Getty Ruve McDonough (L) and Neal McDonough at the Premiere Of HBO's 'Spielberg' at Paramount Studios on September 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California
Ruve Robertson, a former bikini model from South Africa, has been married to actor Neal McDonough since 2003. McDonough has said that he fell in love with his future wife the first time he saw her in London.
That devotion is part of why the actor says he refuses to do sex scenes, or even kiss another actress. He told Closer Weekly in a recent interview, “I won’t kiss any other woman because these lips are meant for one woman.”
McDonough, a practicing Catholic whom you may recognize from Desperate Housewives & Band of Brothers, acknowledged that the decision has cost him jobs as an actor. He was fired from a role in an ABC show called “Scoundrels” in 2010 for refusing to do a sex scene. He said, “I couldn’t get a job because everybody thought I was this religious zealot. I am very religious. I put God and family first, and me second. That’s what I live by.” And it appears to be going well; he and Ruve Robertson McDonough have five children and appear to have kept that initial spark alive.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Ruve Robertson Grew Up in South Africa & Previously Worked as a Swimsuit Model
GettyRuve Robertson and husband Neal McDonough attend Al Pacino stars in Oscar Wilde’s “Salome” at the Wadsworth Theatre on April 27, 2006 in Los Angeles, California.
Ruve Robertson has been described as a former bikini model from South Africa. According to her Facebook page, she attended Empangeni High School, located on the east coast of South Africa, about 370 miles from Johannesburg.
There does not appear to be any old photos of Ruve’s swimsuit days available online. She did share the photo above in 2017, which appears to show Ruve posing with three friends in their younger years. She did not indicate when the photo had been taken.
Ruve’s appears to have kept up with a fitness routine. Ruve’s husband posted the photo above of her participating in a boxing workout in 2016. He called Ruve the “real life ACTION STAR in the family.”
In 2017, McDonough shared another photo of Ruve working out, this time while executing a high jump. Her husband wrote, “My Hot Mama teaching the kids track team how to high jump!!!!!!”
2. Robertson’s Brother Also Lives in Los Angeles
Ruve Robertson has one brother named Ryan. According to his Facebook page, he also lives in Los Angeles.
Ruve posted a photo with her mother, Pam Dreyer-Robertson, on Mother’s Day in 2016. It does not specify where the photo was taken or whether she also moved to the United States to be closer to her children. Ruve does not share much personal information online.
Ruve’s father passed away on December 30, 2016. Her husband posted a tribute to Instagram: “My best friend/Love/wife.. lost her Dad today. 68 years old. He was taken too soon. He was truly my other Dad! Please pray for him, Ruve’ and her whole family! We love you Papa Robbie!! RIP!”
3. Ruve Robertson & Neal McDonough Met in London While He Was Filming ‘Band of Brothers’
Neal McDonough and Ruve Robertson met by chance in 2000. He was in London filming “Band of Brothers.” Ruve was working in public relations at the time.
McDonough explained in an interview in 2004 that he fell in love with Ruve the moment he first locked eyes with her. He explained that they bumped into each other on St. Patrick’s Day, his first day in London.
McDonough told Los Angeles Magazine in 2004 that he recalled blurting out “You’re tall” when he first saw Ruve. Luckily, she didn’t seem to mind.
In an Instagram post on March 17, 2017, McDonough posted that it had been 17 years since he had met Ruve. He wrote in part: “I met the greatest woman, wife, love, best friend, Uber mom to 5 glorious children and would partner up with me to build and create not only an amazing career.. but most importantly, a love that I only read about in romantic books or watched in classic films!! I met my Ruve’! And on that day, the Magic Leprechaun teamed with Cupid and the good Lord above, gave me a gift that I could never repay!! I love you with every ounce of my being!!”
In the interview with Closer Weekly, McDonough said he had been in a relationship with another woman at the time. He said he called the other woman the next day and said, “I’m sorry, it’s not going to work out with us anymore — I just met the woman I’m going to marry.”
4. Ruve Robertson & Neal McDonough Tied the Knot on December 1, 2003
The couple got married on December 1, 2003. Their honeymoon lasted seven weeks, with visits to Cape Cod, Oahu, London, South Africa, and Santa Barbara.
McDonough posted a photo of the two of them kissing on their 13th wedding anniversary. It included the caption: “13 years ago today, I married my Love, best friend and partner in life!! Thank You Lord for the greatest gift a man could ever have…Ruve’!!!”
In case you’re wondering: Robertson is 6 foot 3 inches tall. McDonough is 6 feet tall.
5. Ruve & Neal McDonough Have Five Children
GettyActor Neal McDonough, Ruve McDonough and family on April 26, 2015 in West Hollywood, California.
Ruve & Neal McDonough have a large family. They are raising five children: two sons and three daughters. The McDonough family lives in the Los Angeles area.
Their oldest son, Morgan Patrick was born November 28, 2005, according to IMDB.com. Catherine Maggie followed on May 14, 2007. They had another daughter nearly three years later, whom they named London Jane. She was born January 11, 2010.
The next year rounded out the girls; Clover Elizabeth arrived August 5, 2011. The couple’s fifth child was another boy, named James Hamilton. He was born March 31, 2014.
Neal McDonough grew up in a family of six children. He joked to Closer Weekly he and Ruve “met somewhere in the middle” when they were deciding how many children to have. “My math isn’t good, so five’s in the middle of six and two. We just always wanted to have a big family.”
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