The Story Behind RuPaul And His Husband's Relationship
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Some BIG congratulations are in order!
Drag's most famous icon and host of perennial favorite RuPaul's Drag Race (now in its ninth season on VH1 and Logo), RuPaul Charles surprised fans when he announced on Hollywood Today Live in March 2017 that he had married his long-term boyfriend, Georges LeBar, in a secret ceremony in January.
Until that point, RuPaul had been keeping fairly mum about the man in his life. So, who is the mystery guy who found his way into the superstar's heart, and what's the story behind their relationship?
He's a rancher
Though it might seem like an unlikely habitat for the always impeccably-dressed Ru, LeBar spends most of his time at the ranch he owns and runs. According to a March 2017 article from Vanity Fair (quoting Ru's appearance on Hollywood Today Live), LeBar's ranch "spans two states." Ru added: "But most of the time, he's on the ranch in Wyoming...He has a—I get this wrong every time 'cause I'm not good with numbers—he has a 60,000-acre ranch...It's in South Dakota and Wyoming."
In true Ru-style, he makes his time down on the ranch his own. He told Hollywood Live Today (via Vanity Fair): "When I go there...I dress up in the most gorgeous Western-wear outfit, but nobody cares," he quipped. "But, you know, when we have a chance to do anything, he doesn't want me to come there. We wanna go somewhere fabulous."
Luckily for him, Ru gets to take it easy when he's on the ranch. He described the vibe to Access Hollywood in 2012, "It's very quiet [there.] I get to read a lot, I watch a lot of movies. I don't do any of the hard labor or anything like that."
Intrigued? You can check out the Lebar Ranch's Facebook page here.
They met at the Limelight
Not surprisingly (given Ru's history as a consummate performer), this romance was born and blossomed on the dance floor. RuPaul told Oprah during a 2013 "Where Are They Now" Special (via the The Huffington Post) that he first spotted LeBar at New York City's infamous Chelsea nightclub the Limelight: "I met Georges on the dance floor at Limelight in New York City, the disco...He was on the dance floor dancing like a maniac. I had to go over and say, 'What are you going through?'"
Serendipitously, as Vanity Fair reported in 2017, the night the pair met at the club was actually LeBar's birthday. We honestly can't think of a better way to celebrate than working it with Ru.
They've been together 23 years
That fateful meeting at the Limelight took place in 1994, and RuPaul and LeBar have been together ever since. In fact, the pair married on the exact date of their twenty-three year anniversary, as Out reported.
The same day he announced that he and LeBar were married, Ru posted an adorable photo of the couple from back in the day alongside lyrics from The Supremes on his Twitter page, sending out thanks to all their well wishers.
He's even taller than Ru
It's hard to believe, but LeBar actually towers over the 6'4" RuPaul (at least when they're both barefoot).
Describing their first meeting to Hollywood Today Live (via the New York Daily News), Ru explained how it was inevitable that LeBar would catch his eye, "It's also because he's actually 6'7", so he's taller than I am. So, of course I had to notice him." It's no wonder LeBar stood out to Ru.
They're very devoted to each other
Over the years, when RuPaul has spoken about his man, he's been pretty open about the couple's relationship and how much LeBar means to him. He told Oprah (via Vanity Fair), "He is devoted to me, I am devoted to him...And that's the end of the story."
In 2012, he gushed to Access Hollywood, "There's a man...He is the love of my life."
Awwww...you guys!
He's Australian
After hoping and wishing, Ru snagged himself a man from down under.
In a revealing interview, he told Buzzfeed in 2015, "He's so kind and funny...I remember praying, 'I want a sweet, sensitive man,' and I got an Australian who's just lovely."
They didn't plan to get married
As of 2015, it actually didn't seem very likely that the pair was going to wed anytime soon.
When asked by Buzzfeed during an interview if he had plans to marry Georges, Ru replied, "No, I don't stand on ceremony, I never want to conform to anything. We looked into it if we could get a tax break and stuff but not because... Is he devoted to me? Am I devoted to him? Oh, hell yes. [But] I never want to be like everybody else."
Despite the change of heart, it looks like taxes and financial matters did stay on the couple's mind. As RuPaul told Hollywood Today Live (via the UK's The Sun) after announcing the 2017 marriage, "We never wanted to do it. We were looking into it really for tax breaks and financial [reasons]."
Ever the pragmatist, that Ru.
He doesn't care much about show business
Unlike his superstar husband, Georges LeBar has very little interest in the spotlight, and does what he can to sashay away from the cameras.
As Vanity Fair reports, LeBar "doesn't care about the details of celebrity. Recently, the two were caught by paparazzi while visiting New York, but this was a rare occasion."
People also revealed that Ru told Hollywood Today Live that LeBar "couldn't care less" about fame and celebrity.
Regardless of how many shots the paparazzi manage to snag of Rupaul and Georges, here's hoping they have a long and happy life together.