From Teenagers at Church to Hollywood Power Couple: A Timeline of Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Relationship
Though they quickly became one of Hollywood’s most powerful couples, Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s love story had a humble beginning.
The NBA star was 15 years old when he and the Seasoned Life author, then 14, met at church in North Carolina. Though they’ve both since admitted they were fond of each other at a young age, it wasn’t until years later that they would reconnect as adults and give romance a shot.
“I always had my eye on her, but I got a little shaken, for sure,” Stephen previously told Parents Magazine of their teenage years.
Fast-forward a few years, and the Golden State Warriors point guard finally got the chance to pursue the then-aspiring actress while on a trip to Los Angeles, where she was living. During his East Coast visit for the ESPY Awards, Stephen and Ayesha spent the day together as just friends, and they later turned romantic.
The couple tied the knot in July 2011, and despite being in their early 20s, they knew it was meant to be.
“I was 23; she was 22. But I knew I had found the right woman and I wanted to start a life with her,” the athlete told Parents.
Following their nuptials, Ayesha put her acting career on hold after finding out she was pregnant with their daughter Riley.
“She was a borderline honeymoon baby,” Ayesha explained of how quick things changed for their family. “So that became my next move. I struggled with that for a while.”
While Stephen’s NBA career began to take off, Ayesha found her calling in the culinary world, opening restaurants around the United States, writing cookbooks and even hosting game shows, including Family Food Fight. Whether it be regular season games or championships, Ayesha is often in the crowd cheering her hubby on, while he does the same for her in her endeavors.
The couple later welcomed daughter Ryan and son Canon.
Ayesha gushed about her husband’s parenting skills in a 2016 interview with Parents Magazine. “The thing I love about him is that he’s not too cool for school,” she shared at the time. “He’ll get down on the floor and play with the girls. He’ll put on dress-up clothes if he has to, and he’s very patient, which is something I’m not. We balance each other out.”
Although Ayesha noted that “it’s a dream come true” if all five of them get out of the house on time every day, Stephen said he knows all of the difficult parts of raising three kids will pay off later. “All those little checkpoints are going to be fun, and there will be ups and downs along the way,” he shared. “Watching our children go through those life experiences will be amazing.”
Scroll down to take a look back at Stephen and Ayesha’s relationship timeline!
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Early 2000s
“I wasn’t allowed to date in high school,” Ayesha told Parents Magazine. “We always laugh that we were both focused on God.”
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2008
The couple opened up about how Ayesha dodged Stephen’s attempt at a first kiss. “He was in mid-conversation and came flying at my face like a thief in the night,” the doting wife told Parents magazine when reflecting on the first time they hung out as adults. “So I was like, ‘No.’ Then I thought, ‘Oh, I didn’t know this is what was happening.’”
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July 2011
Back to where it began! Stephen and Ayesha tied the knot in a beautiful summer ceremony in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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July 2012
Family of three! The Curry family grew in July 2012 when Stephen and Ayesha welcomed Riley. The toddler would go on to become a viral sensation after stealing the show during a 2015 NBA finals press conference where she sat on her dad’s lap and entertained the media.
Credit: Courtesy of Ayesha Curry/Instagram
November 2014
Ayesha revealed via Instagram that she and Stephen had gotten matching greater than/less than tattoos, captioning a pic of their new ink, “@wardell30 copied me ☺️😍#hisswagmatchmine.”
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July 2015
Baby girl No. 2! “The gift of life is truly an indescribable thing,” Ayesha wrote in a blog post shortly after the arrival of their second child. “We were fortunate enough to experience it all over again friday night! Our beautiful little Ryan Carson Curry arrived perfectly healthy and happy!”
Credit: Courtesy of Ayesha Curry/Instagram
July 2018
Seeing blue! Stephen and Ayesha welcomed their third child — a baby boy — three years after the birth of Ryan. “On this journey, on this quest… protect me.. I’m bless! Canon W. Jack Curry,” Stephen captioned an Instagram picture of the newborn at the time.
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May 2019
Despite having a happy and healthy relationship, Ayesha admitted in a Red Table Talk interview that she often feels insecure about all the attention Stephen receives from other women. After she came under fire for her comments, the athlete took to Instagram to publicly support her. “Proud of you for being authentic and putting yourself out there — not being afraid of potential bull s#*# and nonsense that could and did come at you,” he wrote alongside a picture of him and his wife. “Way more positive than negative with all of this. Keep being you. I love you.”
Credit: Courtesy Ayesha Curry/Instagram
July 2019
The Currys took to Instagram in July 2019 to celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary. “Each day with you is the ultimate blessing. Getting to do life with you is an infinite sea of bliss. Through our ups and downs we only become stronger and that is the ultimate key,” Ayesha wrote. Stephen, meanwhile, captioned his post, “Life is all about perspective, and my perspective is clear! That @ayeshacurry….that’s my baby right there….love you and thank you for being my Proverbs 31:10-11 everyday!”
Credit: Courtesy Ayesha Curry/Instagram
December 2019
After Twitter went wild over alleged nude photos of Stephen — which his agent said were “absolutely” not real — Ayesha joked on Instagram Live in December 2019 that she “had all of the ingredients on hand” to make “eggplant parmesan.”
Credit: Courtesy Stephen Curry/Instagram
February 2020
The couple made headlines in February 2020 when Stephen shared a risqué photo of his bikini-clad wife straddling him. “Vacation vibes with my one and only,” he captioned the Instagram post.
Credit: Courtesy of Stephen Curry/Instagram
July 2020
“Hey @ayeshacurry. Nine years in. And what they say? Forever to go! I love you,” the athlete gushed via Instagram. “Thank you for always making me better, for pushing me, for keeping it real with me, for bringing light and energy to every room you walk in, for showing our kids what it means to be passionate and caring and loving, for always being my eyes and ears, Traveling with me on every high and every low, and most importantly … for always being unapologetically you!”
Ayesha, for her part, tried on her engagement dress for the occasion. “I tried on my engagement photo shoot dress a couple months ago and it FINALLY fit again. May2011/May2020 …. Stephen/Canon,” she wrote.
In a second tribute she added, “9 years married y’all!!!! I love this man with my whole heart and soul. How is it possible that I love you more and more each and every freaking day?! And 3 babies?! Lawwwwd. Ahhh choochie!!! I have no words … cue ‘sweetest taboo.””
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February 2021
Just before Valentine’s Day, Stephen called Ayesha his “baby” and his “valentine” while praising her cover shoot for her Sweet July magazine.
Credit: Courtesy Ayesha Curry/Instagram
February 2021
“I love to love you babyyyy,” she wrote, while sharing several sweet photos of the duo over the years.
Credit: Courtesy Tiffany Olevia/Instagram
March 2021
For International Women’s Day, Stephen honored his wife as one of the many “influential, impactful, and hard working women in my life.”
Credit: Courtesy of Ayesha Curry/Instagram
August 2021
Ayesha shared what she learned about her husband amid the coronavirus pandemic during an appearance on Shop TODAY With Jill Martin, including a trait that turns her on. “He’s very patient. Can’t multitask for anything but is so patient in knowing that and so good with the kids,” she said. “It’s such a turn-on to see. Probably so inappropriate, but it is. It’s refreshing to see that.”
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September 2021
The athlete sweetly surprised his wife with a “beautiful vow renewal ceremony” in the fall. Ayesha shared photos via Instagram at the time, gushing, “He even picked out my dress for me and had it waiting. Our big girl Riley officiated, and Ryan and Canon walked me through the grass of our backyard. It’s everything I’ve always dreamed of but didn’t know could be possible in this way. A moment I will never forget.”
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December 2021
“974 and counting. Congrats my baby. I love you so much! You did that,” the cookbook author wrote via Instagram on December 14. “To God be the glory. I’m so proud of ya @stephencurry30.”
Credit: Courtesy Steph Curry/Instagram
July 2022
“My Ish! Loving this journey with you more and more,” Stephen wrote alongside a compilation of Instagram photos from the couple’s romantic getaway in honor of their 11th wedding anniversary. “Already blessed in so many ways and who knows what’s next. That’s the best part! through it all- we keep growing and loving each other. Next chapter begins… I Love You! > < 1 Corinthians 13:8.”
Credit: Courtesy of Ayesha Curry/Instagram
August 2022
The duo jetted off to a tropical destination to cap off their summer.
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February 2023
Ayesha opened up about her health journey on the Rachael Ray Show, stating that she felt as though she had to live up to the athlete’s wellness standards in order to feel healthy. “One of the biggest things, for me, that was a hindrance, in a sense, was I was competing in my own weird, twisted way, in my head, with my very athletic husband and thinking I need to do all of the things that he was doing in order to find my balance and to stay fit,” she admitted to host Rachael Ray. “And it took me so long to realize, ‘No, my fitness journey and my plan are gonna look how that looks for me.’”
She continued: “It’s living that 80/20 life and making sure that I’m enjoying life’s celebratory moments, and then, in between, making healthier choices. For me, it couldn’t be so rigid, and I found the best results when I kind of loosened up a little bit.”
Credit: Courtesy of Ayesha Curry/Instagram
April 2023
Ayesha posted videos via Instagram Story showing the celebration after Steph made history on the court. “Let’s goooooooooo!” she captioned the footage. Her husband scored 50 points for the Golden State Warriors, breaking the record for most points in a Game 7.
