Some say the best way to get to a man’s heart is food, but Bette Midler has proven that humor may sometimes be the key to getting the man of your dreams.
In fact, Bette and her husband, Martin von Haselberg, have shared nearly four decades of their lives together.
Indeed, it seems that the talented duo has found the secret to getting their happily ever after. So, without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about Bette and Martin’s long lasting relationship.
Fact #1: Bette and Martin’s marriage was a spur of the moment decision
While other to-be-married couples spend months and years preparing for their special day, Bette and Martin candidly decided to get married just six weeks after they started dating. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Bette revealed some peculiar facts about their wedding ceremony, which included:
- An Elvis Presley impersonator was their wedding officiator
- Aside from the fake Elvis, there were only two people in their wedding: the bride and groom
- Bette was the one who proposed to Martin
Bette and Martin wed at the Starlight Chapel in Vegas in the year 1984. Fast forward to 2023, they’re still going strong!
Fact #2: Bette and Martin never saw their wedding photo up until 2008
Nowadays, almost everything can be captured and filmed with just a simple tap on your phone screen. However, things were significantly different in the 80s.
Photographic gadgets were not as accessible during that time as it is now, and since Bette and Martin never hired any photographer to document their special day, they just kind of assumed that they never had any photographic evidence of their wedding.
That is, until an employee from the place where they conducted the wedding mailed them a hard copy of their wedding photo. In the never-before-seen picture, Martin wore a black tuxedo while Bette was dressed in a simple yet elegant blue gown.
Fact #3: Martin quit his job to help Bette in raising their daughter, Sophie
Before their daughter came into the picture, Martin was a commodities trader as well as a respected performance artist who was best known for his role as Harry Kipper from the iconic duo The Kipper Kids.
But when Bette gave birth to their first child, Sophie, Martin dropped everything to become a full-time husband and father.
“My husband is probably the greatest father who ever lived. He picked up the slack when I was on the road. He taught her a foreign language. He taught her how to cook. He has looked after me for many, many years. He’s sacrificed a lot.”
Now that Sophie is all grown up, Martin has found his way back to art – this time, however, he’s going solo. He is now interested in contemporary art and even had his own exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
Fact #4: Martin and Bette almost called it quits
The award-winning actress and comic revealed that she and her husband used to fight ‘bitterly’. She hinted that blame and pride were the two main culprits of their misunderstandings, and that they’ve gone through a lot of self-reflection to figure out how to remedy their relationship.
But ultimately, Bette said that her daughter’s birth was the main reason why she and her husband decided to stay in each other’s company.
“We came to the conclusion that we wanted to raise a child. We never wanted to hurt that kid in any way. [So] we stayed together until it got better, and it did.”
Fact #5: Bette and Martin are hands-on parents
When their only daughter Sophie told them that she was planning to marry her current partner, Bette and Martin spared no time and jumped right into action.
“We divided it up. My husband did the food, I did the flowers.”
Sophie is definitely lucky to have such supportive (and talented) parents. We have a feeling Bette and Martin are going to be amazing grandparents!
So, what are your thoughts about Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg’s relationship? Was there any unknown fact that we missed? Share them in the comment section below!
