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After 40 years of marriage, Connie Chung has done more than enough research to know what she’s talking about.
The journalist revealed what’s made her marriage to Maury Povich work since tying the knot in 1984.
“If you really break it down, Maury and I have always had our own things that we do,” Chung told US Weekly Tuesday while promoting “Connie: A Memoir.” “I believe that 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 go do what he wants to do, and I’ll do what I want to do.”
She added, “We always come together and have dinner together — sometimes we have lunch together too — but we don’t get in each other’s hair.”
In Chung’s memoir, the former news anchor writes in detail about her love story with Povich, 85. She even dedicated an entire chapter to their romance.
“I love Maury with all my heart, and I know he loves me deeply, but sometimes, you know, I don’t necessarily like him,” she writes. “My guess is that the feeling is mutual.”
Chung explained this line to US Weekly, confessing she “could never spend all day long” with the television host.
She quipped: “That’s why I think — I know I love him, but when we spend too much time together, that’s when I don’t like him.”
Chung and Povich were in a long-distance relationship for seven years before getting married in 1984. The couple then adopted their son, Matthew Povich, following his birth in 1995.
“I kind of knew he was gonna be The One, but I wasn’t going there and he wasn’t going there. We were both single and enjoying our freedom,” she told the outlet. “When I was ready to get tied down, he wasn’t ready. When he was ready to get tied down, I wasn’t ready. It went back and forth, and we slow-walked this relationship for a long time.”
At one point, Chung and Povich lived on opposite sides of the country, with her in Los Angeles and him in Philadelphia, and it took the pair some time to find their way back to one another.
“He was such a bad boy that I said, ‘Hey, let’s take a time-out for six months.’ And I think that was good,” Chung said.
After six months, Chung wrote that she and the “Maury” alum met up again at a wedding in Texas, but it wasn’t until she moved back to New York City in 1984 that they fully began their future.
“Were it not for Maury, I could never have had the career I had,” Chung admits in her book. “He has been my foundation, my support beam, my love, my partner in every way, for decades. He helped me navigate my treacherous path up the ladder. I used to think I could survive without him. The guy in me told me I was not dependent on anyone. I was just another white guy, just like him. Now I know I could not live without Maury.”
In 2020, the couple reflected on their love story during a conversation with People, with Povich sharing their tips for a successful marriage.
“Whatever discussions or arguments go on during the day, once the head hits the pillow, it’s over and not to be continued the next morning. It is not on my mind,” he said. “But we’ve always respected each other’s careers and we’ve always respected each other’s space and values. There’s no need for any do-overs. Maybe that’s the reason why we’re still married.”
“Connie: A Memoir” is out now.