Though the image of fresh face Macaulay Culkin and Rachel Miner pledging their troth at 17 might conjure up an image of Romeo and Juliet, the real-life teen romance was less tragic than their storybook counterpart.
How Did Macaulay Culkin and Rachel Miner Meet?
To say that the first interaction between Culkin and Miner didn’t ignite a romantic spark would be an understatement. In point of fact, it bred some contempt.
The setting was the Professional Children’s School, situated in New York City, New York. Fourteen-year-old Rachel Miner, a recent enrollee while appearing as Michelle Bauer on the CBS soap Guiding Light, introduced herself to Culkin – the recently retired star of such feature films as Home Alone, My Girl, and The Good Son.
Culkin apparently did not respond in a manner she deemed suitable and for quite some time, she considered him a stuck-up jerk. But over time, the two became good friends and co-stars when they were both chosen to perform in Friday – a music video for the band Sonic Youth.
It was during their filming of that video that the pair began to realize that maybe there was something more between them than mere friendship. Within days, they were dating. After a short period of courting, Culkin, then 17 years old and recently emancipated, took a chance and proposed marriage. Miner happily accepted.
Unconventional
In keeping with the couple’s low-profile nature and avoidance of paparazzi, rather than issue the standard paper invitation announcing their wedding and its location, they instead sent out clues to an elaborate scavenger hunt that lead the participants to a hotel.
Once inside the establishment, the guests were then directed to a Connecticut house where the casual outdoor ceremony was held.
Married Life
To friends and family, the newlyweds seemed perfectly suited for one another. In their downtime, the pair watched movies and opened their hearts and their home – to a large number of stray cats – an action that earned the apartment in which they lived the nickname Noah’s Ark.
Teething Troubles
In recognition of the couple’s first anniversary, People Magazine issued an article in which a supposed friend of theirs reported that “they’re very happy together…Oh, sure, they have the normal fights any married couple has, but they are still very much in love.”
This statement ironically followed another made by Reverend David Thompson – the man who officiated the marriage – which revealed that “they have had a rough time and separated briefly to give them time to work things out.”
Macaulay Culkin and Rachel Miner Call It Quits
By August of 2000, a mere two years after their wedding, the Culkins were once again, “temporarily separated.” Paul Bloch, Macaulay’s spokesperson, confirmed that “it is very amicable and they remain [the] best of friends.”
Rumors abounded as to the cause of the trouble with many citing Culkin’s desire to return to acting and Miner’s wish to start a family. Whatever the reason, the union was dissolved on August 5, 2002.
During a moment of self-reflection, Miner was quoted as saying, “Ultimately, the marriage was a choice made with our hearts, not with our heads.”
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