We all have a celeb crush (mine is Milo Ventimiglia, thanks for asking). But what's it actually like to date a celebrity? u/Dutskii asked the good people of Reddit this very question. Here are some of the best responses:
Note: These stories are taken at face value – we cannot confirm the veracity of these personal accounts. Also, heads up, several of these submissions are anecdotes about people other than the Redditor themselves.
1. "My mom had a dinner date with George Clooney in the '90s."
"She didn’t really say much apart from the fact that he’s an interesting and charismatic guy but she honestly didn’t think he was going to blow up."
2. "My friend's aunt went on a blind date with Gerard Butler, circa 300."
"There was a big miscommunication because he was looking for a hook-up and she's a kindly French-Canadian woman in her fifties. They both had a laugh about it and enjoyed supper with each other. She said he was very kind, and very muscular."
3. "I have a family friend who dated Daniel Radcliffe."
"I was seven and a huge Harry Potter fan at the time they dated. I don't remember much aside from the fact that he was a really sweet guy, and on my eighth birthday, someone told him about it and he texted me a happy birthday message despite never having met me. Absolutely made it the best birthday ever!"
5. "Not a date per se, but I had a nice quiet dinner with Samantha Fox in her hotel room in Toronto in the '80s."
"She was in town for a show and I was attached to her security detail. She asked me to eat with her because she didn't want to go out but hated eating alone. Sweet girl, kinda sad too. Lonely."
6. "A fairly close acquaintance of mine at the time went on a few dates with Natalie Portman when they were both at Harvard around 2002."
"He said she was exceptionally down to earth, genuine, and very engaging."
7. "Not me, but my aunt dated Matthew McConaughey before he was famous."
"He ended up getting invited to her wedding to my 'normal' uncle, and proceeded to pass out drunk in the back of my family's car. He refused to leave, and now my dad won't watch his movies!"
8. "My aunt dated Weird Al Yankovic when she was in her mid 20s."
"My family tells me he was a genuinely funny person in a way you wouldn't expect."
9. "I matched with Chloë Grace Moretz on Bumble once."
"I said I liked her in Dark Shadows and she ghosted 😔."
10. "My mom lived in Key West in the early-to-mid '80s and dated Sting for a while. He had a really nice yacht and they went on a sailing trip."
"Sometimes, to fuck with my Dad, I'll start singing 'Roxanne' or 'Message in a Bottle'.
12. "My aunt went on a date with Jimmy Buffett."
"She said he picked her up, stopped at a gas station, bought a jar of pickles, and then drove to the beach. They ate pickles and he took her home."
13. "I had an English teacher that went on a date with Mark Hamill just after filming Star Wars in the '70s."
"She said he was a nice guy and very humble. He said he was a small-time actor and that he'd just finished a new movie that he thought might be successful. They only went out once and she never heard from him again. She saw him in Star Wars a few months later and had her mind blown."
14. "Not a romantic date, but I had a group dinner once at a Japanese restaurant with Leonardo DiCaprio while he was in Louisiana filming Django Unchained."
"He wanted to know what college was like and was asking us all about our lives. He also let me try his udon. It was my first ever Instagram post! He really is such a nice guy – it felt like we were hanging out with our friend!"
15. "My cousin was hit on by Shaq at a festival."
"When she pointed out that he was married, he allegedly said 'I’m Muslim. I’m allowed to have many wives.'"
16. "My mom dated Keanu Reeves back in high school."
"She broke up with him because he was too focused on his band. If only..."
17. "My wife briefly dated Louis C.K. back in 2012."
"She says it seems kind of awful to be famous. Any time they went out to eat or were in public they were just constantly interrupted or stared at. The story that always sticks with me is that one day he went out and bought a $150,000 watch because he felt sad."
19. "My mom went on a few dates with Ted Cruz in college."
"They were both republicans at different schools and met at the '94 Republican National Convention. She ended up not calling him back after a few dates because she said he always talked like he was giving a speech. Apparently he was planning on running for president even back then in his 20s."
20. "A teacher of mine dated Rainn Wilson for three months."
"She said he was a funny and kind man. They went to Mexico together and when I asked what they did she replied, 'what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico.'"
Note: Some entries were edited for length and/or clarity.