At the center of “The White Lotus”: Season 3 chatter is a certain cameo made by Oscar winner, and Leslie Bibb’s real-life partner, Sam Rockwell, who steals a scene in Episode 5 with one of the most off-the-wall monologues to date. His sexually-charged rant aside, viewers were intrigued by the relationship between Rockwell and Bibb who, along with Michelle Monaghan and Carrie Coon, makes up one-third of a seriously toxic female triangle.

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Bibb’s stunning transformation from small town girl to screen star has been the stuff Hollywood dreams are made of. After winning a modeling contest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” she went on to star in the teen drama “Popular” and has been working pretty much ever since, appearing in “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” and the popular “Palm Royale,” which aired on Apple TV +. Her path to stardom crossed with fellow actor Rockwell who, unlike Bibb, grew up around the industry. His parents were both working actors and he got his first taste of the biz as a child when he worked alongside his mother in a play.

Despite their demanding schedules, Bibb and Rockwell have one of the more solid and long-lasting relationships in Tinsel Town, with nearly two decades under their belts. What’s their secret? “Good sex,” quipped Bibb during a red carpet interview with E! News. “Communication and good sex,” agreed Rockwell, who added that a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either. We’ll have what they’re having! 

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Call it kismet, call it fate, or, in the words of Leslie Bibb, call it “cliché.” That’s how she referred to her 2007 meet-cute with her long-time love Sam Rockwell. In an interview on “The Rosie Show,” Bibb shared with host Rosie O’Donnell how the whole thing went down in a chance meeting at the famous Chateau Marmont in L.A. where she was meeting friends for dinner. Like something out of a movie scene, she revealed that the handsome actor, who was staying there while filming a movie, smiled at her and she was “struck.”

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Bibb, who’d gotten out of a marriage to investment banker Rob Born a few years prior, told O’Donnell that she had been in therapy to try to figure out why she wasn’t having much luck dating post-divorce. Nevertheless, she wasn’t looking for anything serious when Rockwell came along. She quickly changed her tune after a few dates, though. “We went on a date like a week later … and I think three weeks later, I was like, ‘I love you so much,’ ” she said with a laugh. 

Apparently, Rockwell wasn’t ready to rush in either, seeing as how he double-booked their first date. On “The Drew Barrymore Show” the “Frost/Nixon” star revealed that he and Bibb had a “day date,” and he had scheduled a date with another woman for later that evening. That second date never happened. According to Rockwell, Bibb suggested they extend their date and go to dinner, at which point he canceled his backup plan. “She knew instinctively. … She caught me, and then we went and got margaritas and salsa and chips,” he said (via New York Post).

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Following that fateful first date, Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb were suddenly very much a couple. They made their status official in 2008 with an appearance at CineVegas film festival at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. That began decades of showing up to red carpets, industry events, and A-list parties, looking every bit the “it” couple, and often sharing a little PDA for the cameras.

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One look at Bibb’s Instagram feed, and it’s clear that this is a couple who genuinely enjoy spending time together. When they aren’t hobnobbing with Hollywood elite, they like to travel as is evidenced by Bibb’s photos of the couple’s adventures throughout the years. She has featured them lying on the grass in Ireland, visting Abbey Road Studios in London, and adding a lock bearing their names to Pont des Arts, the Love Lock Bridge above the River Seine, while visiting Paris. 

While all that sounds super glamorous, don’t be fooled into thinking that their life is one big black-tie, jet-setting event. Bibb and Rockwell can often be found hanging out at home in New York living a relatively normal life. They cook together, watch movies, play with their dogs, and hang out with industry friends that Bibb referred to in Daily Mail as “film nerds.” “We talk about books or movies or plays,” she said. “None of us grew up within the business, so we have a love of it.” 

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Out of all the real life partners of “The White Lotus” season 3 stars, few have sparked the level of interest that Sam Rockwell generated. Granted, it was fun that he made an appearance in the series, but this isn’t the first time the dynamic duo have collaborated. They both had roles in “Iron Man 2,” “Don Verdean,” and “The Dark of Night,” before Rockwell signed on for his much-talked-about cameo in “The White Lotus.” So why did this particular project ignite such an internet firestorm? Perhaps it’s due to the nature of the scene-stealing monologue that Bibb said she helped her honey rehearse. “I ran lines with him,” Bibb revealed on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.” “I think that monologue is iconic, and I think it’s really what the whole season is about — what Mike’s really saying there.”

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Although she may have helped with lines, Bibb was in no way responsible for her significant other getting, or taking, the role. In fact, when she discovered he was going to be offered the part, she told Entertainment Weekly that she was apprehensive because Rockwell was involved in another project at the time. “That was a big arc to do that quickly,” Bibb says of the character’s debut. “And [Rockwell] literally went from one [project] to the next, so I said [to producers], ‘You can’t get mad at me if he says no.'” Thankfully, it all worked out and resulted in one of the show’s best moments. 

When both partners in a relationship are actors, there is a risk of competitiveness and jealousy getting the better of one or both of them. Who could forget Ryan Philippe’s snarky remark about his then-wife Reese Witherspoon earning a bigger paycheck when they presented an award together at the 2002 Oscars? (could this be why Witherspoon and Philippe really got divorced?).

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Fortunately, Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb don’t seem to have that issue. When Rockwell started nabbing awards, including an Oscar, for his role in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” no one was more excited than Bibb. After his Golden Globe win, she took to Instagram, writing, “About last night … so proud of you, my beloved, you are the greatest in everything.” She continued, “You’re a force and I love you … and you are kind and generous and the real f**king deal.” Additionally, she recapped the moment in a conversation with Bill Rancic. “I could have strangled [Sam],” she joked (via Elle). “I hugged him so hard. I was crying, I was all of it. I just didn’t expect them to say [his] name. It’s been so long coming for Sam, so it’s really special to be here.”

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For his part, Rockwell sang Bibb’s praises after picking up a SAG award for the role. He told Us Weekly, “She’s my beloved. She keeps me laughing and we take care of each other,” he gushed. “She’s really talented and funny herself. She reminds me of a young Mary Tyler Moore.” In an almost-too-cute-to-be-real-move, the actor attended the Oscars wearing cufflinks with Bibb’s name on them for good luck. Not that he needed the talisman after his performance, but it couldn’t have hurt considering he walked away a winner.

They’ve been together so long that many people have just assumed that Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb are married. To add to the confusion around the state of their union, Bibb posted a sweet photo to Instagram and signed it “xo-the rockwells.” As much as the public seems to want it to be true, the fact is that the adorable couple has never said “I do,” although Rockwell told The Standard that they might as well have. “She’s in my will. I feel like we are married,” he said. “We live like a married couple.”

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The “Vice” star went on to express his pride in his partner and added that both of them working in the entertainment industry was a bonus because they had a greater understanding of what the other person goes through. “We can help each other with scenes,” he said. “She’s awesome. She’s very kind to me and takes care of me.”

Bibb confessed on “The Rosie Show” that Rockwell was the first celebrity she’d ever dated, and said that it felt strange at first. Obviously, she got over it as the two have been together for nearly two decades, and judging from her Instagram posts they are still as much in love today as they were in the beginning. Whether or not they will ever put a ring on it remains to be seen but, as the saying goes: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

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Husband and wife are not the only roles that Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb are avoiding. They are also not looking to play the parts of mom and dad to any offspring — a choice, according to Rockwell, has raised some eyebrows when people find out. “Leslie and I are very happy, we have [a] good life, the “Jojo Rabbit” star said in an interview with The Standard. “We just like it the way it is.” 

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Rockwell continued, saying, “Listen, if I knew they’d turn out great, then maybe — but there’s just no guarantee. Also, I don’t want to be selfish and be a bad parent. My dad was a single parent, it takes a lot to be a parent.”

Much like Katharine Hepburn, who never wanted children, and Kim Cattrall, who ultimately decided not to have children, Bibb is assured in her and Rockwell’s choice to remain childfree. She pointed to their busy lives as one reason she doesn’t want to add children to the mix. She told Daily Mail, “I don’t know, it’s just not my bag. I’m already trying to juggle enough balls, I can’t imagine adding a child into that.” She went on to explain that childrearing seems incredibly complicated. I don’t think I have the bandwidth for it,” she added. “It seems so thankless.” 

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Two-legged children might not be part of the plan for Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb, but as for four-footed furbabies? Bring ’em on! Both actors are avid dog lovers and big supporters of rescue animals. They shared a German Shepherd named Sadie that Bibb adopted prior to meeting Rockwell, and later added Gus, another German Shepherd puppy they adopted from New York’s Hearts & Bones Rescue. The happy puppy parents announced Gus’ arrival via Bibb’s Instagram page, sharing a photo of Rockwell and their new furry friend with the caption, “Just a fella with his new puppy.” 

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Hearts & Bones is a non-profit foster-based rescue with locations in Dallas and New York City that helps dogs in need find good homes. Bibb was so impressed by the organization’s efforts that she has a link to them in her Instagram bio. She also gave them a shoutout in Gus’ arrival announcement post, where she expressed her gratitude for their services. “Thank you [Hearts & Bones Rescue] for being so incredible. Gus, his mama and his 14 litter mates got rescued in Texas and are finding homes in the Big Apple … follow them on IG and support them cuz they are doing good things.” Sadly, Gus went from being little brother to an only child when older sister Sadie passed away, after living with Rockwell and Bibb for approximately 14 years.

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Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb aren’t willing to test that theory for any longer than three weeks. As busy, successful, working actors, it isn’t uncommon for these two to find themselves not only on different schedules but sometimes even on different continents. Shooting on location can sometimes take weeks or even months to wrap, and that time apart can take a toll on a relationship. To avoid that problem, Rockwell revealed in an interview with Us Weekly that he and Bibb make it a point to avoid going more than two or three weeks without seeing each other. “Then you get too independent if it’s four weeks, five weeks,” he cautioned. That kind of dedication to making it work, coupled with what “The Green Mile” actor described as a strong sense of humor and a willingness to take care of their partners, is a big part of this power couple’s recipe for relationship success. 

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Of course, even the best laid plans can sometimes go astray despite best efforts. In a beautiful black and white Instagram photo showing the couple in what was clearly a long overdue embrace, Bibb admitted to breaking the rule in the caption, “Reunited … and it feels so good … [sometimes] rules have to be broken and our three week rule had to be three months because of our work schedules and gawddamn nothin’ feels as good as being back with #sammyrocks.” Later, Bibb also shared her appreciation for the time she was able to spend with “The White Lotus” cast, including her man. “Thank the baby Jesus I can stop avoiding questions about ‘did Sam come visit you in Thailand?” she joked.

Leslie Bibb is an active Instagram user and, scattered in between publicity photos and fashion photography, are pictures that tell a sweet love story. Photos of the “Palm Royale” star and her partner Sam Rockwell kissing and canoodling factor heavily in her feed. But rather than come off as simply staged for the ‘Gram (as these things often do), there is an authenticity to Bibb’s posts that makes them feel awe-inspiring rather than gag-worthy. Whether they are kissing over cupcakes on their anniversary, stealing a smooch at an awards show behind the scenes, or escalating their affection in an elevator, these two can’t seem to keep their hands off of each other. 

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Although Rockwell doesn’t have social media accounts, he is not shy about his love for Bibb. Instead of posting PDA pics, he often publicly praises his partner, and not an acceptance speech goes by that she isn’t properly and lovingly acknowledged by her man. When he snagged a Screen Actors Guild Award for his portrayal of Bob Fosse in FX’s Fosse/Verdon, he called Bibb his “beloved” and thanked her “for reading scripts with me during the Christmas break,” before adding a heartfelt, “I love you very much.” Mutual respect, love, and adoration are apparent with these two, whether they are sharing it on socials or saying it on stage, and we are here for it!