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Chris Meloni on Why His 29-Year Marriage Works: "She's Always Been..."
Law & Order: Organized Crime star is happily married father of two.
On Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Organized Crime, Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) has had more than a few difficulties in his personal life. A rocky marriage, troubled kids, and his long-simmering tension with Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). But off-screen, Meloni is a happily married father of two, and he credits his wife's grounded temperament for the longevity of their marriage of nearly three decades.
Chris Meloni credits his wife Sherman Williams for their successful marriage
Meloni shared with People in 2022 that he believes the secret to his marriage with his wife, Sherman Williams, is due to her patience.
"It's her patience with me, and I really mean that," he told the magazine. "She's allowed me to grow at my speed because she's always been more mature and more levelheaded in many ways."
Years ago, in a 2006 interview with YourTango, Meloni talked about how they don't let drama interfere with their marriage. "Affairs, drama — that's complicated stuff," Meloni said. "I'm not a fan of complicated. There's so much energy expended in personal drama, in having a dramatic life. People get addicted to the drama."
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The pair have been married since 1995. They've welcomed two children— daughter Sophia and son Dante — and continue to be each other's biggest supporters. "She paints, and I go in her studio, and it just makes me happy. We have her work all over the house. She wants to buy art, and I'm like, 'I don't want that. I want yours,'" he told People. In fact, Williams' artistry is what led her to Meloni; she was working as a production designer on a television series in 1989 when she caught the eye of a young actor on the show, the man who is now her husband.
Chris Meloni prioritizes spending quality time with his wife
Now empty-nesters with their two kids out of the house, Meloni and Williams are enjoying their married couple time. "Every night has the potential to be date night. You get a little closer, and you walk a little closer and slower," he told TODAY.
He continued, "What has been great is that the longer you're married and you go through all the things that you go through as a married couple, and if you can tough it out and you can find the reasons why you love them and you were attracted to them in the first place, and those just grow. And the feelings, and the strengths of the other person solidify. It's great."
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Sherman Williams is Christopher Meloni's voice of reason
Her patience may be legendary, but she's not afraid to tell it like it is when she needs to. In particular, Meloni once told the story of Williams putting her foot down when it came to a rather permanent idea.
"My favorite item in my wardrobe is this ridiculous sweater my daughter, Sophia, bought me," Meloni explained. "I once told [my daughter] how I wanted a tattoo of this insane clown making a crazy face, but her mother wouldn't let me get it, saying, 'You don't want that on your body,'" he told Us Weekly. She was probably right!
