Maury Povich and Connie Chung have been married for 39 years — yet a lot of people have no idea. It's probably because these two famous staples of television haven't openly talked about their relationship, aside from a few select interviews. They're not at a level where tabloids are picking up information about their relationship for salacious cover stories. But maybe they should.
As it turns out, Maury and Connie have one of the most interesting relationships in Hollywood. For one, they admit that they were casually dating for seven years before Maury popped the question and Connie said yes. During that time, Maury was living in Philadelphia, and Connie was working in Los Angeles. So it was a long-distance relationship that involved both of them seeing other people. For most, this would be a convenient fling.
However, Maury felt romantic while the two were visiting Italy together. Maury had proposed before, but Connie refused. The reason, as they told People this year, was that neither felt ready to take the relationship further at the same time.
"We ping-ponged," Maury said. "When one wanted to get serious, the other one didn't. At one point I proposed to her, and she said, 'No, I'm not ready,' and then she asked me if I wanted to get married, and I said, 'No, I'm not ready.'"
But how did they meet? Oprah Magazine reports that they first met in Washington, DC, at a TV station back in 1969. At the time, Maury was a big name, and Connie's career had yet to take off. It's almost hard to believe that there was a time when Connie Chung wasn't a name known nationwide, but it's true.
"In 1969, I was a copygirl at a little TV station in Washington, D.C. and he was a big star and I was just a kid," she told People, per Oprah Magazine. "I would rip the wire copy off the machine and give it to Mr. Povich. He was very gruff and very matter-of-fact. He never looked up. I kept thinking, 'Maybe someday he'll acknowledge that I'm a human being.'"
But Connie didn't wait around for Maury to acknowledge her. "I worked there for two years and then I left to launch my career — and I left him in the dust," Connie joked. Obviously at that point in time, she never thought she'd ever end up marrying him.
It took only five years for the power roles to change — and that's another reason why so many women look up to Connie Chung. "Several years later, after bouncing around the country from job to job, I ended up in Los Angeles by 1977 and at that time, I was the second banana to Connie," Maury said. "Connie was the big anchor star at the CBS affiliate and I was her co-act before they cleaned house."
Maury had reportedly told Connie that he was let go, and that warmed her up to the former big shot. He also admitted to her that she was the only person he knew in Los Angeles, which caused the two to spend more time together. It's unlikely that they knew romance would brew. But it did — albeit slowly.
Throughout their seven-year courtship, they were also actively seeing other people. Still, Maury was quite fond of Connie and tried proposing. Oddly enough, she eventually said yes — and that's because she spotted a wedding dress she wanted to wear. Without that dress, their future might have been completely different.
They got married in 1984 in a very small ceremony. After suffering from infertility, they grew their family by adoption. In 1995, they adopted Matthew Jay Povich, who's currently a professor at California State Polytechnic University. Maury also has two daughters from a previous marriage.
Connie doesn't seem to remember much from the wedding itself, except for a dog who happened to be outside at the time. "It was nice," she told People magazine. "Though I didn't convert to Judaism at the time, we got married before a rabbi. We both said to each other afterward, 'Were you listening to what the rabbi was saying?' And we both said, 'No, but did you see that dog right across the street?' We both were mesmerized by this dog in the building across the street who was looking down at the traffic and going from window to window barking."
While that's an odd memory to have while vows were being read, the two have since brought dogs into their family. But as great as that is, one of the best parts of Maury and Connie's relationship is that they still seem to lovingly bicker at each other. While it may not come off as loving in interviews, there's a reason they stuck together this long — especially since both had plenty of other options.
In the interview with People, some of the bickering came out. "Connie is never on time," Maury stated with a smile. "Well, what's so annoying about Maury is that he's so loud and interrupts all the time," Connie fought back. "I do not!" Maury added.
But they both have ideas on why and how their marriage has lasted so long. "I have one answer, Connie has another," Maury said. "Whatever discussions or arguments go on during the day, once the head hits the pillow, it's over and not to be continued the next morning. It is not on my mind."
As expected, Connie was quick to disagree. "That is truly admirable, but I hold grudges and I need to continue to argue it out, whatever it is," she said. Then Maury gave an answer that was much more universal. "We've always respected each other's careers and we've always respected each other's space and values," he said. "There's no need for any do-overs. Maybe that's the reason why we're still married."
Looking at Connie and Maury's relationship, it's almost a little refreshing. These two have kept it real for years, and they've managed to have a nice life together — one that Connie admits she'd relive every moment of. The odds might not have been in their favor, but they're one of Hollywood's longest-lasting partnerships.
It's also a reminder that love stories don't necessarily need to be romantic. The two joke about the people their partners dated prior to making their relationship official. Even Connie admits those seven years were really freeing. Yet here they are today, still happy with how things worked out.
