He’s played the leading man in dozens of films, but who is the woman that has a hold on his heart off-screen? Camila Alves and McConaughey have been married for nearly a decade, and the two are often seen on the red carpet together, celebrating each other’s successes including both of them making the New York Times Bestseller list with their respective books, and sharing glimpses of their family life on social media. Here’s what we know about Matthew McConaughey’s marriage to his leading lady Camila Alves.
Who is Matthew McConaughey married to?
He is married to Camila Alves. She is a Brazilian model and actress. She moved from Brazil to New York at age 19 to pursue modeling, even appearing in videos for rapper Chingy, and R&B artist Ne-Yo. She became an American citizen in 2015. The couple had been together for six years before tying the knot.
Where did Matthew and Camila meet?
The couple met in 2006 at a nightclub in Los Angeles. McConaughey went out to Hyde on Sunset Boulevard with his friend Lance Armstrong. The actor spotted Alves, a model and actress who came to the US from Brazil when she was 15, and it was love at first sight, for him. It took a bit longer for Camila to fall head over heels. “The first interaction, I did not know who he was,” Alves said. At the time he had a really long beard, and he had this Rasta hat. He was all covered up, and I didn’t really realize who he was.” McConaughey’s friend, Lance Armstrong, helped the connection along, and Alves ended up spending the night at McConaughey’s house in the guest room that night. They had their first official date a few nights later. McConaughey cooked dinner for two and they ate on the porch at his one-bedroom place on the beach in Malibu. Years after they met, McConaughey revealed that Camila came into his life at the right time. “It’s gotta be the right person but it has to be the right time,” he told People in 2017. “We went out on our first date three nights later and I knew then that the next night I wanted to go on another date … And I’ve been wanting to go on a date with her for the last nine years. And not with anybody else."
How old is Camila Alves?
She is 40 years old. She was born on January 28, 1982. There is a 13 year age difference between Alves and McConaughey.
What does Camila do for a living?
She is a designer, model, author, and entrepreneur. Together with her husband, she runs the Just Keep Livin Foundation, which focuses on “empowering high school students” by promoting healthy living. In 2008, she began designing the Muxo line of handbags with her mother. In 2014, Alves launched the online health and nutrition platform Women of Today. She hosted the third season of the Bravo reality series Shear Genius in 2010 and co-hosted the Food Network competition show Kids BBQ Championship with Eddie Jackson in 2016. As partner and chief brand director of organic baby food company Yummy Spoonfuls, Alves is trying to change the way kids eat. “When I became a mother for the first time, it became even more clear that changes needed to be made in the baby food industry—especially for the most important beings in the world,” she said in a 2018 interview. “That’s where my journey started—trying to find a solution.” Yummy Spoonfuls’ products are preservative-free with no additives.
How long has Matthew McConaughey been married?
The couple got engaged on Christmas Eve in 2011, but what made McConaughey finally pop the question? “I had to get to the point where I saw [marriage] as more than just the thing to do,” he told GQ. “I wanted to really want to. You know, I didn’t want it to be a destination; the fun is that we’re on the adventure together.” He explained that they had discussed the prospect of marriage for some time and had spoken with people who had gone through a divorce, he shared, “We talked to our pastor. In the end, our understanding was, Let’s go make a covenant, with you, me, and God.” In fact, Camila didn’t say yes immediately when McConaughey proposed as they unwrapped Christmas gifts with family. “It was the last gift to be opened and I wrapped it in seven different boxes so Camila would have to keep unwrapping,” he recounted the story about the rose-cut Cathy Waterman engagement ring he’d buried inside. “She got the ring, I took a knee and asked her to marry me and take my name. After a bit, she conceded … thankfully.” Alves and McConaughey were married on June 9, 2012, during a three-day celebration in Austin, Texas at a private at-home ceremony. Around 120 guests including Reese Witherspoon, Kenny Chesney, and Woody Harrelson were in attendance for the nuptials. The ceremony was even more meaningful because two of their kids Levi, who was 3 at the time, served as the ring bearer, and Vida was 2 at the time, and she was the flower girl at the Catholic ceremony. Alves said the couple can never remember or agree on the official date of when they got married even after nearly a decade.
How many kids does Matthew have?
The couple share three children together: Levi, 13, Vida, 12, and Livingston, 9. On July 7, 2008, Camila gave birth to their first child, a son named Levi. Less than two years later, on January 3, 2010, the family welcomed their daughter, Vida. Just months after the couple got married, on December 28, 2012, their son Livingston was born. Matthew said being a father was something he desired. “It’s the one thing I’ve always wanted to be. I knew it when I was 8 years old. I mean, I wanted to be things like the Washington Redskins running back and all that stuff, but the one thing I knew I wanted to be was a father.” In fact, it was their three kids that inspired Camila to author her first children’s book Just Try One Bite with her co-author, Adam Mansbach. “I’m not here to tell parents what to feed their kids, but I am here to give a good reminder to have the conversation of the food… ‘cause when you start having that conversation early on most likely you’re gonna be setting up your kids for lifelong of healthy eating habits,” Alves explained. “I’ve seen it in my household. It’s not perfect… You can still have your doughnut holes and your ice cream, just not every day.” “The main thing is that my wife and I, Camila, we have a similar moral bottom line. And as you learn, if you have kids, every day they get older, you realize how much more it’s really DNA,” he said on the Today show. “We can nudge ’em and shepherd ’em, et cetera et cetera, but they are who they are. And right now, I’m just happy to say we have three healthy ones and they’re very much individuals.” As for more kids? Matthew says he wants more kids, but Camila isn’t feeling that idea. “I’d like to have eight more kids,” the father of three said on a HISTORYTalks: Leadership and Legacy panel in March 2020. “My wife’s not on the same page. I understand that.”
Where do Matthew and Camila live?
The couple and their children relocated to McConaughey’s home state of Texas in 2012, but they moved for good in 2020 during the pandemic. “We lived in Malibu for many years and having the paparazzi outside our door every day - every single day - when that becomes your normal, you don’t realize how much that’s actually affecting the things you do until you actually leave and get out of it. The kids get to have a private way of growing up. So, from that perspective, it was very important,” said Alves.
What’s the secret to their marriage?
McConaughey and his wife will celebrate their 10-year anniversary in June, but there’s one thing that is the secret to their successful marriage. “Don’t make a straight line crooked,” he said. “If things are going well, keep catching green lights. If they’re not, deal with them soon so they don’t bubble up and get you later.” Next, read all about Denzel Washington’s leading lady, Pauletta Washington.
