Heartwarming Celebrity Friendships That Withstood The Test Of Time

Ben Affleck & Matt Damon

Would you believe Affleck and Damon have been friends for over forty years? The two stars grew up together in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and bonded over their mutual love of baseball, acting, and filmmaking. Their formative years of sharing their passions bonded them for life and led to an unbreakable friendship. They lived together for a time while pursuing their dreams in LA. Affleck spoke with GQ about this time in their lives and said, “My own kind of sanity and mental health really benefited from having someone who I grew up with and knew as a child who was also going through something similar.”

Liv Tyler & Kate Hudson

Live Tyler and Kate Hudson are big names in Hollywood, and the pair have maintained a close bond since the 90s. They were introduced by their famous parents in childhood and ended up attending the same school together. The two friends chased their acting dreams together after graduating high school and were both cast in the film Dr. T and the Women in 2000. The pair have remained inseparable ever since. Kate even asked Liv to be the godmother to her son! These two have a friendship that’s rare in Hollywood!

Oprah & Gayle King

Oprah and Gayle were close friends long before Oprah rose to fame as a talk show host. They originally met in Boston while working at a TV station in the 70s during the earliest stages of their careers. More than forty years of friendship have seen these two through the ups and downs of life. They stuck by each other’s sides and have frequently spoken about the importance of their friendship. Oprah once said, “Whatever this friendship is, it’s been a very fun ride—and we’ve taken it together.”

Richard Pryor & Gene Wilder

Pryor and Wilder were a comedy dynamic duo in the 70s and 80s, starring in films together such as Another You and Stir Crazy. They enjoyed a long, fulfilling friendship that not only propelled their careers forward, but also provided them with a guidepost through life. When Pryor passed away in 2005, Wilder was devastated at the loss of his best friend. Wilder reflected on his life-long partner in crime in 2013 and said, “When he was good he was wonderful, when he was bad, he was awful.”

Jada Pinkett Smith & Queen Latifah

Who doesn’t love an inspiring display of girl power? Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah have been best friends since the 90s. They met as teens while Queen Latifah performed at a club in Baltimore. Jada spoke to People in 2017 about her first impressions on the rapper and said, “I’d never seen anyone like her before, this female rapper named Queen Latifah. I convinced the promoter to let me introduce her.” The rest is, as they say, history! The pair became fast friends and even starred in a couple of movies together.

Penelope Cruz & Salma Hayek

Cruz and Hayek’s friendship was forged in fire, which is probably why their bond is as unbreakable as steel! The pair were already friends when their plane had to make an emergency landing while flying them to Mexico to film Bandidas in 2004. The pair became inseparable after surviving this near-death experience and developed one of the most adored friendships in Hollywood history. They even developed their own special pet names for each other, and the pair frequently posts on social media about their adventures together.

Regina Hall & Sanaa Lathan

Regina Hall and Sanaa Lathan have known each other for over twenty years! They’ve poured so much of their personal lives into each other that they’ve begun referring to each other as their “human diaries.” Hall was recognized at the Step Up Inspiration Awards in 2018 for her commitment to mentoring young women in Los Angeles, and Sanaa posted a heartwarming dedication to her best friend after she received the award. “Had the pleasure of honoring my bestie @morereginahall today at the Step Up inspiration awards. So proud of you Regina you inspire me and so many others. Love u and congratulations!” Lathan wrote.

Busy Philipps & Michelle Williams

Philipps and Williams met on the set of Dawson’s Creek back in 2001, and their friendship became an immediate staple in each other’s lives. They’ve supported each other through major life events, including death and birth. Williams is the godmother to Phillips’s daughter and supported her friend when Health Ledger passed away. Williams spoke with People in 2016 about their friendship and said, “I’m so in love with her. She’s proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man! That’s the love of my life right there.”

Jeanette McCurdy & Miranda Cosgrove

Many of the younger readers of this list will recognize Jeanette McCurdy and Miranda Cosgrove. The stars made their mark on Hollywood while filming iCarly and became best friends during filming, despite some obstacles. McCurdy’s mother infamously tried to stop the girls from being friends, but true love always wins out! In her tell-all novel, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” McCurdy spoke about their friendship and said Cosgrove was an amazing source of emotional support and inspiration.

Jennifer Lopez & Leah Remini

Remini and Lopez first met in 2004 through their male significant others. Remini spoke about feeling a little star-struck when she met J. Lo for the first time and said in an interview with Los Angeles Times, “As I was walking up to the table, I was like, ‘Ugh, God, you’re even prettier in real life.’ She started laughing, and I was like, ‘Ugh, and you have a sense of humor even?'” The pair became fast friends and frequently attended events together where the media raved about their closeness. J. Lo and Leah have become the definition of friendship goals!

Meghan Markle & Serena Williams

You may not expect the Duchess of Sussex and a tennis player to be besties, but these two are smashing friendship stereotypes left and right! They were brought together during the 2010 Super Bowl before Markle became royalty, and their friendship was instantaneous. Megan discussed their friendship on her now-defunct blog and said, “We are both the same age, have a penchant for hot sauces and adore fashion, but what connects us more than those things is perhaps our belief in exceeding expectations – our endless ambition.”

Taylor Swift & Selena Gomez

The two pop sensations met in 2008 when Swift and Gomez dated the Jonas brothers, Joe and Nick Jonas respectively. The pair can frequently be seen attending events together and often post cute dedications to each other on social media. During a 2017 interview, Selena Gomez joked that their friendship, “was the best thing we got out of those relationships.” It’s wonderful to see women coming together and staying together even when the men who helped them meet don’t stick around!

Adam Levine & Jonah Hill

Levine and Hill were friends back in high school, causing trouble together as one would expect! The pair became fast friends after their fathers met and introduced them during their teen years. The Grammy-winning Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and Oscar-nominated actor Jonah Hill have been inseparable since their early years and have even stated in interviews that they think of each other as family. They’ve remained close throughout their adult lives, and now their sons are best friends as well!

BJ Novak & Mindy Kaling

BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling met in 2004 as writers for the hit comedy series The Office. At one point, their friendship did turn to romance, but when that didn’t work out, the pair easily went back to their super close and super platonic relationship. Kaling said this about their relationship during an interview with InStyle in 2015, “He is not my boyfriend, but he is not my best friend. I guess you could describe our relationship as a ‘romantically charged camaraderie with loud arguments,’ but I don’t think Facebook would accept this as a new status.”

Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff