A look back at Michael Caine and wife Shakira's love story as they celebrate 50th wedding anniversary

Michael had a reputation as a lady's man, but the woman who anchored him and stole his heart was Shakira

UPDATED JAN 9, 2023

Michael Caine poses with his wife Shakira after being awarded Commandeur des arts et des lettres at Ministere de la Culture in Paris, France (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Veteran actor Michael Caine may have played roles opposite many leading ladies in his time, but in the last 50 years there has only been one lady in his personal life! The 89-year-old 'The Dark Knight Rises' actor recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife Shakira Caine, with whom he fell in love at first sight. Since then, the two have a daughter named Natasha. Before his wife, Caine was married to Patricia Haines, with whom he has a daughter together, Nikki.

Before he married his wife, Caine had a reputation as a ladies' man. According to an Amomama report, however, that changed sometime in the 1970s, when he saw Shakira Baksh in a Maxwell House commercial - prompting him to set out to find the woman who would later become his strength and remain so for more than five decades. He thought she looked Brazilian, and even planned a trip to Brazil to find her.

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English actor Michael Caine with his wife Shakira at the charity premiere of 'The Optimists of Nine Elms' at the ABC Cinema in London, UK, 25th April 1974. (Photo by Larry Ellis/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) — English actor Michael Caine with his wife Shakira at the charity premiere of 'The Optimists of Nine Elms' at the ABC Cinema in London, UK, 25th April 1974 (Larry Ellis/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

However, he had found out before he left, at a tavern at all places, that his to-be wife was not Brazilian, but Indian. What further spurred him on was that she didn’t live half a world away, just a mile away!

Actor Michael Caine and his wife Shakira attend the after party for the premiere of — Michael Caine and his wife Shakira attend the after party for the premiere of 'Sleuth' at the Kobe club on October 2, 2007 in New York City (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Caine was at a tavern with some friends when a stranger had joined in on the discussion and revealed that he had been part of those who made the commercial that Shakira was in and he was the one who helped him find her. Caine eventually did meet his wife and it took eleven attempts at asking her out before she finally budged and said yes.

English actor Michael Caine with his wife Shakira in Rome, Italy, 1972. He will be attending the premiere of his film 'Sleuth'. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) — Michael Caine with his wife Shakira in Rome, Italy, 1972 at the premiere of his film 'Sleuth' (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The pair went on to have a wedding ceremony in 1973 and eventually ended up building a family of their own. Their daughter was born in 1973 and they have also since become grandparents. The pair have now grown old together and has made it known that without his wife, he would have died many years ago. He had stated that before he met his wife, he was someone who routinely had a bottle of vodka and a pack of cigars every day, but she changed him after they met. He has since completely cut out alcohol and started to lose weight to live healthier, stating that he wanted to be alive long enough to spend lots of time with his grandchildren.