Cruz and Bardem (finally) tie the knot

If showbiz journalists were asked for their ideal story they would probably opt for news of a wedding between Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.

This dream prensa rosa story recently became a reality and, while Spanish gossip columnists undoubtedly led the field in terms of fascinated speculation, journalists from around the world were riveted by the news of the marriage of one of Hollywood’s most low-key pairings.

Unlike many stars, who seem to get together and break up within a six-week period, Cruz and Bardem have been good friends for nearly 20 years, since starring in Bigas Luna’s film, Jamon Jamon in 1992, but they only emerged as a romantic couple in 2007 while filming Woody Allen’s popular film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Their relationship was so low-key that Cruz often refused to confirm that she was, in fact, dating Bardem.

The wedding finally took place in early July at a friend’s house in the Bahamas. In front of a very small group of family members and friends, the couple exchanged vows, the only nod to their fame being Cruz’s wedding dress, which was designed by Gibraltar’s genius of haute couture, John Galliano.

In retrospect this formalisation should have come as no surprise after Bardem publicly declared his love for Cruz during his acceptance of the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival: “I share this joy with my friend, my companion, my love. Penelope: I owe you a lot and I love you so much.”

Cruz has frequently voiced her scepticism about marriage, but friends have revealed her desire to start a family. Within days of the wedding it is not surprising that the latest wave of press gossip concerns her pregnancy.

New post on at Tuesday, 20 July, 2010, 9:15 am and is archived in Culture, Lifestyle, People. Subscribe to answers with RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or make a trackback from your web.