“I said, ‘I’m not comfortable accepting this right now because I’m not excited to tell my family,'” revealed one star — while others took a few proposals before accepting.
Marriage proposals are one of the most important moments in a couple’s relationship — but they doesn’t always go so smoothly. When one partner decides to pop the question, it doesn’t mean their significant other is quite ready to take such a big step in their romance. Whether it’s not the right time or place, it can be harsh to hear “no” after getting down on one knee. While a failed proposal doesn’t always mean the end of a relationship, it’s definitely not easy to move forward after getting turned down by your better half.
Find out why these stars said no…
1. Khloé Kardashian & Tristan Thompson
In 2022, Khloé Kardashian revealed that her ex Tristan Thompson had popped the question over a year prior. At the time, Khloé rejected the proposal and kept the whole thing a secret from her family, explaining that she didn’t feel proud of the relationship.
“I said, ‘I need to make sure this is a totally different relationship because I wanna be proud to say I’m engaged to anyone,'” Khloé shared on The Kardashians. “And that’s why I said, ‘I’m not comfortable accepting this right now because I’m not excited to tell my family,’ and as hurtful as that probably was for him to hear, it was the truth. I’m not ever gonna accept something or give someone false hope, and I said that to him.”
2. Jennifer Lopez & Mystery Man
Back in 2016, Jennifer Lopez revealed that she had been proposed to on five different occasions in her life, despite only being married three times. While her ex-husbands can take credit for three of those proposals, the other man who popped the question was Ben Affleck. At the time, the couple had previously been engaged but hadn’t yet rekindled their romance. As for the fifth proposal, Jennifer didn’t reveal the identity of the mystery man she turned down.
“I’ve had some amazing proposals. You know, I’ve been married a couple times. I’m still trying to get it right!” Jennifer said during an appearance on Carpool Karaoke. “I don’t want to compare one [proposal] to another. They were all pretty spectacular.”
She continued, “Then there were some that asked me to marry them, but I said no… You’re just like, ‘No, this isn’t right.'”
3. Todd & Julie Chrisley
Todd and Julie Chrisley have been married for over two decades but early on in their relationship, Julie turned down Todd’s marriage proposal. After she got pregnant with their son Chase, Julie told Todd she didn’t plan on marrying him, especially considering he had just gotten divorced.
“I think of my mom in her early 20s when she got pregnant with Chase… My dad had just come off a divorce, he had two kids, and my mom was the preacher’s daughter in a small, one stoplight town in South Carolina — preacher’s daughter. Everyone knew everyone,” their daughter Savannah shared on her podcast, Unlocked With Savannah Chrisley.
She continued, “She told him, she was like, ‘I’m not marrying you, just for you to make the same mistake you made with your first wife.’ He asked her twice, and she told him no. And now, look at ’em, 27 years later.”
4. Denzel & Pauletta Washington
Before Denzel Washington married his wife Pauletta, she actually turned down his proposal — two different times! According to the couple, Denzel popped the question on multiple occasions and it wasn’t until his third try that she actually said yes.
“She turned me down, she said no. And since it was three times, that means she turned me down twice,” Denzel told Access Hollywood.
5. Jenna Bush & Henry Hager
Jenna Bush and Henry Hager have been happily married for years but early in their relationship, Jenna says she actually proposed to Henry and he said no! Looking back, Jenna explained that they had been dating for just three months when she proposed that they tie the knot. Henry told her that he thought they were too young at the time but he ended up popping the question himself a few years later.
“I asked Henry to marry me,” Jenna shared on the Today show. “After three months of dating — I might’ve had a Christmas cocktail — and we were dancing, and I said, ‘This is it, I know it, let’s just get married, what are we waiting for?’ He smiled and was like, ‘I’m crazy about you, but you’re young.'”
6. Marilyn Monroe & Frank Sinatra
There have been many rumors about Marilyn Monroe‘s love life following her tragic passing, including speculation surrounding her romance with Frank Sinatra. According to one of Frank’s closest aides, a woman named Jilly Rizzo, Frank actually proposed to Marilyn but she turned him down.
“Frank wanted to marry the broad,” Jilly told James Kaplan in the biography Sinatra: The Chairman. “He asked her and she said no.”
7. Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter
Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn were married for decades but early in their relationship, Rosalynn actually turned him down. While Rosalynn, who was friends with Jimmy’s sister Ruth, had pined after Jimmy for years, it wasn’t until they were in their late teens that they romantically connected. Jimmy says he knew he wanted to marry Rosalynn immediately and he later popped the question when she came to visit him at the Naval Academy.
Rosalynn turned him down at first, explaining that continuing her education was on her mind. Several months later, Rosalynn finally said yes.
“I was the oldest of four, and my father, who’d never gone to high school, died when I was thirteen. I promised him on his deathbed that I’d go to a four-year college. I graduated from junior college but never had a chance to go back,” Rosalynn shared in What Makes a Marriage Last.