Over the course of their more than two decades together, Julia Roberts and her husband, who is not a renowned actor or musician, have managed to cultivate a healthy marriage. She also prioritized becoming a mother above her work, taking a break from it for 20 years when she was over 40 years old. The former celebrity now lives an unremarkable life with her husband and children on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, where she also conducted their covert wedding ceremony.
On the set of “The Mexican,” where Julia Roberts was working in the early spring of 2000, she was introduced to Danny Moder, a cinematographer. At the time, both were involved in romantic relationships, with the actress dating another actor named Ben Bratt.
Vera Steimberg Moder, Danny’s wife and a makeup artist, and the two of them had been married for four years. Some individuals who are close to the cameraman’s family have said that his marriage to his wife was strained; yet, the connection that he began forming with Julia compelled him to file for divorce in June of 2001.
The actress of “Pretty Woman” used to visit the restaurants and stores located close to her flat in lower Manhattan while she was dating Bratt, but when they split up, her behavior shifted significantly in this regard. After she started meeting a previously unavailable Danny, she was seldom spotted at the places she frequented before.
The couple, who were now romantically involved, split their time between the cameraman’s apartment in Los Angeles and Julia’s property in Taos, which was valued at more than $5 million. In 1995, the actress decided she needed a place to get away from the hectic lifestyle of Hollywood, so she purchased a ranch.
The famous actress had a quiet life at the ranch, where she would walk all of her pets, socialize with the other villagers, have takeout from Taos Cow, and dance and make out with her boyfriend Danny in the evenings at the Alley Cantina. It seemed as if the two people were committed to one another on a long-term basis.
An claimed friend of the actress characterized the pair as loving, stable, and accepting of one another’s flaws. On the other side, Bratt wed Talisa Soto, his “Piero” co-star, in May of 2002, and he was never a fan of his popularity. Julia had severely said in an interview with Vanity Fair that Bratt never enjoyed his stardom.
“It’s like a fly that won’t leave you alone; it’s that mosquito that buzzes in your ear when you’re trying to sleep at night,” she said. “It’s like a fly that won’t leave you alone.”
On the other hand, a friend of Danny’s claims that he stood out from the crowd because he enjoyed every “aspect” of who Julia was and still welcomed her. The close friend had positive things to say about the cinematographer, praising him as someone who appreciated the actress for who she was.
Julia was not as well-known as Danny, and it was unusual for a celebrity of her status to date someone who might be described as “basic.” There were rumors in the tabloids about their relationship, but the couple’s love was undeniable, and the cameraman demonstrated that he was prepared to deal with her popularity for the rest of his life.
The Unexpected and Very Private Wedding Ceremony for Julia and Danny
On July 4, 2002, Julia invited several of her close friends over to her ranch for what they thought was going to be a celebratory late-night drink for Independence Day. People came in from as far away as New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta to see the celebrity’s 82-acre property in New Mexico.
During the afternoon of that day, the visitors played hoops and football, ate homemade turkey that had been prepared by Julia, and hung out by the swimming pool owned by the actress. During the night, there were several individuals who wanted to sleep; nevertheless, a companion described how the star insisted that they remain where they were.
When midnight arrived, the small company gathered on lawn chairs arranged in a semicircle inside the property’s little religious meeting house. It exuded an air of seclusion and romance thanks to the lovely Chinese lanterns and candles that adorned its interior.
Both Danny and Julia were taken aback when they found themselves standing on an arch constructed of pink and white silk sheaths. They strolled to a circle that was strewn with rose petals in various colors, including red, white, and pink, and at that point, the majority of the visitors became aware of what was about to take place.
When they understood what was going on, they immediately began to celebrate. The videographer went down on one knee and proposed to the actress, and she accepted his proposal by putting her hands on her heart and responding with “yes” while the audience yelled the word along with her!
The entire experience, according to a buddy, gave them the impression that they were eavesdropping since it was so personal and amazing. Barry Hirsch, Julia’s attorney and a close friend for many years presided over the private ceremony that brought together the then-34-year-old actress and the 33-year-old cinematographer.
The straightforward wedding didn’t have any groomsmen, bridesmaids, or flower girls. There were also no fancy extras or famous people in attendance. The blushing bride wore a halter-neck dress made of pink cotton that was embellished with antique beads and pearls and hand-painted flowers. She looked just gorgeous.
During the 20-minute ceremony, the groom and Julia exchanged their vows, and he did so while wearing a red shirt with ruffles and tan slacks. He looked rather handsome. In the middle of everything, someone knocked over a glass, which prompted one of the guests to exclaim, “Mazel tov!” This led to a lot of laughs.
The doting pair couldn’t resist sharing passionate kisses with one another during their wedding, and they continued asking their guests for permission to do so. After the marriage between the two had come to an end, the actress put her burgeoning career on hold for the better part of 20 years and once devotedly said:
“I was destined from birth to be this man’s bride,” she said.
Because with Danny, Julia’s second marriage turned out to be much more successful than the first. Julia was absolutely correct about Danny. The famous actress had her first child later in life and chose to put her family ahead of her acting profession.
A spokeswoman for Julia confirmed that she and her husband were expecting twins in the beginning of 2005. This news came after the couple had been married for around two years. The twins Hazel and Phinnaues were born on November 28, 2004, when their mother was 37 years old.
The actress went on to explain that she and her partner, Danny, had settled on the name “Hazel” for their kid due to its traditional sound. The cinematographer had discussed with his wife that he had planned to call their kid “Finn,” but since it seemed more like a nickname, they decided to give him the full name Phinnaues instead.
People magazine made notice in 2006 of the fact that parenting had been one of Julia’s “top priorities.” In an interview that took place in April of the same year with the journal, Marc Platt, the producer of “Three Days of Rain” and a friend of the actress, stated:
She attributes her happiness and feeling of accomplishment in large part to the children.
Platt said that it was a “amazing” experience to see such a thing. The actress announced in December 2006 that she was going to be a mother for the third time, and at the age of 39, she gave birth to a boy who was given the name Henry Daniel Moder the following year.
Julia’s attorney, Marcy Engelman, said that the family was doing well and that the newborn little boy weighed 8 and a half pounds when he was delivered in Los Angeles. On the ranch, the famous couple, together with their children, had a peaceful and ordinary existence.
In 2013, USA Today made the observation that Julia didn’t post many images of her children on Instagram, although her husband was happy to do so. She also did not post updates about where she was on Twitter, and when an actor friend handed her a book of J.D. Salinger’s short tales, she demonstrated how grounded she was in reality by reading them.
According to the tabloid, the celebrity hand-wrote a thank-you message on paper, which was then delivered to the pal immediately. Julia managed to avoid the spotlight despite having held the title of highest-paid actress in the history of the entertainment industry.
She would go to any of her residences in the state of New Mexico, the state of California, or the city of Manhattan. The famous actress previously said that the way she and Danny planned their lives was done so that they could better safeguard their children, and she continued by saying:
“All we want is to be left alone to enjoy our family life without any interruptions,” the couple said.
The cameraman’s wife also said that she felt she was fortunate since she was too elderly for the foolishness that came along with the internet and the present celebrity culture. She claimed that she believed she was lucky because she was too old for these things. She felt fortunate for it and believed that her advanced age had protected her from some dangers.
During an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2010, Julia stated how much she enjoyed getting up early and seeing how her children reacted to the start of a new day. She also said how much she enjoyed being able to spend more time with her family. She said that the three were still at an age when everything was exciting for them.
The actress from “Eat, Pray, Love” also said that she did all in her power to be “present” for each of her three children. The celebrity recently confessed on the Today program that she enjoyed life and made a light-hearted remark about how her greatest victory of the day was when all of her children made it to “the toilet!”
A story that was published in Architectural Digest in 2022 said that Julia’s well-known residence was her ranch near Taos. The article disclosed that the property in question was located close to the neighborhood of Arroyo Seco and served as the celebrity’s secondary residence.
It was said that the actress who played Erin Brockovich, together with her husband and their children, often spent time at the home. Julia was a devoted wife who picked up her husband from his place of employment, according to the Southwest neighbors, who say that they ran into her regularly at Target or the grocery store. Julia also lived in the Southwest.
In 2017, the actress spoke out about her experience becoming a mother during an interview with InStyle. She said that in order to protect her children from developing diaper rash while they were little, she absolutely required the use of Balmex.
The actress from “Wonder” demonstrated that she was just a regular person by stating that she like the scent of the product, that she “couldn’t live without it,” and that it was “wonderful.” Julia’s response was tactful when she was asked what she would do if she observed a youngster on the playground engaging in behavior that they shouldn’t be engaging in. She stated: “I would try to talk to the parent.”
“What they’re doing would determine whether or not I say something, but regardless, I anticipate that I will.”
Her plan was to make it clear to the youngster that what they were doing was inappropriate in some way. What the interviewer did not anticipate was the wonderfully rapid addition made by the actress, which was “and then trip them!”
When asked what the most effective method was for informing a youngster that they had crossed a boundary and would need to face the consequences, the celebrity recommended utilizing one’s authoritative voice as a parent! On the other hand, after things calmed down on the emotional front, she strongly suggested having a “conscious talk” about what had taken place.
In order to maximize the amount of time spent together as a family at the dinner table, Julia recommended that everyone take a seat at the table. Danny’s wife thought it was significant and disclosed that during that period she and her family had some of their deepest and most important discussions ever.
The celebrity revealed some further details about her personal life, revealing that she always made sure to eat breakfast and supper with her children. She had the impression that they were beginning things together as a family, absorbing the events of that day, and winding down together as a unit thanks to the way things were set up.
The celebrity also said that she believed that the appropriate age for her children to acquire their first mobile phone should be 12 years old since Hazel got her first phone at that age. Julia said that she and Danny hadn’t been sure about giving the phone to the kid, but Hazel’s reasons for wanting it were plain and honest, and so they decided to go ahead and give it to her.
The actress went on to explain that the youngster did not persuade her parents to change their minds by delivering a PowerPoint presentation (despite the fact that she has done so in the past!) but rather by being vulnerable and honest. The little girl recently expressed her requirements, which left her mother with the following feelings:
“At that same moment, I was so head over heels in love with her that I exclaimed, ‘We have to buy her a mobile phone!’”
She also said that she overcame her fear of being away from her children by bringing them along with her anytime she had to leave the house for whatever reason. During an appearance on Sunday Morning in October 2020, Danny’s wife shared her thoughts on the things that were most significant to her at the age of 54.
The famous actress emphasized to her interviewer that her family and her job were both very important to her, but that they did not share the same level of significance. Julia said that she has never been “consumed” by her career as an actor.
She went on to explain that the fact that she was able to become an actress was a “dream come true” for her, but that it wasn’t the only one of her dreams that had come true. When asked about some of her other goals, the woman who was a mother to three children gestured to her family and said:
“The life that my spouse and I have created together.”
In addition to this, Julia explained how the life that they had established together with their three children helped them make the cut. She thought the things she had listed were the finest ones, and she emphasized how important it was to her to return victorious to her family at the end of the day.
The actress would be appearing in a romantic comedy for the first time in twenty years, as was reported on the CBS News broadcast. The film would be released in 2022. It was planned that Danny’s wife would get together with George Clooney, another actor and a longtime friend of theirs.