Despite Elopement After 6 Weeks of Dating, Bette Midler and Her Husband Are Still in Love After 39 Years
Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg are proof that true love exists. The couple eloped after just six weeks of dating, and they have now been happily married for nearly four decades. Despite heated conflicts along the way, they have managed to keep their relationship strong and thriving. In this article, we will explore their love story and learn more about their secrets to a long-lasting marriage.
What happens in Vegas, lasts for 39 years.
Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg met in 1984 when he was working as an artist, and she was filming the movie Jinxed. They hit it off immediately and started dating. Just six weeks later, they decided to elope to Las Vegas and get married at the Starlight Chapel. “My wedding was two people — my husband and me — and, of course, the Elvis impersonator that married us,” recalls Bette.
Despite their low-key, $45 wedding ceremony in Las Vegas at 2 a.m., Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg’s marriage has endured. Two years after their wedding, they welcomed their daughter, Sophie.
Their life changed after the birth of their daughter Sophie.
“We used to fight bitterly,” confesses the 77-year-old star. She credits the birth of their daughter, Sophie, two years later for reshaping their priorities and aligning them. “We came to the conclusion that we wanted to raise a child. We never wanted to hurt that kid in any way,” she explains. “[So] we stayed together until it got better, and it did.”
Martin von Haselberg also confessed that they had to actively work on saving their marriage after intense arguments. Nevertheless, they managed to resolve their differences and have now enjoyed a happy marriage for nearly forty years. In his own words, “There was a conscious effort to create exactly the life we have.”
Their secret to their long-lasting marriage is simple.
Reflecting on her long-lasting marriage, actress Bette Midler revealed the secrets that have kept their union strong for nearly four decades: giving each other space and being patient.
The Gypsy star said that couples need to allow each other the space and freedom to lead and grow individually. This means respecting each other’s needs, wants, and goals, even if they are different from your own.
Midler also emphasized the importance of patience in marriage. She said couples should be wise about which arguments are worth having, and sometimes it’s better to let your partner have their way. This shows support and understanding, and it can help to avoid unnecessary conflict.
“Don’t go from zero to 60 in two seconds. Just stay calm and try to breathe. Breathing is really important,” she shared her wisdom.
Most importantly, Bette Midler urged couples to be mindful of the words they choose when confronting their partner. Arguments should not be about belittling or blaming the other person. She explained, “Don’t blame. Stop assigning blame. The blaming, I think, is the worst part. It’s so [easy to do], because you don’t want to carry the burden yourself. You want to push it onto someone else.”
She doesn’t believe in giving marital advice, even to her own daughter.
Bette is surely happy about her long-lasting marriage, but she feels her biggest success is raising her daughter, especially with Von Haselberg’s help. The actress is really impressed with Sophie. She sees her daughter as a wonderful being who is responsible, patient, hardworking, and passionate about life.
Now that Sophie is married, the actress said she won’t try to interfere or give her advice on marriage. She thinks it’s best to step back and let the couple figure things out on their own.
While Bette Midler and her husband defied the odds, we can’t help but wonder about the relationship wisdom of other long-lasting celebrity couples. Find out what Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest have to say about their 37 years together in our upcoming article, where they sum it up in just two words.