Inside Sarah Jessica Parker and Husband Matthew Broderick's Relationship Timeline
The couple met through Sarah Jessica Parker's brothers.
Published Jan. 9 2026, 2:31 p.m. ET
Both Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have acting careers that really took off in the 80s, but it wasn't until the 90s that the pair finally met.
For those who didn't follow the beginning of their relationship closely, though, or who don't know much about their marriage, what is Sarah and Matthew's actual relationship timeline?
Before they got together, Matthew was romantically linked to the likes of Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey. Sarah, on the other hand, dated multiple other high-profile celebrities before she met and began dating the Ferris Bueller's Day Off star.
Her exes include Robert Downey Jr., John F. Kennedy Jr., and Nicolas Cage.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick in 1999.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's relationship timeline began in 1991.
According to People, Sarah and Matthew met in 1991 through Sarah's brothers. After Matthew directed a play at her brothers' Naked Angels Theater Company in New York City, they introduced the two of them.
However, Sarah and Matthew did not immediately start dating after that, even if there was a bit of a spark initially.
Per Us Weekly, Sarah and Robert Downey Jr. split up in 1991. The couple had spent seven years of highs and lows together, so Sarah might not have been eager to jump into another relationship soon after. But when she did enter a new relationship after hers with Robert ended, it was with Matthew.
Matthew asked Sarah Jessica out through her answering machine.
The couple spoke to The New York Times in 1996 about their relationship up until that point. They were living together at Matthew's home and had starred on Broadway together. Sarah revealed at the time that they went out on a movie date after they met, but it didn't work out right away. She told the outlet that it took weeks for Matthew to contact her again.
It wasn't until early 1992 that Matthew asked Jessica out through a message on her answering machine, and they went out together again.
"He left a very charming, very self-effacing message on the machine," Sarah said at the time. "You know, 'Hi, it's Matthew Broderick.'" She then joked about Matthew feeling the need to use his last name on the message.
They got married in 1997.
When Matthew and Sarah got married in 1997, they did so as a surprise to their friends and loved ones. Brides reported that they invited 100 people to what everyone believed was a party at New York City's Angel Orensanz Synagogue. Instead, the couple got married in front of them. Afterward, a planned reception took place for Sarah, Matthew, and their guests.
The couple welcomed their first child in 2002.
As of 2026, Matthew and Sarah are still together. In 2002, they welcomed their first child, James Broderick. They later had two other kids, twin daughters named Tabitha and Marion Broderick.
In January 2026, Sarah made a rare comment about her husband and kids while accepting the Golden Globes' Carol Burnett Award.
"And to my beloved family, my brilliant husband Matthew Broderick, who has been my husband for just shy of 30 years," she said. "Who has given me a family discount, an all-access pass to his masterclass in acting, comedy, and dedication."
She continued, "And to the family we have made. Our divine James Wilkie, Loretta and Tabitha, oh God. I love you so deeply and admire so much the people that you are becoming. That every day at home and at work, I want to make you proud."