Early in her career, Julia Roberts was often referred to as “America’s sweetheart.” Despite rumors about her being difficult to work with, she was widely praised for her roles in films like “Pretty Woman,” “Sleeping with the Enemy,” “The Pelican Brief,” and “Erin Brockovich,” among others.
But in 2000, things took a dramatic turn. Julia went from being the most beloved and highest-paid actress to being called a “home wrecker” after she started dating a married man named Danny Moder. This is the story of their romance, and as you might have guessed, it’s a wild ride. Before we dive in, don’t forget to grab a snack at rrg-snacks.com, our online store offering delicious treats like Applewood smoked bacon jerky, freeze-dried goodies, and butter toffee peanuts.
To really understand the story, we need to go back to 1987. A 19-year-old Julia was filming a movie called “Satisfaction” with 35-year-old Liam Neeson. They dated for a while and, according to some sources, even lived together briefly before breaking up. Then, while filming the 1989 movie “Steel Magnolias,” she hit it off with her co-star Dylan McDermott. They reportedly got engaged, but Julia ended things around 1990.
On June 14, 1991, 23-year-old Julia was set to marry fellow actor Kiefer Sutherland, who was 24. According to Architectural Digest, Kiefer bought her a Montana ranch as a wedding gift. However, on their wedding day, Kiefer was seen moving out of their Hollywood Hills home, while Julia was spotted on a date with Kiefer’s best friend and “Lost Boys” co-star, Jason Patric. Soon after, Julia and Jason jetted off to Ireland. This left the media buzzing, trying to figure out what was going on with Julia and her tumultuous love life.
Actually, Auntie Regina, Julia’s father passed away from throat cancer when she was 10, and sources reported that she hated her stepfather. See, I knew it! I knew it! What did I tell you?
Anyway, Julia later told Rolling Stone magazine that her wedding to Kiefer wasn’t canceled at the last minute. She and Kiefer had broken up some time before they were scheduled to get married. Regardless, Kiefer was devastated, and his friendship with Jason was destroyed. She and Jason broke up after about a year. From there, she started dating musician Lyle Lovett. In 1993, three weeks after meeting, they got married. What in the Fantasia Barrino is going on here? The terrible life decisions are going on! Unsurprisingly, their marriage only lasted for two years, and they got divorced in 1995. Julia told the New York Daily News that she had no regrets, but their decision to get married was a “miscalculation.”
Miscalculation, my ass. Y’all do know that y’all can date people, right? You can have a lot of fun dating people for quite a while before you just up and marry them. Do y’all know that?
Two years later, in 1997, she met actor Benjamin Bratt at a restaurant in Manhattan. Benjamin had her sprung. She told Oprah Winfrey, “We’re just ecstatically happy. We’re drunk with joy 24 hours out of the day. We’re sickening.” They reportedly got tattoos of each other’s initials. Ding ding ding, that’s a red flag. That’s a red-ass flag. Benjamin was ready to settle down and start a family, although he was a bit bothered by Julia’s level of fame. In 2000, while filming the movie “The Mexican,” Julia met a cameraman named Danny Moder. They hit it off immediately, but there was just one little problem: Julia was still with Benjamin, and Danny was married to a woman named Vera Steinberg, who worked as a makeup artist for several celebrities, including Eddie Murphy.
Years later, while chatting with Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia said her life changed instantly when she met Danny and it felt like a seismic shift occurred. He started writing her love letters, including one that was seven pages long, and they fell in love almost immediately. Seven pages? Now, I’m all for romance, but he’s got too much time on his damn hands.
Six months after meeting Julia, Danny decided to file for divorce from his wife, Vera, ending their four-year marriage and moving out of their home. Around 2001, Julia also broke up with her boyfriend, Benjamin. He tried to avoid questions about their breakup during public appearances, but when Julia was spotted with Danny, the media quickly put two and two together. They assumed Julia had left Benjamin for Danny. Once it came out that Danny was a married cameraman, people couldn’t understand why Julia would break up with a heartthrob like Benjamin for someone like Danny.
Hey, the heart wants what it wants, right? Maybe Danny had some hidden charm. We just don’t know. But then people started questioning Julia’s morals. By then, the media was used to seeing her go from one relationship to another, but flaunting her new, married boyfriend didn’t sit well with many. Julia later told Oprah that she wasn’t the reason for Danny’s divorce. She said, “He had sorted his whole thing out separate and apart from me, and I sorted my life out separate and apart from him.” Yeah, but it did seem like they were in it together.
Vera, on the other hand, wasn’t ready to give up without a fight. Sources said she refused to let go of her marriage, which allegedly put Julia and Danny in a tough spot. As Vera dragged out the divorce, the media had more time to paint Julia as a homewrecker. In 2002, with the divorce still unresolved, Julia stepped out in West Hollywood wearing a shirt that said “A Low Vera,” clearly throwing shade at Danny’s estranged wife. So, you steal someone’s husband and then publicly mock her with a t-shirt? Seriously?
Well, maybe there’s some truth to the homewrecker label after all. Later, in an interview with Oprah, Julia was asked about the shirt. She simply said, “I stand by my t-shirt.” She also mentioned that those involved knew why she wore it. I have to admit, “A Low Vera” is pretty funny, but it’s also really shady.
Danny finalized his divorce in June 2002, with some sources reporting that Julia paid Vera $200,000 to leave quietly. Essentially, she bought the woman’s husband. $200,000? If it were me, I’d have said, “Plus my attorney fees, and add another zero to that. $200,000 isn’t enough.”
In July 2002, just a month after his divorce, Danny and Julia got married at her New Mexico ranch. According to the Daily Mail, Julia chose her chauffeur to walk her down the aisle. Not the chauffeur! If I were him, I’d have said, “Are you going to pay me for this? You don’t pay me enough to drive you and all your men around town. Now you want me to walk you down the aisle? You need to pay me extra for this. I don’t know how many more times I’ll have to do this every time you get married.”
A week after their wedding, Vera told Britain’s Sun newspaper, “I’ll never forgive Julia. She’s a husband stealer. It won’t last with her anyway. She’ll be looking for a new husband within a year. Danny has a wandering eye, and he won’t change.” One of Danny and Vera’s neighbors in Woodland Hills, California, also told the publication that Danny left Vera with two mortgages, a stack of bills, and two dogs. He left the dogs too? Julia must have had quite the charm.
Given Julia’s history of failed relationships, broken engagements, and divorce, Oprah asked how she knew things would be different with Danny. Julia said, “Every cell in my body tells me Danny’s the one.” She also mentioned they spent 21 hours a day together. Are you trying to keep an eye on him, afraid he’ll slip away like he did with Vera? Let me tell you something. To any home wrecker listening right now, some of you are just like Julia. The way you catch them is the way you lose them. I said what I said.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Julia also claimed she was born to be Danny’s wife. Born to be the cameraman’s wife? Okay then, talk about lowered expectations.
One year after their wedding, they bought a $9 million home in Malibu. From Woodland Hills to Malibu, it’s a big step up for Danny. Not implying he’s a gold digger, but things were looking good for them. Julia gave birth to twins in November 2004, and their third child was born in 2007. The couple was thriving, buying more properties in Hawaii and New York. They even purchased a house across the street from their primary home in Malibu and an additional cottage in the area. They worked on a few movies together, and Danny often spent his downtime surfing with friends in Malibu. Julia eventually slowed down her acting career to focus on their family.
In January 2017, OK! magazine reported that Danny had moved out of their Malibu home and into the house across the street. An insider claimed the couple had been struggling, particularly with Julia’s tendency to take charge and Danny’s frustration over not being the main breadwinner. It’s a common issue when men marry women who are more successful – their egos can’t always take it, even though it’s supposed to be a partnership.
By September 2017, there were still divorce rumors, but by October, it seemed they were back on track. Julia told Harper’s Bazaar UK, “When I think about what makes my life my life and makes sense and just shines inside of me, it’s him.” What about the kids? Don’t they matter too?
More rumors surfaced in 2018 when Life & Style reported ongoing tension over Julia’s controlling ways. They were also clashing over their parenting styles, and Danny was struggling with Julia’s fame. Despite Julia taking a career break, the insider said, “Danny always believed Julia still prioritized her career over him, and he resented it.”
In 2020, they decided to try something new. Just before the lockdown, they bought an $8.3 million Victorian-style home in San Francisco. Julia was excited about the renovation, but Danny wasn’t thrilled about leaving Malibu. Honestly, who would want to leave the beach for an old house with a potentially spooky vibe?
Sources said Danny was against the move because his family and work connections were in Southern California, and he wanted to stay close to his surfing buddies. An insider mentioned that their marriage began to falter almost immediately. “He didn’t like the vibe or the weather. It strained their marriage and didn’t improve, no matter how much effort Julia put into the house.”
The insider told Life & Style that Danny was ready to move back to Malibu, with or without Julia. Eventually, she agreed. They put the San Francisco home on the market and moved back to Los Angeles together.
With all this buzz, Julia told Harper’s Bazaar they tried to protect their kids from the divorce rumors. She said the speculation hurt because she is very proud of her marriage. “There’s so much happiness wrapped up in what we found together,” she added. She joined Instagram to share glimpses of her life with her husband and kids, but only allows comments from people she follows. Afraid of those comments, huh?
In December 2023, Life & Style reported more trouble in their marriage. An insider said their differences were causing problems. Danny enjoyed working, surfing, skateboarding, and photography, and had a close-knit group of friends. Julia, on the other hand, didn’t have many friends and preferred staying home. She wasn’t close to Danny’s friends or family, so she rarely joined him in social activities.
In fall 2023, Danny went on a surfing trip to Fiji with friends while Julia stayed home. The insider said, “Even though she doesn’t want to go, Julia gets jealous of all the time he spends away with the boys.” She might be worried that if he left his first wife for her, he might do the same to her. She needs some therapy to work through these fears. She’s afraid to let people get close, which is why she relies so heavily on Danny.
Rumors suggest significant tension since Danny’s sisters have remained friends with his first wife, Vera, who is still deeply involved in the entertainment industry. Good for you, Vera.
In February 2024, more rumors emerged about a split between Danny and Julia. However, Julia shut down those claims by posting a photo of them kissing on Valentine’s Day with the caption, “My forever Valentine.” Despite the sweet photo, allegations continued. In July 2024, an insider told Yahoo that Danny and Julia were living separate lives. The insider mentioned that Danny, after moving back to Malibu, spent more time with his surfing friends and industry contacts, while Julia immersed herself in film projects to stay busy.
People are just waiting to say, “Told you so,” like me. I’m ready to be the first to say, “Told you so!” Given how their relationship began, many expect it to fall apart. However, as of this video, Julia and Danny are still going strong and celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary in July 2024. Julia told Vanity Fair that their marriage isn’t “rainbows and kittens” all the time, but every day with Danny brings her joy.
That’s encouraging. Hang in there, you two. Fight for your marriage. Even though it didn’t start right, it might end right. Keep working at it. We wish them and their family nothing but the best.