Marrying a Hollywood star, powerful politician or fabulously wealthy businessman doesn’t mean that you need to quietly take a backseat and play the role of supportive spouse.
As these eight women (and many more we don’t have space to list) have shown, there’s no reason to let your well-known beau outshine you.
In fact, not only have they refused to allow their achievements to be overshadowed by their rich and famous husbands, but through their own merits these women have become even better known than their spouses.
When Superman & Lois launches on The CW with a special two-hour premiere event this Tuesday, we’ll see that it’s not just Clark Kent who makes his mark on the network’s ever-expanding superhero canon. No longer are the wives of superheroes solely supporting characters existing in their partners’ shadows; journalist Lois Lane is just as (if not more) important to the story than her Kryptonian husband.
Here we bring you some of our favorite women who married rich and famous men, but thanks to grit, talent and charm became the better-known partner in the pairing.
Amal Alamuddin
George Clooney may be a Hollywood A-lister with starry good looks, a bulging bank balance and gorgeous homes around the world, but his high-achieving wife Amal still manages to steal the limelight.
During her career in law, Amal Alamuddin has worked on high profile human rights cases across the globe and been appointed to a number of United Nations commissions
Yes, she’s stunningly beautiful, effortlessly stylish and has racked up a band of celebrity friends.
But it’s Amal’s successful career as an international human rights barrister that really makes her outshine her rich and handsome husband.
Not only has Amal worked on high profile human rights cases across the globe and amassed a net worth of several millions, but she’s also taught at Columbia Law School and been appointed to a number of United Nations commissions.
Oh, and she’s mom to twins.
Chrissy Teigen
It’s not that we don’t love John Legend; it’s just that we love his wife Chrissy Teigen that much more.
Having begun her career as a model featuring in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue, Chrissy has gone on to enjoy a thriving television career, author two successful cookbooks and release a cookware line.
Chrissy Teigen began her career as a model, but has gone on to enjoy success as a cookbook author and television personality, as well as winning over fans with her social media accounts
But it’s her sharp wit, clever comebacks and brutal honestly on social media that have made her a total superstar.
With 34 million followers on Instagram and 13.6 million on Twitter, Chrissy is one of the most influential individuals on social media in the world.
Despite her A-list lifestyle and millions in the bank, the mom-of-two somehow manages to stay hilariously relatable – and she’s more than happy to mercilessly mock her own husband or troll the former president Donald Trump.
Kate Middleton
Prince William may be the future king, but it’s his beautiful wife Kate Middleton who has really captured the world’s imagination since the pair married in April 2011.
Kate Middleton is known not only for her fashion sense but also her charitable work
Her sense of style has won her fans across the globe, with her outfits frequently selling out just days after she’s worn them, but the mom-of-three has also remained surprising down to earth – despite the fact that she married into one of the most famous families in the world.
Kate is also devoted to a number of charitable causes and has been a prominent advocate for supporting frontline workers and providing mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Salma Hayek
Being married to a billionaire businessman may mean that you don’t have to work another day in your life.
But not if you’re Salma Hayek.
Salma Hayek is both an Oscar-nominated actress and a prominent philanthropist, supporting causes including preventing violence against women and girls
Her husband François-Henri Pinault is the CEO and chairman of luxury fashion conglomerate Kering – which owns brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga – yet this Mexican-American actress has a glittering career of her own.
Salma was Oscar-nominated for her role in Frida and also boasts parts in movies such as From Dusk to Dawn, Desperado, Grown Ups, Dogma and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
Perhaps just as notable is her philanthropic work – Salma has advocated for a huge range of causes, including ending violence against women, bringing awareness to climate change, and educating refugee children.
Beyonce
There’s no doubt that Beyonce and Jay-Z together make a formidable power couple, but if we had to choose the better-known of the pairing we’d go with Queen Bey every time.
Beyonce is one of the most successful artists ever, and also owns activewear line Ivy Park, voiced Nala in Disney’s remake of The Lion King, and has dabbled in various business ventures
She’s one of the most influential women in music in the world and one of the bestselling artists ever, boasting a staggering 24 Grammys (and is nominated for a further nine of the awards in 2021).
The mom-of-three has also performed at the Super Bowl twice, owns activewear line Ivy Park, voiced Nala in Disney’s remake of The Lion King, and has dabbled in various business ventures.
Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid may not actually be married to her popstar beau (and father of her child) Zayn Malik, but we didn’t want to leave this starry couple off the list.
Gigi Hadid is one of the highest paid models in the world, having worked with brands including Burberry, Chanel, Versace, Prada and Tommy Hilfiger
Zayn shot to stardom as one fifth of boyband One Direction and has since enjoyed a successful solo career, but the gorgeous Gigi has worked her way up to become one of the highest paid models in the world.
She’s modelled for almost every big brand you can think of – such as Burberry, Chanel, Versace and Prada – and has made millions from brand https://winstarlink.com/jasa-social-media-marketing/ endorsements, including the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Maybelline and Reebok.
Kim Kardashian
When you’re a Kardashian you’re never going to be content to take a backseat to your beau.
And that’s even when your partner is world-famous rapper Kanye West.
Kim Kardashian has become one of the most famous women in the world thanks to her reality TV career, but she also has several successful business ventures
Despite his well-publicized meltdowns, a run for president and an epic music career, Kim Kardashian has still managed to remain better known – and is arguably better paid – than her husband.
Aside from the wildly successful Keeping up with the Kardashians, the mom-of-four owns a lucrative cosmetics and fragrance company KKW Beauty and she’s now expanded into shapewear with SKIMS.
She also has an eye-watering social media following of nearly 69 million on Twitter and a staggering 204 million on Instagram.
Michelle Obama
It might seem hard to outshine your husband when he’s a former president of the United States, but Michelle Obama stands out in her own right as a public figure on the world stage.
Michelle Obama has supported her husband’s political ambitions, but also champions her own causes and authored a wildly successful autobiography Becoming
She’s spoken out about supporting Barak’s political ambitions – and has no doubt been instrumental in his successes – but at the same time has championed her own causes, including higher education, healthy eating and helping families in poverty.
She’s also the author of autobiography Becoming, which climbed the ranks of bestsellers lists to become an international phenomenon, and has just signed a lucrative multi-year deal with Netflix to produce a variety of new TV shows and movies.
The Superman and Lois two-hour series premiere event starts Tuesday February 23 at 8/7c, only on The CW or stream free next day on the CW App.
