s commitment level if they don’t want to go through the process of marrying. I’m equally suspicious of quick marriages and I’ve known a few broken marriages that would not have happened in the first place had the couples really really really had an honest conversation about expectations and wants and values and finances and all kinds of unromantic but necessary things. But then again, if a woman is independently wealthy though, and has her finances and will and what to with her kid(s) if she ends up in hospital and needs partner intervention, and all of that kind of thing sorted out, maybe she doesn’t need marriage, as long as her partner meets her needs otherwise? It’s a tough call. If I was super wealthy, I probably wouldn’t bother getting married either. Even now, not wealthy, if I met the love of my life…I don’t know that I’d get worked up about being married. I’d only want to do it if it was legally beneficial (I’m not talking about spousal support if we divorce or whatever)…just for stuff like wills, insurance, travelling, etc.
Having that talk though, is a good way of sussing out someone’s commitment and intentions, regardless. I agree, have the talk early-ish so you’re not wasting both your lives, in some cases, years.
After my husband and I had been seriously together 2.5 years, I was getting ready to move to graduate school. We both loved each other, but I wasn’t going to move to another city and be Long-distance. I told his mom one day, “You know I am moving. You know I want him to come with me, but he isn’t coming unless we are engaged.” She said, “I’ll get on it.” They went to lunch, when he came back we went to look at venues. We have been together 18 years since Halloween and married 15 years next March.
I have been in ministry for 15 years and the reason to be married for most average folks is that it is a financially stable arrangement. If you have kids and the marriage is good, then it is good for them. I don’t have kids, but marriage is still a great institution and a spiritual path, really. As a hospice and hospital chaplain, if you are NOT married then you do NOT get to make ANY decisions for your partner. I have been able to consult with long-term partners, but family trumps any decision making power in EVERY situation.
This.
I mean, while my hub and I are spiritual/religious, we both had a previous marriage that was so bad we never wanted to walk down the aisle again.
Then we met each other lol
After about 6 months we knew it was meant to be and made a commitment to each other (which is lightening fast for a commitment-phobe like me).
6 months after that we were married.
Not because WE needed it, but because as adults we knew we needed a legal/public agreement should anything happen to one of us down the road.
Marriage is just a public legal thing you do to tie up loose ends (we even called it a ring exchange on the invites).
Court Cox’s beau is not in this for the long haul.