Posted by
Will King

Two patterns usually appear between celebrity siblings when it comes to their love lives.  Either they take opposite approaches, such as one having extremely public affairs versus the other keeping things under the radar.  Or they follow parallel paths, often on similar tracks as their parents.  Sometimes they can each find success or failure in almost lock step – while other examples highlight how differently things can play out.  Think Emilio vs. Charlie Sheen.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olson may taking twinning to a new records, often following each other’s lead since, well, birth.  Each having been connected to a string of Hollywood players including Jared Leto (Ashley) and the late Heath Ledger (Mary Kate), they now would each appear to share an appreciation of the older man.  Mary Kate is now reportedly seeing Olivier Sarkozy, the brother of former French president Nicholas Sarkozy – who is 17 years older.  Mon Dieu.  Ashley was famously involved with Tour De France champion Lance Armstrong in 2007, a 15-year difference between the two.  They each also seem to appreciate wealthy men.  Mary Kate has dated oil heir Max Snow and Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos while Ashley had flings with restauranteur Scott Sartiano and Ksubi Jeans CEO Greg Chait.

Definitely one of the hottest set of brothers to hit silver screens such Luke and Owen Wilson would have to be the Hemsworth boys.  Whether you crave Thor or Mr. Hunger Games, they each have sustained fairly long relationships for heart-throbs in their twenties.  While Liam had an immediate connection with Miley Cyrus (co-star of The Last Song) they suffered several set-backs and break-ups.  This June they announced their engagement.  Meanwhile Chris is approaching two years married to Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, with whom he shares a newly born daughter India Rose.  When initially asked about his brother possibly marrying Miley in April, Chris told E! News “They’re like 21 or something.  I can’t see that happening.”

Some celebs are Svengali-like in the methods of staying low key, such as the aforementioned Luke Wilson.  Unlike older brother Owen, whose romantic highs and lows have played out across many banner headlines, Luke appears to have shied up of late.  Apart from a few years with Drew Barrymore after they co-starred in Home Fries (1998) and a shorter stint with Gwenyth Paltrow, little is known about his latest conquests.  The same has sadly also been true career-wise, despite being highly likable and multi-talented.

Owen had a much-publicized recurring relationship with actress Kate Hudson, daughter of Goldie Hawn.  After one of their break-ups he was rushed to a Santa Monica hospital following a suicide attempt.  People Magazine was first to report that his wrists had been cut.  Some stars spoke of the incident publicly, offering support and friendship, but for the most part it remained an embargoed topic at film junkets.  After he starred in 2008’s Marley and Me with Jennifer Aniston, she relayed to the L.A. Times, “I feel like, how brave of him, to walk through the year that he walked through.”

Last January Owen managed another surprise, considerably more festive.  He and girlfriend Jade Duell were expecting a son – later that week.    He would arrive four days after the announcement, right around the time that Kate Hudson revealed herself expecting with singer Matthew Bellamy of Muse.  Owen and Jade would split up just six months later.

The realities of dating while famous only become more complicated when that fame extends into the immediate family.  Suddenly both couples can feel the pressure, judgement and often unfair comparisons.  The intricacies of sibling relations are themselves a quite tricky minefield.  Navigating a path across is usually easiest for the more grounded child, which is sometimes difficult to identify.  Understanding that can mean the difference between Dennis Quaid and brother Randy.

Selma: Wouldn’t that be awkward if somebody dated siblings… at different times of course. It seems to me that celebrity singletons need to be cautious of double dipping in families. Get the latest on celebrity gossip to see who is hot and available!  I recommend this DiscoveryGame to find out how plugged into celebrity gossip you are.

Giulia: Dating when you are a celebrity is hard enough… try mixing in a sibling with equal fame who is feeling the same pressure! Families come in all shapes and sizes, but there is no denying that they play a central role in the shaping of our lives. I recommend this DiscoveryGame to see how your views on family affect your life and ultimately your relationships.