The key to a long-lasting marriage is different for many people. Belinda Carlisle and her husband took the unorthodox route of having separate bedrooms. That has proven to be the right path, as they have managed to keep their marriage going for 36 years.
Belinda Carlisle rose to fame as part of one of the most successful all-female rock bands of all time, the Go-Gos. Born on August 17, 1958, the singer has had a career to remember both as part of the band and later in her solo career. However, her personal life has gone through some difficult periods since childhood.
After her father abandoned her, her mother, and her siblings while she was still young, the family was left in poverty. Her mother remarried, but Carlisle did not get along with her stepfather. In 1986, she married Morgan Mason. However, their union was troubled by Carlisle's drug addiction, which almost ruined the marriage.
Belinda Carlisle and Morgan Mason attend "The Commitments" Hollywood Premiere at Pacific's Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, California on August 7, 1991 | Source: Getty Images
Belinda Carlisle's Key to a Successful Marriage with Morgan Mason
Belinda Carlisle and her husband, Morgan Mason's marriage began unconventionally, and it has taken some unorthodox methods to keep it going for almost four decades. Carlisle noted that when she met her future husband at a party in 1983, he was rude to her, which caught Carlisle's attention.
However, they bumped into each other again a few days later, and this time he was much nicer as he asked her out on a date. Their day or night out must have been the perfect date ever, as Carlisle moved in with Mason the next day. Although people thought they were crazy, the couple is still alive and strong, 39 years on.
Speaking in 2015 on how they have managed this, Carlisle attributed it to giving each other personal space. She said, "We do have time apart, and I think that [helps], and actually, if you can have separate bedrooms, I think that's a really good thing too."
Belinda Carlisle Lives in Thailand with Her Husband, Morgan Mason
When Carlisle and Mason married, their first home was in Los Angeles. However, during a gala dinner at a country club, she felt suffocated and displeased by the thought that they would spend all their lives in that area. She remarked:
"We went to a big gala dinner in a country club in LA. I looked around at all the tables and I thought, 'Oh my God, is this where it all ends? At a country club in LA? No thanks.'"
They decided to pursue their fantasy of living in the south of France, where they remained for 25 years. When they began to think about moving again, they tried to return to the United States but failed to adjust. A friend invited them to have a taste of Bangkok. They were impressed, and it has been their home for about five years.
Belinda Carlisle and Morgan Mason's Only Child
Six years after they tied the knot, Belinda Carlisle and Morgan Mason welcomed their first and only child so far, James, in 1992. He was named after his grandfather, former Hollywood frontman James Neville Mason.
James's birth in 1992 coincided with the LA riots. The violence in the city in that period is one of the reasons they decided to move to France for fear of raising their son in such a segregated and hostile environment. Several American celebrities have moved to the south of France, including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Although James grew up with his parents in France, he now resides in West Hollywood. He wants to follow in his father's footsteps and have a political career. He ran for a seat on the City Council while just 22 but lost. However, his mother was proud and said he would become the United States' first gay president.
Belinda Carlisle and Morgan Mason's marriage has survived the test of time. Now in its 36th year, Carlisle said years ago that the key to their long-lasting relationship has been giving each other personal space. Carlisle and Mason even have separate bedrooms, which is ironic because, for some, that is usually a sign of a broken marriage.
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