Last week we shared Page Six’s news that Chris Evans was taking home PEOPLE magazine’s coveted title of Sexiest Man Alive but it turns out it‘s actually Paul Rudd.
While many of us remember falling in love with his character “Josh” on Clueless, the 52-year-old was surprised by the news. But the way he described the reaction of his wife Julie Yaeger, was hilarious. “She was stupefied,” Rudd said. “But you know she was very sweet about it. After some giggling and shock, she said ‘Oh, they got it right.’ And that was very sweet. She was probably not telling the truth, but what’s she going to say?” Yaeger and Rudd have been married for 17 years, which is a long time for any couple- especially in Hollywood. While the couple enjoys their privacy take a look at their love story below.
© GettyImages1998 screening of \"The Object of My Affection\"
Rudd may be the face we see on screen, but Yaeger was in the industry and is a former publicist. After landing his breakout role in Clueless he moved to New York in 1996 and took the advice of director Amy Heckerling to get a publicist. According to a 2011 story by Luke Crisell, when Rudd showed up in the city he was already late for an audition so he went straight to the publicists with his luggage. Yaeger was working at the office at the time and offered to drop off his bags at his friend’s apartment. A few days later Rudd asked her if she wanted to grab lunch and they fell in love.
© GettyImagesPremiere of \"How Do You Know\" 2010
Yaeger was the first person he met in the city and her maturity and perspective of the world had him saying “wow.” He told Marie Clare in 2018, “She was the first person I met in New York. We started talking and there was a maturity with her – she had experienced some tragedy in her life, I had too, and the impression I got was, wow, this is a woman. This isn’t a girl,” he said. “I was really taken with who she was and how she had overcome and was in the process of overcoming adversities in her life. There was a perspective that she had and still has on the world that you don’t come too easily – it’s earned and most people don’t have it at such a young age.”
© GettyImagesPaul Rudd Honored With Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame 2015
After meeting in 1996 the couple dated for 8 years and got married in 2003 February. The parents of 2 welcomed their son Jack into the world in 2004 and their daughter Darby in 2009. They have kept their kids out of the public eye and live a private life in their home in Rhinebeck, New York. The kids were however there to celebrate their dad in 2015 when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
