The Longest and Shortest Celebrity Marriages of All Time

Don Gummer and Meryl Streep: A Love Born from Tragedy

In 1978, Meryl Streep was grieving the loss of her boyfriend, John Cazale, who succumbed to lung cancer. During this trying time, Streep's brother and his friend, Don Gummer, came to her aid. While helping her move out of the apartment she had shared with Cazale, Gummer played a significant role. Astonishingly, within six months of their encounter, Gummer and Streep were married.

In her 2012 Academy Award acceptance speech for "Julie & Julia," Streep expressed her gratitude for Gummer's presence in her life, recognizing that he had enriched her life in immeasurable ways. She playfully acknowledged him, knowing that thanking one's spouse typically leads to the music playing them off the stage, stating, "First, I’m going to thank Don because when you thank your husband at the end of the speech they play him out with the music, and I want him to know that everything I value most in our lives, you’ve given me."