Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin’s Relationship Timeline

Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin have been going strong for 26 years — and it all started with a chance encounter and some good timing.

The duo first met back in 1992 while they were both in other relationships, but it only took a few months for the stars to align. At the time, Rinna was working at a glasses shop and the owner happened to be a good friend of Hamlin. After closing up the store one evening, she went to drop the keys off to her boss, who was conveniently out to dinner with Hamlin. There was an immediate spark between the actors and it wasn’t long before they were going on their first date.

Rinna and Hamlin didn’t hesitate to go public with their relationship shortly after, although it did take them five years to officially walk down the aisle. They welcomed their first daughter, Delilah Belle, in 1998, and their second daughter, Amelia Gray, in 2001.

“We are crazy about each other, and you can’t create that, you can’t make it — it either is, or it isn’t … I think you either really dig somebody, or you don’t. And I’m so blessed, we are so blessed that that happened for us,” Rinna shared with PEOPLE.

From their restaurant meet cute to welcoming two daughters, here’s everything you need to know about Rinna and Hamlin’s relationship.

1992: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin cross paths for the first time

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Rinna first crossed paths with Hamlin when he was still married to actress Nicollette Sheridan. While they didn’t exchange more than a “hello,” Hamlin says he was already smitten — and Rinna was a little bit starstruck by the actor.

“She was leaving and I was having dinner and she was walking out of the restaurant with her boyfriend … I was sitting with my wife at the time … and this absolutely gorgeous girl walks by me. Might have said hello … I was married, so I wasn’t thinking beyond that, but I recall being stricken by her beauty,” Hamlin told PEOPLE.

“You were Harry Hamlin!” added Rinna. “You were the Sexiest Man Alive, big movie star, you were starring in L.A. Law. I was starstruck!”

“You were starstruck and I was love-struck,” Hamlin replied.

1992: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin have their first conversation at a restaurant

Rinna and Hamlin crossed paths once again several months later, just days after Hamlin had split with Sheridan. At the time, Rinna was working at a glasses store and had to drop off the shop keys to the owner who happened to be having dinner with Hamlin. Rinna stopped by the restaurant and was invited to join the duo, where sparks flew — and a humorous conversation was had.

“It was sparks right away … She had just been to the circus the day before and she said, ‘Oh my God, I went to the circus last night and it was so sexy!’ I’m thinking to myself, ‘Wait a minute, here’s this girl. She’s sitting there and the elephants, right, and the clowns and all that.’ Because the only circus I’d ever been to was Ringling Brothers. But she was talking about Cirque du Soleil, which is very sexy, but I didn’t know that. I had not seen Cirque du Soleil at that point, so I thought, ‘If this girl can be turned on by elephant dung and whatever, I’m good with her.’ I was enchanted right away,” Hamlin said in an interview with SiriusXM’s Jess Cagle and Julia Cunningham on The Jess Cagle Show.

December 1992: Harry Hamlin invites Lisa Rinna to join him on a trip to Aspen

Not long after their chance encounter at dinner, Hamlin invited Rinna to join him on a holiday trip to Aspen, Colorado. Rinna was with her family at the time and decided to turn him down.

“You invited me to go to Aspen and I turned you down. He called me and said, ‘I want to take you to Aspen. You can have your own room.’ I was with my parents in Oregon and I said, ‘No, I’m not going. I’m not doing it.’ I did play a bit hard to get but I didn’t try to play hard to get … I just was hard to get,” Rinna told PEOPLE.

December 1992: Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna get to know each other over the phone

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Hamlin didn’t give up after Rinna turned him down. He says he continued to pursue her and called her every day for two weeks during his trip to Aspen. His tactic worked because Rinna says she was soon falling for the actor.

“I said no to Aspen and he called me every day for two weeks during Christmas, during the Aspen time and I got to know him and start talking to him and I thought, ‘He’s really nice. He’s very smart. He’s very intellectual.’ I started to really like him just by talking to him,” Rinna explained to PEOPLE.

Early 1993: Lisa Rinna agrees to go out to dinner with Harry Hamlin

When Hamlin returned from Aspen, he called up Rinna to invite her to dinner. Rinna only had an hour to get ready for the date but she agreed — and something unexpected happened during their evening together.

“This restaurant is magical because we were sitting in this Italian restaurant and a balding elderly waiter came to us with a thick Italian accent and he said, ‘You two, you are lovebirds. You are soulmates,’ ” Hamlin recalled to PEOPLE. “The whole evening he said, ‘You guys are going to get married. You’re gonna have kids.’ And this is our first date and the waiter’s telling us all this stuff and we’re looking at each other going, ‘Where is this guy coming from?’ ”

February 28, 1993: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin make their red carpet debut

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Shortly after their first date, Rinna and Hamlin made their red carpet debut at the 7th Annual American Comedy Awards. The couple held hands while on their way inside the event, which was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

1997: Harry Hamlin pops the question to Lisa Rinna during a trip to Canada

After dating for several years, Hamlin and Rinna got engaged while on a trip to Canada together. Rinna explained that it took Hamlin a while to propose because his previous marriages had made him hesitant about walking down the aisle again.

“Harry had been married twice before me, so Harry wasn’t very excited to get married again. Like, not at all. Zero,” Rinna said on Live With Kelly and Ryan. “It took five years, which is kind of a long time when you’re waiting for it. I’d never been married. So, long story short, we’re at dinner up in Canada. We’re just sitting at dinner and all of the sudden he just like out of the blue says ‘I think we should get married, what do you think?’ That’s how romantic it was. Of course, I said yes, but I made him, afterward in the bathroom, I said you have to get down on your knee and propose for real, for real.”

March 29, 1997: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin tie the knot

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On March 29, 1997, Rinna and Hamlin got married in a candlelit tent in the backyard of their Hollywood Hills home. The couple said “I do” in front of 150 of their closest friends and family — including a few celebs like Jennifer Tilly, Tony Danza and Annie Potts.

1997: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin are expecting their first child

Not long after tying the knot, Rinna and Hamlin were expecting their first child together. The following year, Rinna attended the 1998 Oscars at six-and-half months pregnant wearing a turquoise Versace dress.

June 10, 1998: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin welcome their first daughter Delilah Belle

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The newlyweds welcomed their first child, a daughter named Delilah Belle, on June 10, 1998. It marked the first child for Rinna and the second for Hamlin, who had previously welcomed son Dimitri with ex Ursula Andress.

2000: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin are expecting their second child

Two years after welcoming their daughter, the new parents had another baby on the way. Rinna later shared a nude throwback photo from the pregnancy, where she can be seen smiling at the camera while cradling her bare baby bump.

June 13, 2001: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin welcome their second daughter Amelia Gray

Rinna gave birth to the couple’s second daughter, Amelia Gray, on June 13, 2001.

2003: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin open their own clothing boutique

Harry Hamlin, Lisa Rinna with daughters Delilah Belle and Amelia Gray.
Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage

In 2003, Rinna and Hamlin opened their clothing boutique Belle Gray, named after their two daughters. The shop sold women’s clothing and accessories and was open for almost a decade before closing its doors due to Rinna and Hamlin’s busy schedules.

Summer 2007: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin star in Chicago on Broadway

Rinna and Hamlin shared the stage of Broadway’s Chicago in the summer of 2007. Rinna played the iconic character Roxie Hart while Hamlin portrayed Billy Flynn.

October 2010: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin star in their own reality show Harry Loves Lisa

In 2010, Rinna and Hamlin got their first taste of reality TV when they signed on to star in a show that chronicled their lives. In Harry Loves Lisa, which ran for one season on TV Land, viewers got an inside look at the couple’s everyday life with their young daughters. Rinna and Hamlin explained that they agreed to do the show because they wanted to partner on something creative together and the concept of a show about their lives stood out to them.

“We decided we wanted to create something between the two of us. Our lives are crazy in that not only are we actors, artists, not only do we do shows like Dancing With The Stars or go to Broadway to do Chicago but we also have kids, we have a retail store that we’re trying to keep going all the time. So a lot of crazy things happen to us on a daily basis and we just thought, ‘Well you know what, if we’re going to do something creative together, we could do a comedy. We could do something like I Love Lucy,’ ” Hamlin told CNN.

2014: Lisa Rinna joins Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with Harry Hamlin’s support

Several years after Harry Loves Lisa wrapped, Rinna was approached about joining the cast of the fifth season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. While it was an exciting opportunity for the actress, Hamlin was immediately against the idea. Rinna says that Hamlin even threatened to divorce her if she joined the show. She decided to move on from the idea but just days later, she says Hamlin changed his mind after doing some research.

“I went to him and said, ‘Okay, they’re interested in me doing this show, the Housewives.’ ‘Nope, I’ll divorce you if you do it.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ No more conversation. Done. That was that. I was fine with it. So he comes back to me in like two days and said, ‘You know, I’ve thought about it. I’ve done some research … I’ve changed my mind. I think it might be a good thing for you.’ Harry being a really, really good businessman said, ‘It’s a good thing. It’ll work for you. You should do it,’ ” Rinna recalled on Oprah: Where Are They Now?

Hamlin later confirmed the story, explaining that he formerly believed “everybody who does that show gets divorced.” He says he changed his mind after a conversation with Bethenny Frankel, who “convinced” him that it was a good idea “from a branding point of view.”

March 29, 2017: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin celebrate their 20th anniversary

Morgan Lieberman/FilmMagic

In 2017, Rinna and Hamlin celebrated 20 years since tying the knot. Rinna marked the occasion by posting a variety of photos from the couple’s wedding and writing, “Happy Anniversary to the love of my life Harry Hamlin! My soul mate, my everything! I’d be lost without you baby!”

Rinna also shared another photo from the event and jokingly gave a shout-out to singer Michael Bolton, whom she partially credits with bringing her together with Hamlin. Several years earlier, Rinna revealed that Hamlin’s ex Sheridan left him for Bolton and had that not happened, the couple would have never gotten married.

March 29, 2019: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin celebrate their 22nd anniversary whale watching

When Rinna and Hamlin celebrated their 22nd anniversary in 2019, they marked the occasion with a whale-watching trip. Prior to embarking on the adventure, Rinna explained that the excursion was Hamlin’s idea as he’s such a big fan of nature.

“This is so Harry Hamlin. Harry comes to me and says, ‘How about we go and see the baby whales being born in the saltwater?’ … I just go, ‘All right that sounds cool, I’ll do it.’ So hopefully we will see some baby whales being born,” Rinna said while co-hosting Live With Kelly and Ryan.

May 8, 2019: Lisa Rinna reveals she and Harry Hamlin watch porn together

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Later that year, Rinna got pretty candid about how she and Hamlin keep the spark alive in the bedroom. Rinna, who wrote The Big, Fun, Sexy Sex Book in 2012, opened up during a conversation with her then-Real Housewives costar Denise Richards. After asking Richards if she watches porn, Rinna revealed that she and Hamlin are fans of watching it together.

“It’s f—— great. Oh my God. I like nice porn. I don’t like dirty porn. It has to be pretty … like Vivid has some nice porn. Anyway, you have to have the old stuff. The new stuff is like tattoos and I like the pretty porn. It’s hot! Vintage Vivid is good porn!” Rinna said on BravoTV.com’s After Show.

December 17, 2019: Harry Hamlin says the key to their successful relationship is listening

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While discussing his relationship with Rinna, Hamlin shared that one of the most important aspects of their relationship is listening to one another and truly processing what they have to say.

“We listen to each other. Really listen to each other. The thing about listening is that it’s not something that comes innately to human beings. Normally we have a tape playing in our heads all the time. It can be hard to allow what other people are saying actually in. That’s what Lisa and I do — we listen. And she’s smart, she’s the smartest person I have ever met. She’s smart as a whip. Our favorite thing is to hang out,” Hamlin said in an interview.

September 18, 2020: Lisa Rinna shuts down rumors that Harry Hamlin is having an affair

In September 2020, Rinna shared an appreciation post for Hamlin while poking some fun at rumors that her husband was having an affair. Prior to her Instagram post, a Twitter user had alleged that Hamlin had an affair with multiple women during the summer of 2018. While Hamlin didn’t speak out about the allegations, Rinna shut them down.

“#Fbf Appreciation Post To my very busy Husband who apparently doesn’t live with us, is having a lot of affairs, and is gay. Go Harry F—— Hamlin,” she jokingly wrote.

February 2, 2022: Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna explain the secret to their happy marriage

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After almost 25 years of marriage, Hamlin and Rinna spilled the secret to their successful relationship, explaining that it all has to do with how different they are. While Hamlin enjoys the great outdoors, Rinna is happier spending the day at the spa. Rinna added that they “eat differently, sleep differently” and have very different astrological signs.

Lisa Rinna Says Husband Harry Hamlin Prefers Her Makeup and Wig-Free: ‘He Likes Classic Rinna’

“We have nothing in common. Nothing. I mean, we’re kind people, I think in general we’re both kind-hearted but we have nothing in common. Zero, zip, zilch,” Rinna told PEOPLE.

Hamlin added, “I’m an outdoorsman, I like to camp and go up in mountains and her idea of camping is anything below the 10th floor of the Four Seasons … But I think love comes into the picture somewhere there too. Love, respect, and listening and attraction.”

March 1, 2022: Harry Hamlin opens up about his sex life with Lisa Rinna

Hamlin got very candid about the couple’s sex life in an interview Andy Cohen for Interview Magazine, sharing that things are still hot and heavy between them. When Cohen asked if things were as good as they were when Hamlin thanked Rinna “for all the great sex” at the end of his 2010 memoir, he wholeheartedly agreed.

“Of course it is, Andy! We’re still married,” Hamlin replied.

March 29, 2022: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary

Lisa Rinna/Instagram

In honor of the couple’s 25th anniversary, Rinna shared sweet photos from the couple’s wedding on Instagram, along with a graphic that read, “They lived happily ever after.” Rinna captioned the series of photos. “March 29, 1997 25 years ❤️.”

August 2022: Lisa Rinna talks about wanting to change her last name when she married Harry Hamlin

While filling in as co-host on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Rinna said that, while she continues to carry her own surname professionally, her legal name is Lisa Rinna Hamlin. The actress shared she once suggested the idea of changing her last name publicly, too.

“It’s interesting, because I wanted to change my name to Lisa Hamlin and Harry said, ‘Why would you do that? Your name is Lisa Rinna professionally so don’t mess with that,’ ” she said. “And so, if Harry tells you to do something, you do it. So that’s why I did that. But I like having Hamlin as my legal name because that’s the name of my children so I want to have something in common with someone, right?”

September 11, 2022: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin support daughter Amelia Gray at New York Fashion Week

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The proud parents — as well as their eldest daughter, Delilah Belle — attended the Tommy Hilfiger Fall 2022 show to watch Amelia Gray strut down the runway.

Rinna was dressed in Hilfiger designs from head to toe, while Hamlin sported a maroon bomber jacket from the latest collection.

November 24, 2022: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin volunteer on Thanksgiving

Rinna and Hamlin volunteered at Project Angel Food to prepare and deliver 7,400 meals for the critically ill and housing insecure in L.A. They were joined by former Real Housewives star Eileen Davidson.

“This Crew! This Morning at @projectangelfood 💙💙💙💙 #grateful #thankful #happythanksgivng,” Rinna wrote on Instagram.

January 5, 2022: Harry Hamlin reveals the secret to his long relationship with Lisa Rinna

Hamlin spoke to PEOPLE about his 25-year marriage to Rinna, suggesting that his past marriages didn’t last because his ex-wives “had characteristics that were similar to my mother.”

“I think a lot of people end up trying to work s— out with their lovers,” he said. “Breaking the cycle is not easy. Having not married my mother the third time, then comes the challenge: How do you make that friendship and relationship work both romantically and platonically?”

” ‘Happy wife, happy life’ really is my mantra,” Hamlin added. “And it works. We listen to each other, and we’re not clingy. She does what she wants, so I can do what I want.”

January 6, 2023: Harry Hamlin says Lisa Rinna made the “right decision” leaving the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Rinna announced that she was leaving the Bravo franchise on Jan. 5, 2023. A day later, Hamlin addressed his wife’s decision on the red carpet of the 80 For Brady premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

“[It was the] correct decision, the right decision to make at this point after eight years,” he told PEOPLE exclusively. “I think she took it as far as she could take it, and she elevated the show.”

Hamlin added: “Now it’s time to move on. Eight years is a long time to do anything, the same thing over and over again. It’s time to move along.”

January 31, 2023: Lisa Rinna supports Harry Hamlin at 80 For Brady premiere

Hamlin stars alongside Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin in 80 For Brady.

Rinna and their daughter, Delilah Belle, attended the film’s L.A. premiere in support of Hamlin. The former Real Housewives star dazzled in a black sequin gown by Michael Kors that she paired with a football-shaped Judith Leiber bag. As for Hamlin, he looked dapper in a black suit and turtleneck.

“What a Great Night Celebrating 🏈 @harryrhamlin,” Rinna captioned a carousel of images on Instagram.

March 12, 2023: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin attend Elton John’s Oscars viewing party

Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna.
Jerod Harris/FilmMagic

Along with a slew of celebrities, Rinna and Hamlin attended Elton John’s Oscars viewing party, which doubled as a fundraiser for the Elton John Aids Foundation.

The former Real Housewives star turned heads in a Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown, and Hamlin complemented her extravagant outfit in a black tuxedo.

March 29, 2023: Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin celebrate 26 years of marriage

In honor of their 26th wedding anniversary, Hamlin penned a sweet post about Rinna on Instagram.

“The best decision I’ve ever made was choosing you. Here’s to the next 26 years. Happy Anniversary to my one and only ❤️,” he captioned a series of throwback images.

May 14, 2023: Harry Hamlin celebrates Lisa Rinna on Mother’s Day

In honor of Mother’s Day, Hamlin penned a sweet message on Instagram about his wife.

“Today I celebrate you @lisarinna ❤️ You never cease to amaze me!” he captioned an image of Rinna, her late mother, Lois, Delilah and Amelia. “You’ve built our beautiful family with your unconditional love and I’m so in awe of the example you’ve set for our daughters. I know Lois is proud of you and the incredible mother you are.”

January 9, 2024: Lisa Rinna says she and Harry Hamlin have “great sex”

Stefanie Keenan/Getty 

While speaking to Cosmopolitan, Rinna opened up about “sex after 60.” She said it’s all about “creating space for the ebb and flow of sexuality” at her and Hamlin’s ages.

“We really have great sex together, and we always have,” Rinna added. “It’s just that maybe it doesn’t happen quite as often as it did when you’re in your 30s and in your 20s, I would say. And I think that’s normal.”

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Source: HIS Education