Zoe Saldana known for her role in big franchise movies, like "Guardians of The Galaxy" "Avatar" is now reeling from her recent Critics Choice Award win, for Emilia Perez.
The actress who has also been nominated for Best Supporting Actress this year was spotted on the Red carpet with her husband, Marco Perego-Saldana.
Saldana looked stunning in a blazing red custom Saint Laurent dress designed by Anthony Vaccarello. Her husband, who was by her side, opted for a pinstriped gray suit.
The pair have been together for a decade, and are proud parents of three sons. While the two tend to keep a low profile to protect their family's privacy, their relationship has been a matter of intense scrutiny and conversations online. This is particularly because Marco had taken Saldana's last name after their marriage.
Who is Marco Perego-Saldana?
Marco Perego-Saldana is an artist and writer, who was born in Salò, Italy. His works have been shown internationally at the Michele Maccarone Gallery in New York and Los Angeles, the Museum of Modern Art, Bologna, and The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh among others.
Perego has also co-written and directed the feature film, The Absence of Eden, where Saldana plays an undocumented immigrant, who has left her life in Mexico in hopes of a better life.
How Zoe Saldana and and Marco Perego-Saldana's relationship took off?
The two met on an early morning flight to New York. Zaldana was already familiar with Perego's work as an artist and was instantly charmed by him. In an interview with USA Today, she added that she never believed in the concept of love at first sight until she met him.
“I know people don’t believe in it; I didn’t believe in it. I’m a very Sigmund Freud person, I’m very logical,” she said. “But that—I’m okay not having an explanation for that. Because I don’t need to explain that. It was enough that I felt it. And that was it.”
She also added:
"And I can’t even describe to you, it was a vibration. He turned in that moment, because he felt the vibration as well.”
The rumors of their relationship first emerged in 2013, when they were seen attending the premiere of Star Trek: Into the Darkness.
Later, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in July 2014, the actress confirmed her marriage to Perego:
I’ve known my partner for five years. I knew of his work. I knew of him. Then we met. And months later, we both made the decision to do what we both individually vowed never to do—to get married.” the actress said.
Marco Perego took Zoe Saldana's last name in a rare Hollywood move
In a 2015 cover interview with InStyle Magazine, Saldana revealed that her husband had indeed taken her name after marriage.
"I tried to talk him out of it,’ she explains, ‘I told him, “If you use my name, you’re going to be emasculated by your community of artists, by your Latin community of men, by the world” Saldana said in her interview."
Saldana further added that Marco later assured her that he does not care about the opinions of others.
He said in his thick Italian accent "Ah, Zoe, I don't give a s**t."
The Emilia Perez star, also expressed her views in a long Facebook post, back in 2015, addressing the online rumors. In her post, she emphasized the importance of stepping outside the box and challenging stereotypes.
"Why is it so surprising, shocking- eventful that a man would take his wife's surname? Women have never been asked if its ok for them to give up their names — why doesn’t that make the news?" Zaldana wrote.
She further added:
"Men, you will not cease to exist by taking your partner’s surname. On the contrary — you’ll be remembered as a man who stood by change. I know our sons will respect and admire their father more because their father lead by example."
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Perego-Saldana keeps to himself but is often spotted on the red carpet, celebrating his wife's achievements and showing his support.
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