My coffee table is littered with the latest editions of US Weekly, People, and Vanity Fair. I’d like to blame it on the film festival and the current hype around all the stars in town, but in truth I’m just a celebrity gossip junkie.
The love lives of the Hollywood famed seem to change faster than most people change their toothbrushes, and I enjoy the challenge of trying to keep up.
“People like to knock you down when you are popular,” says professional matchmaker Jane Carstens of Hearts Canada matchmaking service on why so many Hollywood relationships fizzle so fast.
Carstens, who — along with Hearts’ founder Ruth Claramunt — has several high-profile politicians and doctors as clients, sees the stress popularity can place on relationships.
“You really need to find a supportive and understanding partner.”
But that’s not the only lesson to be learned from celebrities’ dating habits.
Matt Dillon, for instance, says he won’t date other celebrities and according to Carstens, he may have the right idea.
“Dating someone in the same industry as you can be very stressful,” says Carstens. “Sure you want someone who has a similar lifestyle to you, but the same industry can cause problems.”
Carstens adds that if you limit yourself to just people in your chosen field, your dating pool can diminish quickly.
Perhaps that’s where Denise Richards, who is dating Richie Sambora, went wrong. Richards might have done better to try a matchmaking service or online dating before settling on her former best friend Heather Locklear’s ex.
But sometimes problems in our dating lives don’t come about from whom we date, but more from how often we date. Take Jessica Simpson, who married her high school sweetheart, Nick Lachey, and have now split. Dating many people can sometimes solidify who is right or wrong for us.
“If you are serious, committed and have found the right person, then great,” says Carstens. “But sometimes it’s good to practice date, especially if you are not sure of what you want in a relationship. Learning from your past dating experiences is a great way to learn about yourself and what you really want in a relationship.”
But regardless of whether you are a celebrity, Carstens says the secret to making a relationship work is to be open, honest, and not expect too much.
“Try not to put too much pressure on dating,” says Carstens. “If you can keep an open mind, that’s often when good things happen.”
