
We Asked 7 Couples to Share Their Love Stories With Us
Our Cosmo Couples series is stronger than ever. Our continued goal? To spot real-life couples, learn about who they are, uncover the magic that makes them click, and snap some really cute photos that prove love is real. So far, we've tackled Manhattan, London, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Brooklyn.
And for our seventh installment we tapped our own talent network to photograph select couples from the absolutely stacked guest list of our inaugural Cosmopolitan Love Ball—hosted in partnership with Bumble and BOOM at The Standard, High Line—to coincide with Valentine's Day!
We asked them about how they met, how long they've been together, and exactly what makes their relationships work. Our takeaway after chatting with these clearly obsessed with each other pairings? We've got further proof that true love does, in fact, exist.
35, writer, actor, comedian, and It Boy + 34, TV personality and It GirlYears together: 2
Robby: It's unbelievable what I've pulled here. She's the biggest fish in the sea.
Gabby: After our first date, she pulled over, turned on some music, and was like, 'We're gonna kiss.'
Robby: If you like it, we continue. If you don't, you go home. Why are we wasting any more time?
Gabby: She knew I would like it, of course.
34, model and TV host + 36, filmmakerYears together: 2.5
Lauren: This is Hayley's first time at BOOM. It's always fun to be on top of the city for a night of partying.
Hayley: We're here supporting Willa Bennett's first issue of Cosmo!
Lauren: I'm so excited to see what she does next.
Hayley: It's the magazine that taught everyone about sex.
Lauren: It's everything I could have ever asked for. And now it's being run by a lesbian! Um, hello?
31, publicist and casting director + 27, content creatorMonths together: 8
Tom: We met at a warehouse party in Brooklyn when I was in town for work.
Benton: I didn't want to go, but when I got there, he caught my eye right away.
Tom: Same for me but even earlier: His name and photo had come up on my colleague's computer.
Benton: When I saw him, I looked at my friend and said, 'How much is that one?'
Tom: The energy between us was powerful.
32, Broadway actor + 32, Broadway actorYears together: 10
PJ: We were friends with benefits for a long time. I had to prove myself over and over again.
Julia: It was a good six months of me being like, Well, I guess he's pretty good in bed....
PJ: Then she set me up with one of her friends.
Julia: But I got really, really jealous.
PJ: She finally was like, 'Hi, I think I'm in love with you.' And I was like, 'Hi, I've been in love with you this whole time.'
39, marketing strategist + 32, dancer and studio ownerYears together: 1.5
Mal: We met at a Bumble event that I was working.
Sammy: I came looking for Mal. I literally showed up just to meet her. No one else.
Mal: She'd seen me on The Ultimatum: Queer Love on Netflix. But what's funny is I had also seen her before, when she was on tour with Summer Walker.
Sammy: She didn't realize I was the same person at first.
Mal: It didn't occur to me that she was the dancer with that gorgeous red hair. I just thought I had a type.
22, director + 24, sound designerYears together: 3
Zeema: We met on Instagram.
Neo: I moved here for her. This is my love. And my heart feels so acquainted with New York—the fact that she lived here was fate. Kismet.
Zeema: We're twin flames.
Neo: She has such a go-getter mindset.
Zeema: I'm a fire sign!
30, actor + 29, actor and comedianYears together: 1.5
Veronika: He was kind of my first fan is truly how it happened.
Kyle: We were friends for a year and a half before we started dating. It was like, 'Do we risk it all?' Which was scary because we had a great friendship going.
Veronika: It was terrifying. But there was so much tension that we had to make a decision. And then, yeah, we got drunk on tequila and kissed.
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Lots of love to all!!!' 8 Anne Burrell at the Austin Food and Wine Festival. Scott Moore/Shutterstock Two years after their nuptials, the couple was still as in love as ever. 'I have to say, I love being married,' Burrell told People in 2023. 'We're together all the time because Stuart works from home. It's the being together all the time, but it's also the adventure together.' 'It's been wonderful, to say the least,' echoed Claxton. 'Anne and I hadn't lived together before we moved in and got married, so it's been a whole adventure, but very lovely at the same time.' The businessman has yet to address Burrell's death, however, her family confirmed the news in a statement to People on Tuesday. 8 Anne Burrell in 2015. Larry Marano/Shutterstock 'Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,' they shared. 'Anne's light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.' A cause of death has yet to be revealed. That same day, police officers shared that EMS 'responded and pronounced her deceased on scene,' sharing that the 911 call was originally for a reported cardiac arrest. 8 Anne Burrell at Grand Tasting Village in Miami, Florida. Gcaballero/Southbeachphoto/Shutterstock On Thursday, sources told The Post Burell's body was found next to dozens of pills. The author's death is still an ongoing investigation. Burrell is best known for hosting 'Worst Cooks in America' on Food Network for 27 seasons, from 2010 to 2024. After her passing, a representative from Food Network shared with The Post: 'Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent — teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring. Our thoughts are with Anne's family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss.' 8 Anne Burrell and her husband Stuart Claxton. chefanneburrell/Instagam During her time at the Food Network, Burrell became close pals with Rachael Ray — who judged 'Worst Cooks' from 2015 to 2017 — and fellow chef Alex Guarnaschelli. Both ladies paid tribute to Burrell, with Ray, 56, writing in part, 'I'll miss her friendship deeply. Everyone whose life she touched will miss her. Sending love to Stuart and everyone who knew and loved Anne. We've lost someone truly special.' Guarnaschelli, 55, noted in her own post, 'Make this moment about her. She'd want you to go out, raise a glass, sing karaoke (including this Sia song–one of her favorite 'Worst Cooks' warm up songs) and be able to say, like she does, #ilovewhatido –so do it for her. In her honor.'