“I’ve made the groundwork very clear, and if you’re happy to stay below the terms I want to have a relationship on, that’s great.”
Most people know exactly what they need in a relationship, but it can be difficult to specify this to a partner—especially when it’s an obstacle. Whether it’s the need to get married, have children together, or simply deal with the struggle in a healthy way, there’s often a line that needs to be drawn in order to move forward. That’s why there are times when a partner must defy an ultimatum to set a boundary for their relationship. While it can be a dangerous move that can end the relationship, it ensures that everyone gets what they want.
Find out which celebrities gave their partner an ultimatum…
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1. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
Chrissy Teigen It is John Legend They’ve been married for over a decade, but before they tied the knot in 2013, Chrissy gave them an ultimatum. After they got engaged, the couple’s wedding date kept getting pushed back, and Chrissy joked that if it didn’t happen by the end of that year, she would walk away.
“We keep pushing the date back… If it’s not this year, I’m out,” Chrissy told The New York Daily News before clarifying that it was a “joke.”
2. Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves
Matthew McConaughey It is Camila Alves had already taken in two young people after deciding to get married. Matthew stated that they had been contemplating it for a while, but it had finally come to Camila’s decision to draw the line. After talking about it “spiritually” and connecting with other couples who had been happily married and others who had been divorced, Camila said it was now or never.
“I needed to get to the point where I saw this as more than just a thing to do. I needed to really want it. You know, I didn’t want it to be a vacation destination; the fun is that we’re traveling together,” Matthew explained to GQ. “Part of it had to do with her putting it on me. She had to say, ‘Come on, Big Guy, Mr. Easygoing-We’ll-Get-To-This-When-We-Get-To-This. Either shit or get off the pot.’”
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3. Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz
Katie Maloney It is Tom Schwartz‘s relationship was carried out in Vanderpump Guidelinesalong with the ultimatum Katie issued before they got married. After dating for several years and living together, Katie said it was time for them to make things official or go their separate ways.
“So I gave him an ultimatum, the well-known ultimatum. I felt like he was always very commitment-phobic in methods, and I was willing to take pure progressions… He was being naughty, so I was like, ‘You know, it’s time for you to do the real dedication,’” Katie mentioned in the We met at Acme podcast.
The couple ended up getting divorced in 2022.
4. Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum
When Jenna Dewan It is Channing Tatum we met on the set of Step upThey were looking for several things. Jenna needed a long-term relationship, while Channing needed some freedom. After their romance began to blossom, Jenna instructed Channing that she needed to be critical about things or not at all.
“He did this whole thing where he didn’t want to be in a relationship, so I did the whole, ‘Look, if you want to date different people and be free, that’s completely positive, but let’s not ‘hang around’ and ‘watch movies’ and all that stuff. You have to decide what you want, because I know I want to be in a relationship,’” Jenna revealed in Ellen Present.
After a wild night out with the film crew, Jenna says Channing showed up at her hotel room door wearing “underwear, a sombrero and Ugg boots” and instructed her that after he had the “chance to be free,” he couldn’t stop wanting her and needed to make it work. Although the couple eventually tied the knot, they have since split.
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5. Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell
At first Dax Shepard‘s relationship with Kristen BellThey needed to learn how to deal with the battle. Wanting to get back together, Kristen says her approach to arguing was to storm off and make a dramatic exit when things got tough. Dax helped her realize how damaging it was and then they needed to come to the decision that she wouldn’t do that anymore if they were to continue their relationship.
“I realized how extremely poisonous it was only after he pointed it out,” Kristen said in a 2017 episode of torment. “Three months into our relationship, he said, ‘Yeah, you can’t just walk away during fights anymore… I really like you, but I’m not going to do that forever.’”
6. Cardi B and Offset
Long before Cardi B It is Detour grew up to become a mother and father, Offset predicted that Cardi would be the mother of his children. Reflecting on the moment, Cardi says she was on board, but wouldn’t do it until she married the rapper.
“We were making out and he was like, ‘You’re going to have my baby at some point,’ and I was like, ‘We’re not going to have kids. It’s important to marry me,’” Cardi instructed Essence. “And he was like, ‘Okay, let’s get married.’”
While the couple didn’t get married in the meantime, Cardi later brought up the topic during an argument. At the time, Offset was critical of their dedication, and the couple ended up getting married in Offset’s bedroom in September 2017. They welcomed daughter Kulture the following year.
7. Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner
Earlier than Sophie Turner tied the knot with Joe Jonasshe gave her then-boyfriend a playful ultimatum. If they were to continue this far, Joe would have to look at all the Harry Potter movies. He agreed to Sophie’s demand and years later, they ended up getting married.
“Sophie, she mentioned, ‘Look, if we’re going to get married’ — and it was really, ‘For those of you who are following along, it’s important to note the Harry Potter.’ As a result of every Christmas, for those of you who are watching and don’t know, every Christmas in the UK they just stream and play Harry Potterall of them. So I watched all of them, I fell in love with them,” Joe shared in The Belated Gift with James Corden.
The couple has already decided to end the relationship.
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8. Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson
In the 90s, Liam Neeson says he was being considered for the role of James Bond. While he was in the alternative, his then girlfriend Natasha Richardson mentioned that she would not marry him if he took office — though she did not specify precisely why she issued the ultimatum.
“I know they were different actors and I was apparently among them,” Liam mentioned on The Late Late Show With James Corden. “However, my dear, late wife said to me, ‘Honey, if you’re offered James Bond and you’re going to play him, you’re not going to marry me.’”
Liam was never formally offered the position and was married to Natasha until her death in 2009.
9. Vanessa Lachey and Nick Lachey
Vanessa Lachey says she thought she “would be that woman who would never give anyone an ultimatum,” but that changed after dating Nick Lachey for 5 years. After moving in together, she realized she needed to take the next step in their relationship, but they weren’t ready. They ended up breaking up and dating other people, only to realize they were meant for each other.
“We dated for 5 years. Then I finally said, ‘What are we doing?’” Vanessa mentioned in an episode of The Ultimatum. “We realized that if we got outside of our personal approach, we could be great collectively, but it certainly took me seeing another person and realizing that I don’t care about the things that were bothering me or that were holding me back. I don’t care about all of that, the bigger picture is how I really feel about this person and their values of wanting to be with me and seeing all of the pieces about me.”
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10. Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre
When Idris Elba began to court Sabrina DhowreHe admits that he had trouble controlling his feelings and didn’t handle the battle the right way. Instead of talking about the problems, he would often give her an ultimatum to either continue the relationship the way it was or leave.
“Sabrina and I, at the very beginning of our relationship, I used to be a real worrier, so I would have these huge tantrums that were like outbursts. I used to always be the first one to say, ‘Hey, if you’re not happy, go away. Move on.’ It was like male intuition,” Idris mentioned on his podcast, Couple.
Eventually, Idris realized the error of his ways and after resolving their issues, the couple decided to get married.
11. Diane Keaton and Al Pacino
Diane Keaton It is Al Pacino we met on the set of The Godfather in 1971 and continued to this day for 5 years. During this point, Diane admits that she was “crazy about him” and tried to persuade him to settle down. When she didn’t assume that Al felt the same, she gave him an ultimatum that unfortunately ended their relationship.
“I worked really hard on it. I did it in a less than ideal way,” Diane shared with Individuals.
12. Religion Hill and Tim McGraw
Religion Hill It is Tim McGraw was already married with kids when she needed to sit down with him for a critical dialogue. Looking back, Tim says he was partying a little too hard at the time and if he didn’t slow down, it could have been the end of their marriage.
“She told me, ‘Look, you’re not living as long as you want to live as long as you have with your loved ones… You’re not respecting your career; you’re not respecting yourself; you’re not respecting the life that you have. And you just have to take a long look in the mirror and figure out what you want to do.’ And she was right,” Tim told Additional.
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13. Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster
When Rod Stewart first date Penny LancasterHe had recently been divorced and needed to be free to pursue his career. The couple began dating, and Penny quickly realized that she needed to be the only girl in his life. She eventually decided to tell him that if he didn’t settle down, she would leave.
“So when I became his girlfriend, I didn’t want to be his girlfriend, I wanted to be O girlfriend or else it wasn’t right for me. I didn’t want to play the video games, so I remember from the beginning I mentioned ‘For those who screw this up — look, I understand that if you want to date other girlfriends, let me know and I’ll find someone else — but please don’t do this to me,’ she said in Free Girls. “I’ve made the groundwork very clear and if you’re happy to stay below the terms I want to have a relationship on, then great.”
The couple eventually became critical and in 2007 they got married.