Denzel Washington’s most tremendous success is his marriage of 39 years with Pauletta Washington, who sacrificed her career for their family. The couple met and fell in love when their names were still unknown to the industry but remained head over heels until today.
Denzel Washington is without a doubt one of the most accomplished Hollywood actors, but “The Equalizer” star’s most considerable success remains his marriage to Pauletta Washington.
Pauletta, who is also an actress, is one of Denzel’s greatest pride and job, especially since they share a special bond. However, he believes there is no secret to a long-lasting marriage that would work for every couple.
“There is no secret to the perfect marriage,” Denzel said. “Everybody has their ups and downs; we’ve had ours. It’s hard work, you know. But we made a commitment. A spiritual foundation helps everything – marriage, work, peace of mind.”
Pauletta credits their strong foundation on both being “spiritual-based” as well. She acknowledges that a powerful Godwink brought their union.
DENZEL WASHINGTON & WIFE’S MEETING WAS ‘SET UP BY THE HEAVENS’
Denzel and Pauletta were both young actors in the industry when they met on a New York film set, where they both landed roles. Pauletta already had her eyes on Denzel, but the storyline did not have scenes of them together. When the camera stopped rolling, they never spoke.
Six months later, the pair happened to be at the same party, and when the conversation started, it never stopped. Less than 24 hours later, fate played a significant part in bringing them together again.
Pauletta and Denzel both attended a play without knowing each one was there. The actor came when the play began and quietly took his seat to enjoy the performance. When the lights switched on during the intermission, the duo was shocked to be sitting beside each other.
The same evening, Pauletta invited Denzel to come to the cast party with her friends. Pauletta was ready to take the subway, but Denzel stopped her and offered that they take a cab instead. “I like his style,” she thought at that time.
However, the supposedly romantic car ride turned into Denzel’s nightmare as the cab ride exceeded his capacity to shoulder the fare. He recalled:
“I was burning a hole in that meter with my eyes. I kept saying, ‘How far did you say that party was?’”
Eventually, Denzel had to tell Pauletta the truth that he did not have enough money to pay for the cab ride he offered. “I thought, ‘There goes my food money for the next week,’” Pauletta quipped. “But – I still like his style.” Everything between them changed since that beautiful evening.
Denzel found himself attracted to Pauletta, who was looking for gigs in different off-Broadway productions. His mom also approved of Pauletta and liked her enough to invite her to move in with them while the couple struggled to make their names in Hollywood.
Denzel and Pauletta’s relationship was even more pure and special because they fell in love when they were not yet rich and famous. Instead, they supported each other to get to where they are today.