Remember Maury Povich & Connie Chung? They’re Still Married And Have Been For 38 Happy Years

Feb 17, 2023

Making a relationship last can be full of complications and challenges, especially in Hollywood. Balancing busy work schedules and time together can be hard, but worthwhile for the couples who really put in the effort. One of those couples is Maury Povich and Connie Chung.

Povich was born on Jan. 17, 1939, and is best known for being the host of the television talk show “Maury.” He initially began his career as a radio reporter, but shortly afterward shifted to host a tabloid entertainment show called “A Current Affair.” It wasn’t long before Povich really captured everyone’s attention with his own show in 1991, which was on the air for 31 seasons before ending in 2022.

Chung was born on Aug. 20, 1946, and is best known for her time as a former television anchor and journalist, working across a variety of networks. She has worked at stations belonging to networks such as NBC, CBS and MSNBC. In 2006, she even went on to work alongside her husband.

Although the pair have been together for more than four decades, people are still discovering the fact that Povich and Chung are in a relationship, and a long-lasting one at that. The happy couple has been through a lot during their lives separately and together, and have even started a beautiful family with each other.

While this may not be their first long-term relationship, it seems like Povich and Chung have something remarkably special as they have been together for 44 years and married for 38 of those years. Read on to find out more about their beautiful love story.

When it comes to making a relationship work and lasting for decades upon decades, it seems like Povich, 84, and Chung, 76, have found the magic formula. The happy couple have been together for 44 years and married for 38 of those years. Speaking with People in October 2020, Povich said, “There’s no need for any do-overs. Maybe that’s the reason why we’re still married.” Chung agreed, and said, “I would go back and relive every moment.”

According to the publication, Povich and Chung first met almost a decade before they began dating each other. “In 1969, I was a copygirl at a little TV station in Washington, D.C. and he was a big star and I was just a kid,” Chung told People. “He was very gruff and very matter-of-fact. He never looked up.”

The former TV news anchor continued:

“I kept thinking, ‘Maybe someday he’ll acknowledge that I’m a human being.’ I worked there for two years and then I left to launch my career – and I left him in the dust.”

Fortunately, this was not the last time that the pair ever saw each other, as they were finally reunited six years later. According to the Daily Mail, Chung was working as an anchor at a CBS affiliate station in Los Angeles, California, and Povich was hired to co-anchor alongside her. “I was the second banana to Connie,” Povich jokingly recalled. 

However, Povich was married at the time to his first wife, named Phyllis Minkoff. The then-couple had two daughters together and were married from 1962 until 1979.

Povich was let go from his position just six months later, but the connection he had with Chung lingered, according to the Daily Mail. “I always said the way to get Connie’s heart is first, she pities you, and then she can love you,” Povich explained. “She pitied the fact that I was fired.”

Eventually, Povich and Chung both started getting busier and busier with their own careers, but they couldn’t deny the spark between them. Povich and his first wife divorced in 1979, and six years later, he and Chung tied the knot. Although Chung jumped around with her career ventures, Povich has been hosting “Maury” since 1991.

“We’ve always respected each other’s careers and we’ve always respected each other’s space and values,” Povich said.

The couple has since been together for more than four decades, showing just how much effort they have put into making their relationship one for the ages. However, they suffered through infertility issues but eventually adopted a son in 1995, according to the Daily Mail.

When asked how they’ve made their marriage last so long, Povich said, “Whatever discussions or arguments go on during the day, once the head hits the pillow, it’s over and not to be continued the next morning. It is not on my mind.”

Chung added, “That is truly admirable, but I hold grudges and I need to continue to argue it out, whatever it is.” Fortunately, it’s clear that their differences have balanced each other out, making for one beautiful marriage. 

In 1989, Chung told People she “truly knew from the beginning that Maury was the one, but I just didn’t have it in me to commit myself. I was having a grand old time.” 

However, once they were married, their career ambitions kept them apart for a lot of their early years together, although it may have been for the better.

In May 2022, the happy couple sat down with CBS Sunday Morning. Povich said while “We dated for over seven years, never lived together,” Chung responded, “Yeah, it was perfect!”

Even after walking down the aisle in 1984, Chung said, “we were living in two different cities and that made it the perfect marriage.”

Povich, meanwhile, gushed about the positive effect Chung had on his journalistic career. He said:

“I’ve been Mr. Chung for almost 40 years. I mean, if you take a look at it in terms of my career, you could absolutely track that all of my success, my national success, came after I married this woman. … she settled me, and she encouraged me, and she was a believer in what I had to offer.”

When prompted about what they see in each other now, the pair showed their adorable and humorous sides.

“I see a gorgeous man," Chung said, to which Povich responded, “No! … What she will usually see is: you know, there's a little lint here, there's a little lint there…”

As for Povich, he said he sees “the most beautiful woman I could ever imagine,” to which Chung responded, “Oh, Maury. I've become a prune. I'm shrinking and I'm up to your naval.”

It’s clear their playful banter and adolescent-like joy in each other’s company also played a part in their long-lasting relationship. 

Did you know Maury Povich and Connie Chung had been together for so long? What are your thoughts on their relationship secrets? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family members and friends, too.