Bette Midler Turns 77: A look at how she fell in love and stayed married to husband Martin Von Haselberg
MILLBROOK, NEW YORK: American entertainer Bette Midler completes another happy year of her amazing and eventful life. The four-time Golden Globe award winner turned 77 on Thursday, December 1. The gorgeous actor will be celebrating her special day with her husband, Martin Vol Haselberg aka Harry Kipper, who gave up his successful career for her.
The Hollywood power couple is worth emulating as they have been married for about 37 years. They exchanged vows back in 1984 and spent half of their lives together. Bette and Martin are the proud parents of their only daughter Sophie, who recently got married and enjoys life as an actress and wife. Just like many celebrity marriages, Bette and Martin's romance started off as a whirlwind romance.
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The adorable couple first met in 1984 and felt an instant spark between them. 'The Rose' star previously revealed that when she first met Haselberg, she found him mature and sensible, and these character traits made her fall head over heels. In addition to this trait, Midler found out that they were very similar. After knowing each other for merely six weeks, Midler and Haselberg took their whirlwind romance to the next level and eloped to Las Vegas.
The couple celebrated their nuptials at the Starlight Chapel on December 16, 1984. During an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Midler revealed she was the one to propose and that the wedding was a “spur of the moment” decision. Among those who witnessed them exchange their vows was an Elvis impersonator who conducted the ceremony.
While the couple's road to marriage was quick, the journey after that suffered several turbulent phases. In an interview with Closer Weekly, the ‘Ruthless People’ actor revealed they used to fight bitterly every day until a miracle happened in their lives. And that miracle was the birth of their daughter. Two years after their marriage, the Oscar nominee gave birth to their only daughter Sophie on November 14, 1986. The little girl spent most of her childhood with her father, as Midler, being at the peak of her career, was forced to travel to shoot for her movies.
The actress has time and again lauded Haselberg for all he had done for their family and has described him as "the best parent who ever lived." In the same interview with Closer Weekly, Midler revealed that Martin sacrificed her career as a commodities trader in order to raise their daughter and support her career. But soon, Midler realized it is time for them to make Sophie their center of focus and most important priority. "We came to the conclusion that we wanted to raise a child. We never wanted to hurt that kid in any way. So we stayed together until it got better. And it did," she told the outlet.
These days, Midler and her husband lead tranquil and happy lives in Millbrook, New York, where they share interests in things like tai chi. Talking about the secret of their happy marriage, Bette recently told People: "[Deciding to give in is] very hard, but sometimes you have to say, ‘It’s not worth it. The fight is not worth it. You have your way and maybe next Thursday I’ll have mine.’ Keep supporting each other. That’s hard, too ... It’s best to pick your fights wisely and just meditate. Stay calm. Don’t go from zero to 60 in two seconds. Just stay calm and try to breathe."