Jim Parsons has been dating art director Todd Spiewak for over a decade.
Although they are private about their relationship, we have gotten a glimpse into their personal life.
As Parsons accepted his 2014 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series, Spiewak was proudly sitting beside him.
Here is what you need to know about their love story.
1. The National Enquirer Recently Said They Were Engaged
In mid August, The National Enquirer started the gossip, saying that a friend told them, “Todd has wanted to get married for a long time now, and he told Jim he felt like they were just treading water in their relationship. Jim has kept telling him he wanted to make sure he was settled and secure before he took on such a major change, but Todd shot back, “You’re going to be making more than $20 million a year now, how set do you need to be?”
Parsons went on Instagram to dispel the rumor, captioning the photo above with, “Me and Todd in 2003. Still very happy today… And NOT engaged! #justFYI #NationalEnquirerMakesS—tUp #duh.”
2. Ellen Pressured Them to Marry
In May of 2014, when Parsons visited The Ellen Show, DeGeneres put the pressure on him to get married.
When she asked him if he was going to marry his partner, he answered, “I don’t know. That’s a hard one. I mean, you get so used to your life as it is that…”
The host continued, “But it gets better when you get married, it really does—don’t think that it doesn’t.”
Watch the clip above to see how the rest of the awkward conversation panned out.
3. They Won an Inspiration Award in 2013 & That Was Their First Public Appearance
The couple was given this honor at the 9th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards at L.A.’s Beverly Hills Hotel in October of 2013.
In the acceptance speech, shown above, Parsons said:
I’ve never considered myself an activist. I’ve never considered my relationship with Todd to be an act of activism. Rather simply, it’s an act of love, coffee in the morning, going to work, washing the clothes, taking the dogs [out]—a regular life, boring love.
He continued, “Now all this said, no one is giving us an award for activism. I realize this. If we are indeed inspiration to others by simply being who we are and living our lives in the way that feels right to us then we have to thank the same people who help any other couple who continue a successful relationship—our friends and family. We are both surrounded by so many people who make our lives better and easier, friends we’ve had for many years and friends we’ve made since living in L.A.”
At the event, Parsons told Us Weekly that they are quite normal, saying, “It was surprising to hear that we were getting an inspiration award. We feel very average, we feel very normal. We really do. The strange stuff is the Hollywood stuff we have to walk through, not the gay stuff we have to walk through.”
4. Jim Came Out in the NY Times
In May of 2012, the star confirmed his sexuality by allowing a New York Times reporter to include it in his interview.
Toward the end of the article, the writer, Patrick Healy, connected Parsons’ sexuality to the young, gay activist he played in The Normal Heart on Broadway.
The journalist wrote, “The Normal Heart resonated with him on a few levels: Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship …”
In the 2014 movie The Normal Heart, Parsons reprised the role of Tommy Boatwright.
5. Jim Called Todd His ‘Favorite Person on the Planet’
At the 2013 Emmy Awards, he said thanks “to my favorite person on the planet, Todd Spiewak.”
He also thanked his boyfriend during his 2011 Emmys speech.
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Jim Parsons & Todd Spiewak: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know