What We Can Learn From 9 Famous Couples Who Gave Themselves a Second Chance for Love

Second chances don’t always end in failure. There are a bunch of couples that have parted ways once (or even twice) but who got back together and are stronger than ever. As the history of couples like Prince William and Kate Middleton teaches us, these time gaps can be useful in finding out what our deepest feelings are. So returning to the arms of an ex can become an eternal Valentine’s Day.

Here at Bright Side, we believe that there is always a time to give way to love, and this is confirmed by the stories in this article. We prepared a special bonus about a couple that assures us that their relationship is better now that they no longer live together.

1. Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik

It may be that their relationship has its ups and downs, but no one can deny that it has been romantic since the model and the One Direction singer met in 2015. After several comings and goings between 2016 and 2018, it seems that now they are having a great moment together.

We have learned that their secret can be the “huge amount of respect and adoration” that exists in their relationship, even when it was broken.

2. Rose Leslie and Kit Harington

Their romance in Game of Thrones crossed from onscreen to real life. The first attempt at their love story was in 2012, but it only lasted a few months. Harington recognized that his on-screen chemistry with Leslie was mostly due to their real friendship. After 2 years of having separate lives, in 2014 they were given a second chance and they don’t seem to have regretted it at all.

They announced their engagement in the old-fashion way and married in 2018. We learned that considering each other a “best friend” is the perfect base to grow a healthy relationship.

3. Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green

Fox and the Beverly Hills 90210 star started dating when she was 18 years old and he was 30, in 2004. They got engaged in 2006 but broke up in 2009. After a year separated, they married in 2010 and had 2 children.

They announced their divorce in the summer of 2015, but postponed it because she became pregnant with their third child. It sounds pretty complicated, but there must be love there. From Fox and Austin we have learned that true love makes its way even when we have other plans.

4. Prince William and Kate Middleton

They met while studying at University and they became friends for over a year first. Lots of good times together lead to a relationship and they even moved in together with 2 other friends who were also a couple. In April 2007, Prince William and Middleton ended their relationship. The couple decided to break up during a vacation.

Prince William recognized that they were both very young at the time they started their romance. From them, we have learned that a gap in a relationship can allow each person to have some space for personal development, so they can value that time and realize they were meant for each other.

5. Pink and Carey Hart

Pink met professional motocross racer Carey Hart in 2001 and their first chance for love ended in 2003. After a reconciliation, Pink proposed to Hart in June 2005 during a motocross race, he said yes, and they married in Costa Rica in 2006. Pink announced in February of 2008 that she and Hart had separated, but the couple didn’t lose faith and sought marriage counseling during their separation.

In February 2010, Pink confirmed that she and Hart were back together and months later they were expecting their first child. From them, we have learned that it is a good idea to look for some external advice if the relationship starts to go downhill. For them, it has worked perfectly, as their relationship has seemed to be in a honeymoon phase since then.

6. Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake

They had a beautiful relationship that lasted 4 years until 2011. At the beginning of that year they decided to part ways, but continued being friends. Nevertheless, doubts about their relationship were short-lived.

After a few months apart they reconciled in August and got engaged in December of that same year. They had their first child, Silas, in April 2015. Now it seems that Valentine’s is every day, since they got back together again. Their secret is to have a new adventure every day.

7. Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin

Baldwin was one of Bieber’s fans when he was in his teens. Life brought them together and they had a brief courtship from December 2015 to January 2016. The breakup was somewhat turbulent and they went a while without being friendly. In 2018 they reconciled and this time it was completely clear. They said yes in an official ceremony in 2019.

Their romance now seems to be in a good place, as Bieber declares that his heart skips a beat when he’s around her. From them, we have learned that we sometimes need to wait for the right time to build a mature relationship.

8. Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid

They started dating in 2013, after Cox divorced David Arquette. They announced their engagement in 2014, but they broke off their engagement a year later and McDaid moved to England. The former Friends actress explained that when they got back together, the relationship was actually better than it was before.

Paradoxically, without being engaged and with being in a long-distance relationship, she realized that she was a better person after that breakup. This shows us that the most difficult moments in a relationship can serve to strengthen our feelings.

9. Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo

The first relationship between The Maroon 5 singer and the Victoria’s Secret model lasted just over a year. They broke up in 2013 and Levine started a new relationship. They both realized that this was the worst decision and in 2014 he had already returned to her with a marriage proposal under his arm.

They have 2 daughters, but Levine revealed that he wants lots more, as he thinks that being a dad is the most fun thing on the planet. From them, we have learned that a breakup can serve to clarify whether the feelings of love at first sight are real or not.

Bonus: Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman

More than 30 years separate these 2 pictures. They met for the first time in 1971 and it took just a couple of weeks before they moved in together. After more than a decade of living together, they got married and had 3 kids. However, Perlman and DeVito separated in October 2012, but not even a year passed before they reconciled.

The couple later separated again for a second time in March 2017, but they continue to have an enviable relationship and that’s why we decided that they deserve this bonus. Although the 2 no longer live together, Perlman has said she has no intention to divorce DeVito. Their relationship of 4 decades shows us that even after a breakdown, if there are respect and love, a good relationship will survive.

What do you think of these relationships that had second chances? Have you had a good experience by going back to your ex or are you one of those who feel that when it’s over, it’s over?