In 2015, during an interview with Today, Corbett and Derek shared the sweet story of how they met. Corbett, who is now 60 years old, and Derek, 64, first met in 2002 when Hollywood agent Norby Walters set them up for a date at his annual Oscars party.
Corbett recalled that he found the idea of going on a date with the 10 star very intimidating. Meanwhile, Derek, who had been single for the last five years, was immediately attracted to Corbett.
The actress shared that she had told her friends that she would only date until she felt sparks, and it finally happened with Corbett.
Derek previously told Entertainment Tonight that getting married was never a priority for the couple. She told the publication that it was not a conscious decision to not be married, but to them, it was just going to be a piece of paper.
It’s just at our age we will not have children: we’re not building a new family together that this is important to a family tree. So, for us, it would just be a piece of paper.
However, the actress did share that they had once thought it would be fun to get married on a boat during one of her wildlife conservation trips.
After nearly 20 years together, the actress revealed the secret to their long-lasting relationship was that they were deeply in love and took the relationship one day at a time.
For Corbett, he revealed that Derek’s attentiveness was the key to the longevity of their relationship. He explained it was Derek’s ability to listen to him, watch what he says, and be present and grounded that paved the ground for their decades-long relationship.
