There's nothing like a red carpet romance — especially when it's at the Oscars.
Over the years, we've seen the biggest celebs show off their relationships at the iconic awards show.
Although some romances have stood the test of time, others have been more short-lived and easily forgotten. But while (some) relationships come and go, red carpet photographs are forever.
Take a look below at some of the most surprising Oscars pairings from yesteryear.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr., 1989
Before she was Carrie Bradshaw and he was Iron Man, SJP and RDJ conquered Hollywood as one of the 80s rising power couples and attended the 61st Academy Awards together.
Juliette Lewis and Brad Pitt, 1992
Believe it or not, these two dated for four years. Lewis and Pitt met on the set of a TV movie "Too Young to Die?" and their relationship took off shortly after. The couple walked the 1992 Oscars red carpet together, where Lewis was nominated for her performance in "Cape Fear."
Michael Jackson and Madonna, 1991
Who better to escort the Queen of Pop to the Hollywood's biggest night than the King of Pop? Madonna and Jackson made headlines when they attended the 63rd Academy Awards together. She performed "Sooner or Later" from "Dick Tracy," which won Best Original Song. In 2018, she called that night the "best date ever!"Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland, 1991
Roberts and Sutherland had a fast but fiery romance. The two began dating after starring in "Flatliners" together and went to the Oscars in 1990 and 1991, where Roberts was nominated for best actress for "Pretty Woman." They planned to get married in June of that year, but the couple called it quits just days before the wedding.
Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston, 1986
Nicholson and Huston's relationship spanned nearly two decades — the two met in 1972 and dated on and off until 1990. During that time, the pair starred in two movies together and attended multiple Oscars ceremonies at each other's side, including the 1986 show where Huston won best supporting actress for "Prizzi's Honor."Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere, 1991
Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford were spotted at the 63rd Academy Awards before he presented the best art direction Oscar later that night. The fashionable couple met in 1988 and tied the knot later that year in a surprise Vegas wedding, but their romance didn't last past 1995.
Billy Bob Thornton and Laura Dern, 1999
Thornton and Dern began dating in 1997 after they met while filming the iconic episode from "Ellen" about her coming out. The pair were engaged and even attended the Oscars together twice, including when Thornton was nominated for best supporting actor in 1999. The relationship, however, dissolved in 2000 when Thornton married Angelina Jolie.Patricia Arquette and Nicolas Cage, 1997
It would take an entire book to properly outline the trajectory of the eccentric couple's relationship but it reportedly involves a Los Angeles deli, a "quest" for Cage to prove his love and Arquette carrying a purple wedding cake. Long story short: The two wed in 1995 and attended the 69th Academy Awards where Cage presented the award for best actor. They divorced in 2000.
Salma Hayek and Edward Norton, 2003
Norton and Hayek dated for four years and even appeared in "Frida" together, which Hayek also co-produced in 2002. The film received six Oscar nominations at the 73rd Academy Awards, including one for best actress for Hayek.
And the Oscar goes to ... our nostalgia!
Editor's note: This story was originally published on Feb. 4, 2020.
