After 40 years of marriage, Connie Chung has done enough research to know what she's talking about.
The journalist recently revealed how her marriage to Maury Povich has been working out since they tied the knot in 1984.
“If you really break it down, Morrie and I have always had our own things that we do,” Chung explained. US Weekly “I believe you don't have to be friends with all of his friends, and he doesn't have to be friends with all of my friends. He can do what he wants to do, and I'll do what I want to do,” he said Tuesday while promoting “Connie: A Memoir.”
“We always get together and have a meal together – sometimes we even have lunch together – but we don't get in each other's hair,” he said.
In Chung's memoir, the former news anchor writes in detail about her love story with Povich, 85. She even dedicates an entire chapter to their romance.
“I love Maury with all my heart and I know he loves me very much, but sometimes, you know, I just don't like him,” the reporter wrote. “My guess is the feeling is mutual.”
Chung explained the line to US Weekly, admitting that she “could never spend an entire day” with the television host.
She joked: “So I think – I know I love him, but I don't like it when we spend too much time together.”
Chung and Povich were in a long-distance relationship for seven years before marrying in 1984. The couple then adopted their son, Matthew Povich, in 1995 after he was born.
“I knew he was going to be the one, but I wasn't going to be there and he wasn't going to be there. We were both single and enjoying our freedom,” she recalled to the outlet. “When I was ready to tie down, he wasn't ready. When he was ready to tie down, I wasn't ready. It went back and forth, and we took this relationship on a slow track for a long time.”
There was a time when Chung and Povich lived on opposite ends of the country, Chung in Los Angeles and Povich in Philadelphia, and it took some time for the couple to grow close to each other.
“He was such a bad boy that I said, ‘Hey, let’s take a break for six months.’ And I think it was good,” Chung said.
Six months later, Chung wrote that she and the “Maury” alumnus reunited at a wedding in Texas, but it was only when she moved back to New York City in 1984 that she began to fully consider her future.
“If it weren't for Maury, I would never have had the career I did,” Chung admitted in her book. “He has been my foundation, my support, my love, my companion in every way for decades. He helped me navigate my risky path up the ladder. I used to think I could survive without him. The man inside me told me I couldn't depend on anyone. I was just another white man like him. Now I know I can't survive without Maury.”
In 2020, the couple reflected on their love story during a conversation Peoplein which Povich shares his tips for a successful marriage.
“Whatever discussion or argument happens throughout the day, once the head is put on the pillow, it is over and should not be continued the next morning. It is not on my mind,” he added. “But we have always respected each other's careers and we have always respected each other's space and values. There is no need to get married again. That is probably why we are still married.”
“Connie: A Memoir” is out now.
