In Hollywood, Denzel Washington, an honoree, is a legend. He was born on December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, New York, and he and his wife of almost 40 years, Pauletta, are the proud parents of four kids.

Although Denzel’s wife and kids are everything to him, his early years were completely different from the happy family life he now has.‘My parents were opposites of one another. She grew up in a city and in Harlem.

Country guy living on a farm in Virginia, my father was just this spirit-filled man until the day he passed away, said Denzel.’Devout Christian Denzel has also shared the ‘secrets’ to his lengthy marriage.

‘Everyone experiences ups and downs; we have too. You know, it’s laborious. But we agreed to something.Marriage, the workplace, and mental stability all benefit from a strong spiritual foundation.’

On the Wilma set in 1977, Denzel and Pauletta met for the first time.On Live with Kelly and Ryan in 2018, the renowned actor revealed, ‘The first movie I ever did was a TV movie and I played Wilma Rudolph’s lover.’

He remarked, ‘Pauletta was one of the track stars.’ ‘I didn’t meet her then, but I met her then. Then, I noticed her.’The two burgeoning actors wouldn’t really meet until a few months later.

Denzel and Pauletta wound up at the same event, and despite the fact that they each have a different explanation for how it happened, they got along.

Both the couple’s love and their professions grew. When Pauletta finally felt ready, Denzel wanted to move forward with her. Before Pauletta accepted, Denzel made three separate proposals.

‘Three times, actually. I realize that everything [go] with age, especially the mind,’she admitted to Access Hollywood in 2013. ‘I declined you twice, but this time we made it work.’

‘You heard it here first: She declined my invitation and responded ‘no.’ And since it happened three times, that implies she rejected me twice,’ said Denzel.

In 1983, they were united in marriage in Newton, South Carolina, Pauletta’s hometown.

Shortly after they married, Denzel and Pauletta welcomed their first child, John David, followed by Katia in 1987, and twins Olivia and Malcolm in 1991.

‘I used to think that what I did for a living – acting was my life, but when we had that first child, acting became making a living. The child was life,’ Denzel said.

Although their children initially believed their parents were strict, Denzel said ‘moral instruction is important.’

‘My children are good people. They are not perfect but they are generous and humble and kind. My wife did that.’

Like every marriage, Denzel and Pauletta have had their ups and downs, but they’ve worked through them all.

‘Everybody has their ups and downs; we’ve had ours. It’s hard work, you know. But we made a commitment. A spiritual foundation helps everything – marriage, work, peace of mind.’

Following rumors of infidelity and divorce, which Denzel denied, the couple admitted marriage is tough, but they work with each other to see things through to the end.

‘I live with this man. I see the down part. I see the sad part. I see every part. He has and knows he has that stability in me as his wife,’Pauletta told Ebony magazine.

I love Denzel Washington, and I think his and his wife’s outlook on marriage is refreshing.