Julia Roberts built a good marriage with a non-famous spouse, and they’ve been married for nearly 20 years. She also prioritized parenthood above her work, halting it for 20 years when she was nearly 40. The actress now lives with her family on a secluded property, where she discreetly married her spouse.
Julia Roberts met Danny Moder, a cameraman, on the set of “The Mexican” in the early spring of 2000. At the time, both were in relationships, with the actress dating fellow actor Ben Bratt.
Danny had been married to his makeup artist wife, Vera Steimberg Moder, for four years. Some family members believed the cameraman’s marriage to his wife was shaky, but the closeness he formed with Julia drove him to petition for divorce in June 2001.
When she was dating Bratt, the “Pretty Woman” star frequented the restaurants and stores near her lower Manhattan flat, but things changed once they split up. When she started seeing the now-available Danny, she stopped going to her customary haunts.
The couple, who had fallen in love, split their time between Julia’s $5 million Taos property and the cameraman’s Los Angeles apartment. In 1995, the actress bought the house so she could get away from the stress of Hollywood.
The actress had a quiet life at the ranch, where she walked her many dogs, socialized with neighbors, ate takeout at Taos Cow, and danced and made out with Danny in the evenings at the Alley Cantina. The couple’s connection appeared to be more than a passing fad.
According to the actress’ purported pal, the relationship is loving, solid, and nonjudgmental. Bratt, on the other hand, married his “Piero” co-star Talisa Soto in May 2002 and has never loved the celebrity. Julia had previously brutally told Vanity Fair:
“It’s like a fly that won’t leave you alone; it’s like a mosquito buzzing in your ear at night while you’re trying to sleep.”
According to a friend, Danny was unusual since he appreciated and embraced every “facet” of Julia. The cinematographer, according to the buddy, was encouraging and applauded the actress for who she was.
Danny wasn’t as well-known as Julia, and it was unusual for a star of her status to date an “ordinary man.” The couple’s love was steadfast, and the cameraman demonstrated he was willing to live with her fame for the rest of his life.
Julia invited guests to her ranch on July 4, 2002, for what they thought was a late-night drink to “celebrate Independence Day.” People traveled in from Los Angeles, Manhattan, and Atlanta to see the celebrity’s 82-acre New Mexico estate.
That afternoon, the guests spent hours by Julia’s pool, eating Julia’s prepared turkey and playing basketball and football. Some wanted to sleep at night, but a buddy remembered how the star pushed them to stay.
When midnight arrived, the small group sat in a semicircle on lawn chairs in a tiny religious meeting house on the grounds. It was decked with lovely Chinese lanterns and candles, creating a romantic atmosphere.
Danny and Julia stepped unexpectedly onto an arch composed of white and pink silk sheaths. They strolled to a circle strewn with red, white, and pink rose petals, and most of the attendees realized what was going to happen.
When everyone understood what was going on, they began to celebrate! The videographer dropped down on one knee and proposed to the actress, to which she replied by placing her hands on her heart and uttering “yes” while the audience chanted along with her!
A buddy described the experience as personal and amazing, with them feeling as if they were eavesdropping. The secret wedding between the then-34-year-old actress and the 33-year-old cameraman was performed by Barry Hirsch, Julia’s lawyer and lifelong friend.
There were no groomsmen, bridesmaids, flower girls, fancy extras, or celebrity guests during the basic wedding. The bride looked beautiful in a pink cotton halter dress that had hand-painted flowers and old beads and pearls on it.
In the 20-minute ceremony, the groom looked dazzling in his red ruffled shirt and beige slacks as he and Julia exchanged their vows. In the meanwhile, someone smashed a glass, prompting a visitor to exclaim, “Mazel Tov!” which resulted in hilarity!
Throughout the ceremony, the devoted couple kissed and repeatedly asked their guests if they would! After the couple divorced, the actress took a 20-year hiatus from her growing career, saying lovingly:
“I was born to be this man’s wife.”
Julia was spot on about Danny since he made her second marriage even better! Later in life, the actress became a mother and emphasized her family above her work.
Julia’s spokeswoman disclosed about two years after their marriage that she and her husband were expecting twins in early 2005. Hazel and Phinnaues were born on November 28, 2004, when their mother was 37 years old.
The actress stated that she and Danny named their kid “Hazel” since it was traditional. The cameraman’s wife revealed that he intended to call their kid “Finn,” but it felt too much like a nickname, so they settled on Phinnaues as his full name.
Julia’s parenting was a “top priority” for her, according to People magazine in 2006. Marc Platt, the “Three Days of Rain” producer and the actress’ acquaintance, told the journal in April of the same year:
“The children give her a sense of satisfaction and joy.”
Platt described the sight as “amazing.” The actress announced in December 2006 that she was expecting her third child, a son called Henry Daniel Moder, who was born the following year at the age of 39.
Julia’s publicist, Marcy Engelman, claimed the family was doing well after the baby was delivered in Los Angeles weighing 812 pounds. The actress and her husband had a normal life on their ranch with their children.
Julia didn’t post many images of her children on Instagram, according to USA Today, but her husband did. She also didn’t tweet her whereabouts, and when a friend handed the actress a copy of J.D. Salinger’s short stories, she demonstrated how grounded she was.
According to the tabloid, the singer physically composed a thank-you card on paper and delivered it to the pal. Julia managed to escape from public view despite having formerly been the world’s highest-paid actress.
She would visit her homes in New Mexico, California, and Manhattan. The actress once stated that the way she and Danny lived was all designed to assist them in safeguarding their children, adding:
“All we want is for our family life to be uninterrupted.”
The cameraman’s wife also stated that she considered herself fortunate since she was too elderly for the nonsense that came with the internet and modern celebrity culture. She was glad for it and believed her age helped her escape certain situations.
Julia stated on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2010 that she enjoyed getting up early and experiencing her children’s reactions to a new day. She said that the three were still at an impressionable age.
The “Eat, Pray, Love” star also discussed how she tries her hardest to be “there” for all three of her children. The singer previously told the Today show that she enjoyed life and joked that her biggest triumph of the day was when all of her children made it to “the toilet!”
Julia’s well-known residence, according to a 2022 Architectural Digest article, was her Taos property. According to the newspaper, the property was near the town of Arroyo Seco and was retained as the star’s second home.
The “Erin Brockovich” actress, her husband, and their children were said to spend a lot of time on the estate. Julia was a loyal wife who met up with her husband at work and at stores like Target and the grocery store, where she was often seen by people in the Southwest.
During an interview with InStyle in 2017, the actress discussed her maternity journey. She described how, while her children were newborns, she couldn’t live without Balmex to aid with diaper rash.
The “Wonder” actor revealed herself to be a regular person when she stated she enjoyed the scent of the lotion, couldn’t live without it, and characterized it as “wonderful.” When asked what she’d do if she observed a youngster doing anything inappropriate on the playground, Julia responded diplomatically, saying:
“It would depend on what they’re doing, but I’m sure I’d say something.”
Her plan was to offer the youngster a hint that what they were doing was wrong. The interviewer was taken aback when the actress swiftly added, “And then trip them!”
When asked how to inform a youngster that they had crossed a line and would have to face the consequences, the celebrity recommended using one’s harsh parenting voice! But once her feelings had calmed down, she pushed for a “conscious discourse” about what had happened.
Julia’s advice for increasing family bonding time at the table was to have everyone sit at the table for supper. Danny’s wife thought it was significant and disclosed that she and her family had some of the most important tasks during that period.
In a deeper dive into her personal life, the actress said that she always made time for breakfast and supper with her children. In this way, she felt they were starting things as a family, absorbing the events of the day, and winding them down as a unit.
The actress also stated that she believed the appropriate age for her children to have a cell phone was 12 because that is when Hazel got hers. Julia admitted that she and Danny weren’t sure whether to give the phone to the youngster, but Hazel’s reasons for wanting it were plain and honest.
Julia [Roberts] also discussed how the life she and her three children [Hazel, Phinnaues, and Henry Moder] created made the cut.
The actress said that the youngster did not utilize a PowerPoint presentation to influence her parents (though she had done it before!) but instead used genuine honesty. The small girl simply voiced her requirements, leaving her mother with the following impression:
“I was so in love with her at the time that I thought, “We’ve got to get her a mobile phone!”
She also discussed how she dealt with separation anxiety by bringing her children with her whenever she had to leave the house. Danny’s wife, at the age of 54, shared what was important in her life during a Sunday Morning interview in October 2020.
The actress informed the interviewer that her family and work were both important to her, but that they were not equally so. Julia stated that she was never “consumed” by her career as an actor.
She went on to say that acting was a “dream come true” for her, but it wasn’t the only dream she had that came true. When asked about her other goals, the mother of three mentioned her family, saying:
“The life I’ve created with my husband.”
Julia also discussed how their lives with their three children made the cut. She defined the things she highlighted as the finest ones, adding how, at the end of the day, going home triumphantly to her family meant everything to her.
The CBS News show stated that the actress will be appearing in a romantic comedy in 2022 for the first time in twenty years. Danny’s wife had planned a reunion with fellow actor and old friend George Clooney.