Julia Roberts Was Called ‘Husband Stealer’ by Spouse’s Ex — Actress Is Living Her Dream with Him & 3 Kids Today

Julia Roberts has been with her husband, Danny Moder, for over two decades, but their relationship wasn’t always a bed of roses. At the beginning of their romance, Moder’s ex-wife claimed that the actress stole him and paid her off to get a divorce.

Julia Roberts is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood, and any man would be lucky to be with her. For some, they were fortunate to have been part of her romantic life, including Kiefer Sutherland, with whom she was briefly engaged, and her ex-husband, Lyle Lovett.

She was also linked to Liam Neeson, Dylan McDermott, Matthew Perry, and Jason Patric. However, none of these relationships worked, and in 2000, she found out why.

Meeting Danny Moder

In 2000, the actress met Danny Moder on the set of “The Mexican.” While she was working in front of the cameras, he was the man behind them.

At the time, Roberts was in a relationship with Benjamin Bratt, while Moder was wed to makeup artist Vera Steimberg. In a previous interview, Roberts shared:

“I think that first kind of real seismic shift was meeting Danny. That was the first, like, my life will never be the same in the most incredible, indescribable way.”

Although they did not begin to date right away, the pair sorted out their lives and eventually separated from their respective partners. Moder filed for divorce from his wife six months after meeting the actress but found difficulty as Steinberg refused to let go.

The actress said that meeting Moder was finding her person, someone who made her realize how good life could truly get. She expressed that it was all filled with "comfort and terror." "Terror because the person I want to impress most is looking right at me." she reiterated.

As for all the rumors about how she landed Moder, the actress simply said people made many assumptions about her dating life, so this situation was no different, adding that people didn't know anything about their relationship.

During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, she clarified that she was not the one who drove a wedge between Moder and his ex-wife, but people targeted her because she was easy to blame.

However, Winfrey did not let the issue slide easily. She asked if she and Moder were friends, and Roberts said they had been for a long time and that making a movie together brought them closer.

Regarding the start of their relationship, Roberts confessed that falling in love was "horrible” because she feared losing a friend if things did not work out between them. Then came the question about his marriage, and if she knew of it, and how it felt to fall in love with someone who was married.

Roberts again emphasized that it greatly impacted her, but the two ensured they sorted out their relationships before going any further. Winfrey still did not stop there; she asked if the couple had fallen in love before they decided to be together.

The actress said "yes and no" because the first connection was all infatuation since they both knew it would not be realistic for them to be together. However, Winfrey asked about one of Roberts's subtle controversial fashion choices, which was believed to be a jab at Moder's ex-wife.

Roberts was photographed wearing a shirt with the words "A Low Vera" printed on it. When asked about it, the actress said it was private, adding, "I stand by my T-shirt."

Eventually, the divorce happened, and Moder and Roberts began their romantic fairytale. The “Runaway Bride” star previously mentioned that they fixed their problems separately, and “that’s the only reason we were able to ultimately fall in love with each other and be together.”

She despised the new man her mother chose to love for his abusive and terrorizing nature.

Since the two both work in the film industry, there are times when they spend a long time apart. Roberts revealed she would write a lot of letters, which is something she and Danny frequently did. In fact, she still keeps those letters, including the first one he ever wrote her which was seven pages long.

The actress also revealed a skill she learned on a movie set many years ago that helped with her loneliness: knitting. The actress said they had "lonely meters," where they would compare their loneliness based on how much they knitted.

Roberts, the "Husband Stealer"

However, Moder’s wife would tell the story differently. According to Steimberg, the “Notting Hill” star courted her husband while he was still married. According to reports, Steimberg said:

“I’ll never be able to forgive Julia – she’s a husband stealer. It won’t last with her anyway. She will be looking for a new husband within a year. Danny has a roving eye, and he won’t change.”

An outlet reported that Roberts allegedly placed Steinberg under immense pressure to sign the divorce papers until she gave in. Steinberg reportedly called Roberts “desperate” to have Moder to herself even though the makeup artist did not want to give up on their marriage.

Although the media painted Roberts as the reason behind the end of Moder's marriage, she described the connection they shared as one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

The "Pretty Woman" star raved about how much her husband changed her life. She said she went through life very selfish and only focused on making movies. But as soon as Moder came, he shifted her priorities.

The Start of Forever

Roberts might have gotten her happily ever after, but she reportedly paid Moder's ex-wife $200,000 to let go of her spouse. Regardless of what happened, Roberts and Moder ended up together and tied the knot in 2002. They have since kept their lives private, although some details of their relationship are known.

When the time came, Moder proposed with a modest emerald ring that cost a reported $4,000. Their wedding ceremony in Roberts’ Mexico ranch was also a surprise for those attending. Initially, the 60 guests thought they were attending an Independence Day Party.

The bride and groom kept their outfits simple as well. Roberts dressed in a pastel pink halter dress with pearls, beads, and hand-painted flowers decorating it. Meanwhile, Moder looked dapper in a red ruffled shirt and brown pants.

Roberts and Moder's romantic life might have started on a dramatic foot, but the actress could not have been happier to share her life with her husband. After tying the knot, she said she was the happiest and most content ever.

During her conversation with Winfrey, she gushed about Moder allowing her to be her utmost self. Being married to him has also made her appreciate the intimate parts of her life that people never get to see because of her flashy Hollywood career.

This comes after Winfrey told her that she was one of the few big Hollywood stars to prove that it was possible to have a happy life with someone who did not have a life in the spotlight.

Life with Moder has been filled with immense purpose for Roberts. The actress even said, "I hope that there are people who agree that I have done some good, kind things in my life, but to really, ultimately, stand fully in a moment of realizing that I was born to love and to be the wife of this man."

Raising Kids Together

In 2004, the couple welcomed twins, Phinnaeus and Hazel. Three years later, they had their third child, Henry. Since their family is very private, not much is known about the three children. However, Roberts would sometimes describe her kids from time to time.

In one interview, she called her only daughter “good and brave.” In May 2019, Moder shared a glimpse of their youngest son doing a backflip on a trampoline. Henry is also a pro in skateboarding and can do tricks on a ramp.

Meanwhile, Phinnaeus is into surfing and has shown his athletic side the most. Like Henry, he is also an avid skater. Despite the fame, it seems the couple raised their children to be well-rounded individuals.

According to the actress, she and her husband share the same philosophy on parenting and make a great team. She said, “You just don’t know these things until you are right there doing it. And we are so fortunate that there is harmony to the way we do things.”

In addition to the joy in her marriage, Roberts also loves being a mother. She referred to herself as a homemaker and said that was her full-time job when she was not working on movies, whether in her home in California, New Mexico, or New York.

Homemaking was not always rainbows and kisses, but it made her happy. She especially loved breakfast time with her youngest son, Henry, because that happened to be his favorite meal of the day, too.

Behind closed doors, Roberts's children might not understand how big of a movie star she is. The actress said she told her children she was well-known but did not believe they would ever understand that part of her life.

For instance, when she told her kids that many people had seen her films, one of them asked if she was more famous than Taylor Swift. That is probably because most of her days were spent being a soccer mom or doing school drop-offs. But being a homemaker is one of her dreams. "It is my dream come true. But it is not my only dream come true," she confessed,

The mother of three admitted that raising children as someone famous was not easy, and for the most part, she and Moder do not know what it is like to grow up in this current day and age, but as parents, they do their best to research and find the best ways to help their children navigate life.

Life Together

Over two decades later, Roberts and her husband are still living in marital bliss. “He truly, to this day, to this minute, is just my favorite human,” Roberts said. “We just really really like each other, and we just enjoy each other’s company.”

However, their life together did not go without rumors trying to take them apart. Over the years, there has been gossip about an apparent breakup between the couple. Sometimes, the couple comes across tabloid headlines preempting their divorce, and all they can do is shrug it off and laugh about it.

According to an insider, the pair gets by with the help of counseling. “They’re committed to staying together for the long haul, whatever it takes,” the source said.

Divorce does not seem to be in the books for Roberts and Moder. The couple recently celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary, and the actress shared a steamy picture of them kissing to commemorate the milestone.