

5 Black Celeb Couples Who Are Unproblematic AF, Successful & In Love
Love is beautiful and social media is a wonderful way to showcase and spread it. However, many times it's the content with a bit of controversy or drama tied to it that gets all the double taps. But as my father once told me, "It's fine to seek drama in your art and interests, but love should make you happy and feel peace." When he said that, it stuck with me. For a long time, I think I sought out excitement in my relationships and that can lead to a lot of unhappiness or unhealthy situations.
Now, I'm working to see things differently. In fact, when I think about a few of my favorite celebrity couples, I realize they're kind of lowkey. While their names ring bells professionally, their personal lives seem somewhat normal and peaceful. They're just unproblematic, in love, and successful, and I think it's OK to say, "That's goals."
Check out these Black celebrity couples that keep the intimate details of their relationship to themselves but still made our list of faves.
Sabrina Dhowre and Idris Elba
I still remember when the news dropped that actor and musician Idris Elba was married. It was like Black women around the world were a little heartbroken. But that changed when we got introduced to his wife, TV host, model, and former Miss Vancouver, Sabrina Dhowre Elba.
On an episode of The Sip, Sabrina mentioned the couple met in a jazz bar where she chatted with the Luther star in plans of connecting him with a friend. But apparently, Mr. Elba read the situation wrong because he was very much into her. So after Sabrina got her friend's approval, they continued talking and the magic happened.
Clearly, that worked out, because years later they're still going strong. And although the pair seems to value their privacy, when they do share, it puts us in our feelings and makes it super hard to be a hater. Sabrina told The Sip:
"Early on Idris told me, 'Do not read what people say, the internet is a toxic place.' I took that on, and I started living for myself and not feeling like I have to justify my relationship. It's not for other people."
"I know what we have is amazing and I cherish it," she continued. "But at the same time we're trying to get used to exploring it openly and that's one of the reasons we started our podcast, Coupledom."
Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict
Tia Mowry is one of those celebrities we've admired for decades. Her work on timeless classics like Sister, Sister, and The Game have entertained and inspired so many, so it always feels good to support celebrities who not only share positivity through their work but through their personal lives as well. And one way she and her husband, actor Cory Hardrict, do that is through their beautiful display of love and marriage.
When reflecting on how they met, The Chi actor told Global Grind, "I was waiting at a bus stop after I shot my first film. She and her sister drove by, they saw me waiting, and asked to give me a ride. I was so embarrassed."
He continued, "But, they gave me a ride and we have been friends ever since." Today, they are both successful actors and very much in love after 13 years of marriage.
Eudoxie and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges
As an Atlanta transplant, I have to start this by saying we don't give Ludacris enough credit for a lot of things. But one area I think definitely isn't discussed enough is his happy marriage to the influencer, author, and philanthropist Eudoxie. The couple met in 2008 at "Luda Day Weekend," an annual celebrity celebration focused on service. They quickly developed a friendship. Fast-forward to six years later: they tied the knot in a baecation ceremony at a secret location.
Since that time, the rapper has gained dual citizenship in Gabon, showing a true interest in his wife's heritage.
About a year ago, the couple has shared a major hardship. Eudoxie wrote an emotional Instagram post, which read:
"I had a miscarriage and needed to have surgery. It was very easy to complain and self-pity but I refused to let the enemy win. I stayed faithful and prayed up. I spent hours focusing on the many ways the Lord has blessed me. How could I complain when God has blessed me with the opportunity to already experience motherhood? I'm sharing this with you all to remind you to live in gratitude."
She continued, " Thank you God for your favor over my life. Thank you for my beautiful family and friends who have been so supportive. Thank you for another year!" The couple has recently welcomed their second child together and is excited about the launch of Karma's World, a children's series created by Ludricis, dedicated to his oldest daughter Karma, now streaming on Netflix.
Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin
Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin were very open about their courtship and their decision to be celibate before getting married. However, more recently, they've kept their marriage details pretty close to the chest. When they do share with us, it seems pretty clear that these two are very much in love.
In their book The Wait, the couple shared that they met years ago but reconnected on the set of the 2011 film, Jumping the Broom.
On Oprah's Super Soul SundayMeagan reflected on meeting DeVon saying, "I remember thinking, wow, that's the kind of guy I wish I could marry. I thought he was out of my league because of how amazing he was."
DeVon expressed that he thought she was too much of a celebrity and out of his league as well. But thanks to their commitment to each other and their faith they ended up together a little over a year later.
Keith Powers and Ryan Destiny
Both of these actors have a loyal following of admirers so it was quite a story when these two hit the scene together. I mean when they drop a picture, it only takes a few seconds for the post to be full of comments and emojis. The actors told Teen Vogue that they met at the mag's 2015 party. As soon as Keith Powers saw Ryan Destiny, he walked over and introduced himself, sparking a beautiful friendship. Then, thanks to social media and a genuine bond, the relationship grew from there.
Powers told Teen Vogue, "I realized I was in love when I knew my life would be extremely affected negatively if Ryan wasn't in it."
"Loving someone is a very natural feeling that just happens," he added. "You can't just wake up and say, 'I love this person.' You feel it. You realize like, 'Wow, this person is a piece of me,' and regardless, you don't ever want that person out of your life."
Still, we don't see the couple in the mix too much. And the reason why may surprise you. In an interview with The Jed Foundation, Keith revealed his battles with anxiety and depression and that he can sometimes become uncomfortable with the attention that his relationship receives. He recalled a dark time, adding, "People speaking on my relationship and having opinions on it really hurt me. I'd have mornings where I'd literally dread the fact that I had to get up for the day. The anxiety of getting on social media was really getting to me."
Featured image via Getty Images/Gregg DeGuire
Kirby Carroll grew up in VA but now calls Atlanta, GA home. She has a passion for creating content and helping brands grow through storytelling and public relations. When not immersed in work, you can find her sipping a mimosa at brunch or bingeing a new TV drama on Netflix. Keep up with her on social media at @askKirbyCarroll.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Improve The Look Of Your Under-Eyes With These Top-Rated Eye Masks
If there’s one part of the face that seems to be the most vexing to correct, it’s the under eyes.
This delicate area has a way of being tipped off by our irregular sleep patterns, stress, and the straining that comes from our computers and phone screens. From puffiness to dark circles, it can be irksome to find the right products to soothe our under-eye concerns. Thankfully, there’s one solution that delivers a brighter and more awakened look over time, and that’s under-eye masks and eye patches.
Eye patches are giving our under-eye bags an eviction notice because they can’t hang our glowing faces rent-free. The beauty of these patches is that they are designed to bring your eyes targeted results through concentrated doses of active ingredients directly to the skin under the eyes. Typically made of thin, gel-like material and infused with ingredients like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, caffeine, and even green teas, these small but mighty patches depuff your puffiness, brighten your dark circles, or tighten fine lines.
While every under-eye differs in its needs, every eye can benefit from an under-eye mask or patch that suits its concerns. And to help, we’ve put together the best under-eye patches to hydrate, soothe, and brighten your eyes.
KNC Beauty All Natural Retinol Infused Eye Mask, 5-Pack
The KNC Beauty All Natural Retinol Infused Eye Mask, 5-Pack, is a retinol-infused, all-natural product designed to rejuvenate your eyes. It promises to provide hydration, smoothness, reduced puffiness, and brightness without the use of chemicals. With ingredients like retinol to refine skin texture and stimulate blood flow and aloe to soothe and reduce redness, it's like getting 8 hours of beauty sleep for your eyes.
Topicals Faded Under Eye Brightening Eye Masks
These cooling hydrogel under-eye masks from Topicals promise to fade the appearance of dark circles and discoloration in just 15 minutes. The set includes six masks and offers benefits that brighten, hydrate, depuff, and cool your under-eye area.
Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Brightening Hydra-Gel Eye Patches
Grab these eye contour gel patches to brighten the eye area and combat signs of aging using a powerful form of vitamin C called THD Ascorbate, which is 50 times more potent than traditional vitamin C.
BeautyBio Bright Eyes Depuffing and Brightening Eye Gels
BeautyBio's Bright Eyes consists of 15 colloidal silver-infused eye gel patches designed to provide instant depuffing, brightening, and revitalization to the delicate eye area within 10 minutes. They also contain natural collagen to help diminish the appearance of fine lines, which we love.
COSRX Advanced Snail Hydrogel Eye Patch
COSRX
These viral hydrogel masks offer moisture and nourishment to rejuvenate tired-looking skin. Their Snail Secretion Filtrate contains "Mucin," an effective moisturizing ingredient that soothes damaged skin and delivers deep hydration, making it suitable for dehydrated and damaged skin types. Your under-eyes will thank you.
Peace Out Puffy Under-Eye Patches
Amazon
Try these caffeine-infused patches to reduce puffiness in the under-eye area. The product features clean, vegan ingredients such as caffeine, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid for deep hydration and moisture delivery.
Dieux Skin Forever Eye Mask Reusable Silicone Gel Eye Pads
The Forever Eye Mask is designed to be the “last eye mask you'll ever need.” This thin, lightweight, and reusable eye patch can hold gels, serums, and creams close to the skin for better absorption, helping your skincare products work more effectively.
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Featured image by blackCAT/Getty Images