Bette Midler’s Spouse of 38 Years Sacrificed His Career for Her after She Proposed in 6 Weeks

Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg have been married for thirty-eight years. Like other unions, theirs has faced various tests, including fights and miscarriages. Find out how they overcame them.

American Entertainer Bette Midler is an outstanding woman who is a relentless achiever in her career and personal life. She is a devoted wife to fellow Hollywood star Martin von Haselberg. The couple is worth emulating as they have been married for about 38 years.

There are surprising things to know about Midler and Haselberg's relationship, including the former never seeing her husband before their first meeting, despite being movie stars. Here are other interesting facts about the couple's marriage.

MIDLER AND HASELBERG'S FIRST ENCOUNTER

Midler and Haselberg met in 1984. The former revealed that when she met her husband, she thought he was grown-up, and that character trait made him attractive.

In addition, Midler found out that they were very similar, so starting a relationship with the actor was easy. The pair started dating, but Midler kept their relationship away from the public.

Many were eager to know who her new beau was, and it was rumored that she was dating Robert de Niro. Midler was not shaken by the rumors and focused on her relationship.

After knowing each other for only six weeks, Midler and Haselberg took their whirlwind romance to the next level with a proposal from the actress.

INSIDE THE COUPLE'S WEDDING

In 1984, the lovebirds finally tied the knot in a spontaneous Las Vegas ceremony at Starlight Chapel officiated by an Elvis Presley impersonator. During a chat with Jimmy Kimmel, Midler revealed that her wedding was a "two people wedding" with no witnesses.

The songwriter thinks of her decision to marry her husband as "one of the best in her life."

The couple walked down the aisle with a song composed by Italian Pianist and Composer Nino Rota, and it was a memorable experience. For years, Midler and Haselberg had no picture evidence of the wedding due to the absence of phones at the time.

However, that changed in 2017 when an employee from the chapel sent them photographs from their big day. The priceless images have remained the only photographic reminder of the event.

CHALLENGES IN THEIR MARRIAGE

The power couple appears to have proven themselves as the ultimate sweethearts. However, before finding peace in their marriage, their relationship encountered a turbulent phase. During an interview with Closer Weekly, Midler revealed how they regularly fought bitterly.

After two years of repeated altercations and relationship turmoil, the duo experienced their marriage-saving miracle. Midler recalled how the birth of their daughter Sophie forced them to embrace new beginnings. She said:

"We came to the conclusion that we wanted to raise a child. We never wanted to hurt that kid in any way. So we stayed together until it got better. And it did."

To devote more time to taking care of his daughter and supporting his wife's career, Midler's husband sacrificed his career as a performing artist and commodities trader.

Haselberg proved to his wife that family was his priority — an act that Midler remained grateful for. She once noted:

"I am so glad that I have him as my backup. He is so generous and overwhelmingly kind to let me do all this. He's never made me feel guilty for one second. He has always said, 'Do what's good for you, and you do what's good for the show...'"

While Haselberg sacrificed his career, Midler learned to compromise and stop pushing blame. She noted that she was guilty of pushing blame because she didn't want to carry any burden and she had to unlearn that.

Despite all the couple's lessons, it did not stop their marital issues. After welcoming Sophie, Midler and her husband tried to have more children. They tried fertility treatments.

Although the comedian fell pregnant, she suffered miscarriages. With time, Midler and Haselberg accepted the situation and focused on their daughter.

MEET SOPHIE

Midler and Haselberg welcomed their daughter, Sophie, in 1986, and the couple has been nothing short of amazing in raising the lady.

They instilled in Sophie values such as responsibility, hard work, patience, and independence. The proud mom of one once told Oprah Winfrey that her daughter was very independent.

According to Midler, Sophie knows how to voice her opinions whenever she is angry. The "Wind Beneath My Wings" singer also considered her daughter a "tough cookie."

Another value Sophie has taken seriously is hard work and taking on difficult tasks; an example is learning Chinese and securing a job in China.

When Sophie was 25, she returned from China and told her parents she wanted to become an actress. Midler and Haselberg were dumbfounded at the time. However, they encouraged her decision, and young Sophie delved into the movie industry.

Sophie is married to the love of her life. She walked down the aisle in June 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The "Irrational Man" star shared the news on Instagram, alongside a photo of herself and her groom enjoying a fun moment together.

The picture showed Sophie smiling with cake smudges on her face while her husband, Harry J. N. Guinness, stood in front of her. Surviving the hardship of the pandemic was the beginning of challenges the couple will surmount together for years to come.

MIDLER AND HASELBERG'S LONGTIME MARRIAGE

While most celebrity couples fall out of love after being married for several years, Midler and Haselberg appear to be waxing stronger.

The songwriter thinks of her decision to marry her husband as "one of the best in her life." Time and again, she has spoken about how great of a husband Haselberg is.

The actor has peacefully accommodated his wife's excesses, even though she is difficult to live with. Midler confirmed it a few years ago when Winfrey asked her if she was easy to live with. The actress said:

"No, no, I'm not. I'm crazy. I really think I'm mentally ill. I have an obsessive-compulsive disorder of some sort that hasn't been diagnosed. No, really, I'm like a rare bird."

Midler sees her husband as a "genius" and "wonderful man" and is looking forward to spending forever with him.

Some of the secrets to her successful marriage include giving each other room, listening, compromising, letting go, and the ability to stop blaming. Hopefully, her fans can apply these rules in their marriages and relationships and live very happy lives.