Black Love On The Red Carpet: Famous Couples At The Oscars Over The Years

By Victoria Uwumarogie ·April 21, 2021April 21, 2021

The Academy Awards are set to air on Sunday, April 25, and despite the pandemic, it won’t be virtual. The guest list will likely be much smaller than ever before, but as the show goes on in person, it’s expected that there will be a red carpet, or at least some photo sessions, and that is where some of the best candid moments happen. There have been many gorgeous images captured from the annual event of Black celebrity couples posing and sharing tender moments on the red carpet, and while it’s unclear what to expect from the event as a whole this year, there are enough colorful moments from the past to look over fondly. To get you ready for the Academy Awards this weekend, take a look back at all the love shown between some of our favorite Black couples on the Oscars red carpet over the years.

01Will Smith and Jada Pinkett SmithThe couple brought the cool (hey crop top and laid back collar!) to the 69th Annual Academy Awards in 1997.

Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage 02Viola Davis and Julius TennonOne of their first Oscars together was the 81st Annual Academy Awards in 2009. She was nominated for the first time for “Doubt.”

Steve Granitz/WireImage 03Beyoncé and Jay-ZThe couple’s first appearance at the Oscars together (they haven’t been back since) was at the 77th Annual Academy Awards in 2005.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage 04Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis LeeHe wouldn’t win his first Oscar until 2019, but Spike Lee and wife Tonya Lewis Lee looked like winners at the 77th Annual Academy Awards in 2005.

Chris Polk/FilmMagic 05Denzel and Pauletta WashingtonAlready an Oscar winner by this time, Denzel and Pauletta attended the 64th Annual Academy Awards looking lovely back in 1992.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images 06Oprah Winfrey and Stedman GrahamThe queen of talk and her longtime love hit the red carpet for the 67th Annual Academy Awards in 1995.

Ron Davis/Getty Images 07Antoine Fuqua and Lela RochonLela Rochon and husband, director Antoine Fuqua, attend the 74th Annual Academy Awards in 2002.

Vince Bucci/Getty Images 08Kevin and Eniko HartThe couple had a great time at their first Oscars — the 87th Annual Academy Awards in 2015.

Christopher Polk/Getty Images 09Pharrell Williams and Helen LasichanhThe couple share a tender moment on the red carpet at the 88th Annual Academy Awards in 2016.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images 10DeVon Franklin and Meagan GoodThe producer and the gorgeous actress attended their first Oscars together, guests for the 91st Annual Academy Awards in 2019.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images 11Courtney B. Vance and Angela BassettThe forever young and in love pair attended the 91st Annual Academy Awards together in 2019. During previous Oscar attendances, he wasn’t credited as her date.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images 12Forest and Keisha WhitakerThe couple are actually pictured at the 2007 Vanity Fair Oscar Party after Forest won his first Academy Award at the ceremony that night for “The Last King of Scotland.” We just loved this photo too much not to use it!

Evan Agostini/Getty Images 13Debbie Allen and Norman NixonThe color-coordinated couple have been to a number of Oscar ceremonies. They’re pictured at the 64th Annual Academy Awards in 1992.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images 14Ryan Coogler and Zinzi EvansThere representing for team Black Panther, writer and director Ryan Coogler looked regal with his then-pregnant wife Zinzi at the 91st Annual Academy Awards in 2019.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images 15Chadwick Boseman and Taylor Simone LedwardThe late actor and his love looked beautiful in black at the 91st Annual Academy Awards in 2019.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images 16Mahershala Ali and Amatus Sami-KarimThis chic duo showed up for the 90th Annual Academy Awards in 2018, a year after his win for “Moonlight.”

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images 17Samuel Jackson and LaTanya RichardsonThe longtime couple was all smiles at the 70th Annual Academy Awards in 1998.

SGranitz/WireImage 18Don Cheadle and Bridgid CoulterAnother longtime couple, Don and Bridgid attended the 77th Annual Academy Awards in 2005 when he was nominated for his work in “Hotel Rwanda.”