When Barbara Bush—the daughter of the 43rd President, not the former First Lady—tied the knot in a quiet, seaside ceremony in 2018, the world collectively asked, "Who's the guy?" That guy was Craig Coyne. He was an actor, a writer, and suddenly the newest member of one of the most scrutinized political dynasties in American history. Naturally, the internet did what it does best: it started digging into his past. Specifically, people wanted to know: has Craig Coyne been married before his high-profile union with Barbara?
Honestly, the answer is a lot simpler than the rumor mill suggests.
Craig Coyne had never been married before he said "I do" to Barbara Pierce Bush. Despite being in his late 30s at the time of their wedding—an age where many in the public eye have at least one "starter marriage" under their belt—Coyne didn't have any ex-wives hiding in the wings. There were no messy divorce papers or previous trips down the aisle. He was, by all accounts, a bachelor who spent his years in Los Angeles and New York focused on a career that spanned from acting in Jarhead to writing for Funny or Die.
The Blind Date That Changed Everything
If you’re looking for a dramatic backstory, you won't find it in a previous marriage. You’ll find it in a blind date. In November 2017, friends of the couple decided to set them up. It wasn't exactly a romantic, candlelit dinner for two. In fact, Barbara was on a book tour at the time. When Craig showed up to meet her in Atlanta, he didn't just meet Barbara; he met her sister Jenna Bush Hager, her publicist, and several other friends.
Talk about pressure.
He survived the "hazing," as Barbara later jokingly called it. They spent the next year in a long-distance relationship, with Coyne living in Los Angeles and Bush living in Manhattan. The distance didn't seem to dampen things. By the following summer, they were engaged.
Why the Marriage Question Keeps Coming Up
People often wonder about his marital history because of how private the couple remains. When a celebrity or a political figure gets married in their late 30s, the public often assumes there must be a "first wife." In Coyne's case, he just hadn't found the right person yet. Or, more accurately, he was busy navigating the fickle world of Hollywood.
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Coyne is a Vanderbilt University grad who eventually pivoted from acting to screenwriting. His IMDb page shows a steady stream of work, but he wasn't a household name until he married into the Bush family. This relative anonymity before 2018 is likely what fuels the curiosity. We live in an era where everyone's life is an open book on social media, yet Coyne kept a remarkably low profile.
- Fact check: He was 37 when they married.
- Status: First-time groom.
- Previous Kids: None.
Two Weddings, One Husband
If there is any confusion about him being "married before," it might stem from the fact that he and Barbara actually had two wedding ceremonies.
The first was a very small, secret affair in October 2018. It was held at the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. Only about 20 people were there. Why the rush? They wanted Barbara's grandfather, former President George H.W. Bush, to be there. He was 94 at the time and in failing health; he passed away just weeks later.
Then, in April 2019, they did it all over again. They held a much larger celebration at the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas, with over 100 guests. If someone saw headlines about "Craig Coyne’s wedding" at two different times, they might mistakenly think he had been married previously. Nope. Just two parties for the same couple.
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Life After the Big Day
Since 2018, Craig and Barbara have stayed mostly out of the tabloid fray. They’ve focused on their family, welcoming their daughter, Cora Georgia, in 2021, and more recently, their son, Edward.
Is he a "secretive" guy? Not really. He’s just a private citizen who happens to be married to a former First Daughter. He doesn't post his every meal on Instagram, and he doesn't use his connection to the Bushes to land major headlines.
What This Tells Us
The search for a previous marriage for Craig Coyne usually ends in a dead end because there isn't one. It’s a classic case of the public projecting expectations onto a person because of their age and their sudden proximity to power. Sometimes, a guy is just a guy who waited until his late 30s to find the person he wanted to build a life with.
If you're following the couple for more updates, keep an eye on Barbara’s rare public interviews or Jenna’s anecdotes on The Today Show. That’s usually where the most authentic glimpses of their life come out.
To stay informed on similar celebrity backgrounds or to verify the history of public figures, always cross-reference official marriage records or long-form profiles from reputable outlets like People or The New York Times, which have covered the Bush family extensively for decades.