The actress’ career has been plenty of movie, stage, and television success, but her most accomplished achievement has been her 33-year marriage to her beloved husband and the family they have raised together.
Vanessa Bell and her husband, anesthesiologist Tony Calloway, hold a rare relationship in the entertainment business. They've been married for 33 years, and they are still as in love as they were on day one.
The couple frequently post snaps of them at events, parties, or even at home. In 2018, they had a ceremony to renew their vows during their 30th anniversary, and they celebrated it along with their two daughters, Ashley and Alexandra, as bridesmaids.
Vanessa Bell Calloway attends the 51st NAACP Image Awards, Presented by BET, at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 22, 2020 in Pasadena, California. I Source: Getty Images
RENEWING THEIR VOWS
Many pictures of joy and celebration were posted on social media during Vanessa and Tony’s 30th-anniversary ceremony. The time was right for them to promise each other their forever love once again, just like on September 3, 1988, but this time as a Hollywood couple.
Their daughter, Ashley, posted several photos to share how proud she was of her parents and wrote that she was “forever grateful and blessed” for being “chosen by God” to be their daughter. Many family members and friends were also there to witness the joyful event.
STAYING STRONG
Though many years have passed, the couple stayed together and kept the love flame lit. When asked about the secret to a successful marriage, Vanessa replied that it was important for each member of the couple to have their own purpose and not sit around waiting for the other.
She also stressed that love will change over the years and that each partner has to understand this to change along. In the end, for her, a couple also has to be best friends.
THE TALENTED ACTRESS
Born in 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio, Vanessa is a stage and television actress and director who won the NAACP Theater Award for Best Actress for her critically acclaimed role as Zora Neale Hurston in the play “Letters From Zora.”
She is known for films like “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “Biker Boyz,” “Daylight,” “Dragged Across Concrete” starring Mel Gibson, and the unforgettable “Coming to America" and "Coming 2 America," which she co-starred with Eddie Murphy.
CANCER JOURNEY
In 2010, and after a “call from God," Vanessa went through many tests to discover she had breast cancer. It was one of the most challenging moments of her life, but she had the courage to overcome it through the support of her whole family, especially her husband.
She underwent two surgeries, including a mastectomy, but she recalled this experience as a better choice than going under radiation. She has been cancer-free ever since, and at 64 years old, Vanessa looks her best.
A BUSY COUPLE
Like her husband Anthony who is on call and works long hours, Vanessa is also constantly on the go, shooting and directing projects around America. Despite their busy careers, they remain madly in love with one another and have made their relationship work through the years.
To mark their 33rd anniversary, Vanessa wrote a tribute to her husband, including a photo montage of their relationship. She wrote,
"Thanks [Anthony] for always keeping me real, holding down our family, supporting me, keeping us moving through whatever, and still making me laugh."
The slideshow, which she posted on Instagram, shows photos of their family through the years, from when they were younger up until more recent times.
She ended her message by saying she loves her husband more today than she did 33 years ago, proving that their love only keeps growing.
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