Keri Russell Explains Why She and Matthew Rhys Are Not Married
The actress shared her thoughts on marriage during a recent podcast appearance, stating she doesn't feel the need to tie the knot.
Keri Russell has shared the reasoning behind her and long-time partner Matthew Rhys's decision to not pursue marriage after 13 years together. Russell stated on comedian Chelsea Handler's podcast, "Dear Chelsea," that she does not feel the necessity for marriage, especially in contemporary society.
"I've had a big party, you know. I get to dress up all the time, and I know for a lot of people, marriage is something different," Russell, 50, explained. "... People used to be married to have a credit card. We can have credit cards now. I don’t need my last name to go away."
Russell and Rhys have been in a relationship since late 2013 and share a son, Sam, born in 2016. The actress was previously married to contractor Shane Deary from 2007 to 2014. They have two children together: son River, 19, and daughter Willa Lou, 13.
During the podcast, Russell also addressed Rhys's 2026 Emmy acceptance speech, where he did not thank her. She explained that Rhys was overwhelmed with nerves during the ceremony.
"He was just so nervous. I mean, we were all nervous. … But, you know, it’s a lot. It’s a lot of pressure," Russell told Handler. "We’re both nervous people. We’re not in that world that much. We visit that world, and so we were both so nervous."
She added that she had told Rhys beforehand, "Take me off your plate. Like, you don't have to thank me. I know you love me."
Rhys won two Emmy awards in 2026: lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for "The Beast in Me," and lead actor in a comedy series for "Widow’s Bay." Russell received an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a drama series for her role in Netflix's "The Diplomat."
In a 2018 Emmy acceptance speech, Rhys had joked that Russell would have "punched him" if he had proposed during the awards ceremony. He had said, "If you propose to me, I’ll punch you clean in the mouth." He continued, "I don’t have the words, or the time, neither which would do you justice, Keri Lynn, except thank you."
That same year, director Glenn Weiss proposed to his girlfriend Jan Svendsen during his own Emmy acceptance speech.
