Don Cheadle Married His Wife Bridgid Coulter 28 Years After They First Started Dating — Here's Why
The Fight Night actor joked that he married his former Rosewood co-star after speaking with his accountant.
Don Cheadle and his wife Bridgid Coulter have been together for more than 30 years, but they've only been married since 2020.
The Fight Night actor and his longtime partner ultimately decided to tie the knot during the pandemic after some polite urging from their accountant. "Our accountant proposed to both of us and he showed us the numbers, and we said, 'Yeah, we should probably do it,'" Cheadle joked to Entertainment Tonight in 2021.
Of course, the topic of marriage came up multiple times during the 28 years prior to Cheadle and Coulter saying "I do" in an intimate backyard wedding attended by their children, Imani and Ayana Tai. But as Coulter joked, "You've got to make sure. I wasn't sure. Now, I think I'm almost sure."
Though the couple has cracked jokes about their delayed nuptials, it's clear that they love each other deeply. Over the years, Cheadle has praised his wife, who has supported him throughout his career.
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Keep reading to learn more about their love story.
Who is Don Cheadle's wife, Bridgid Coulter?
Cheadle is married to Bridgid Coulter, an interior designer and the founder of Blackbird, a co-working space in Los Angeles that strives to provide a place of community and empowerment for women of color.
Coulter was inspired to start Blackbird after working in other co-working spaces that were lacking in diversity, not just racially but in terms of careers. With Blackbird, Coulter aims to bring together people from all industries and backgrounds. "There’s so many people who are just excellent and aren’t found or seen," she explained to The Hollywood Reporter in 2019.
Beyond Blackbird, Coulter works in interior design and even designed the Blackbird space, which is decorated in warm tones.
As for her home life, Coulter describes herself as a "proud mother of two with the most supportive hubby" on a bio on her website.
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How did Don Cheadle and Bridgid Coulter meet?
Prior to working in interior design, Coulter sought a career in acting, having graduated from UCLA with a degree in theater. In fact, she met her now-husband on the 1992 set of the movie Rosewood.
In the film, which premiered in 1997 and is inspired by the 1923 Rosewood massacre in Florida, Cheadle played Sylvester Carrier, a witness and victim of the mass killing, while Coulter portrayed the smaller role of Gertrude.
Why Bridgid Coulter switched careers
Coulter also appeared in shows like Martin and Class of '96, before ultimately taking a step back from acting so she could be at home with their kids while Cheadle was away on set, she told USA Today in 2022. It was during this time that Coulter realized her passion for interior design, saying that she spent most days rearranging furniture in the couple's Venice home. She said that Cheadle would come home from work and ask, "Is there going to be a month when I return home, and this is just how our furniture lives?”
Eventually, Coulter returned to her alma mater to receive a masters-level certificate in interior design. In the program, she learned about color and architecture, lessons she'd later implement when she and Cheadle built their family home in the early 2000s.
"We wanted our kids to think anything is possible, so our living room has high ceilings," she told USA Today.
When it comes to her design work, Coulter is known for being eco-friendly and sustainable. She told the outlet that she prioritizes a long-term vision over trends.
"Sustainability can also mean building something that’s passed down through generations,” she explained. "I do not like disposable furniture, which often finds its way to landfills."
Coulter's beliefs in sustainability and environmentalism seems to have rubbed off on Cheadle, who is a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations' Environment Programme.
"I hope to use my ‘celebrity’ to motivate people and contribute to moving our global society back from the brink. I am surprised environment is not at the top of the agenda. What is more important than food and clean air? We need a big push," his ambassador bio reads.
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