Judith Light's Decades-Long Marriage Has Worked Thanks To One Interesting Quirk

Tony and Emmy award-winning actor Judith Light is here to offer a bit of relationship advice. Well, it's not advice, per se, but it is apparently the secret to making a decades-long marriage work. When Light isn't starring in iconic TV shows like "Ugly Betty" and "One Life to Live," she's busy maintaining a long-distance partnership with former actor Robert Desiderio. Light told People in 2017 that the two are a bi-coastal couple, with Light living in New York and Desiderio living in California. "It's been the best," she said. "I highly recommend it. He loves California, and I would never ask him to leave there and he would never ask me to leave here."

In the interview, Light also reflected on their early journey as a couple, sharing that though Desiderio wouldn't ask her to leave New York now, he did once. However, he didn't force the issue when she told him that she wanted to say on the East Coast, further proving how well-matched the two are. From there, they simply created a lasting bond despite the distance. "There's a solid, different kind of intimacy that comes about out of this and the support for each other and each other's lives," she continued. "I think people need alone time. I know I'm one of those people that needs that." Seeing a celebrity couple where each individual enjoys their freedom is refreshing, especially when Light and Desiderio make up for their lack of physical proximity in other ways.

Although many famous couples are often plagued by uncertainty (see the affair rumors that haunt Emma Stone's marriage), Judith Light and Robert Desiderio's bi-coastal bond is steadier than ever. Let's just say they know exactly how to survive a long-distance relationship.

The couple first met when starring in "One Life to Live," which Light worked on from 1977 to 1983, before getting married in 1985. From there, a romance that spans the country was born. While you might assume that the distance is extra challenging, Light told People in a 2024 interview that she and Desiderio both cherish their alone time. She added that they still FaceTime every day. On top of that, their communication as a couple is rock-solid. "We also make sure that, when we're having something that's upsetting for either one of us, that we both make sure that we stay in the room, and we keep talking," she said. "Sometimes we have to take a break. We say, 'Wait, we have to stop now. Now, we have to stop, and then we're going to come back to this.'" Much like celebs who have co-parenting down to a science, they've proven that relationships don't have to be messy — even if long distance.

The two also ultimately decided that kids were not for them. They agreed that their bi-coastal lifestyle just wouldn't be suitable for raising a child and their busy schedules wouldn't allow them a lot of free time. Even so, their ability to maintain such a close connection for so long, despite living on opposite ends of the country, is admirable.