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It is a funny thing about Hollywood. We see a couple with electric chemistry on a TV show, and we immediately want them to be a thing in real life. Usually, it’s just good acting. But for Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, the lines between their roles as undercover KGB spies on The Americans and their actual lives became incredibly blurred.
If you are looking for a quick answer on who is Keri Russell married to, the situation is actually a bit more nuanced than a simple "yes" or "no."
Honestly, even the most dedicated fans get confused. You’ve probably seen headlines calling him her husband, then other articles referring to him as her partner. As of early 2026, here is the real deal: Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are not technically married, despite being together for over a decade.
The "Husband and Wife" confusion
Wait, didn't they call each other husband and wife at the Emmys? Yes, they did. In 2021, during several high-profile interviews, the couple started using those terms. It sent the internet into a tailspin. Everyone assumed there had been a secret backyard wedding during the pandemic.
But Matthew Rhys cleared the air in early 2025. He basically admitted that they just haven't "got round to it" yet. They live like a married couple. They raise three kids together. They’ve shared a home in Brooklyn for years. In their minds, the paperwork is secondary to the actual commitment.
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How it all started (The 20-year slow burn)
Their origin story is actually sort of hilarious. Long before they were cast as Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, they met at a kickball party hosted by Jennifer Grey back in 2002. Matthew, being a charming Welshman, had a bit too much to drink. He asked for Keri’s number and left her what she later described as a "very drunken" voicemail.
She never called him back.
Fast forward ten years to the rehearsals for The Americans. Matthew reminded her about the kickball game. Keri had totally forgotten. But this time around, the timing was right.
The Shane Deary era
Before Matthew Rhys entered the picture as a romantic partner, Keri was married to Shane Deary.
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He wasn't an actor; he was a craftsman and contractor from Martha's Vineyard. They married on Valentine’s Day in 2007. It seemed like a solid, low-key Brooklyn life. They had two children together: River, born in 2007, and Willa, born in 2011.
However, by the summer of 2013, right as The Americans was becoming a hit, the two separated. They officially divorced in 2014. It was an amicable split, and Shane has remained largely out of the spotlight ever since, focusing on his woodworking and co-parenting.
Life as a blended family in Brooklyn
Today, the Russell-Rhys household is a busy one. They have three children under one roof:
- River (from Keri’s first marriage)
- Willa (from Keri’s first marriage)
- Sam (born in 2016, Keri and Matthew’s son)
Matthew has spoken quite openly about the "instant" bond he had to form as a stepfather. He once told Vogue that a successful day is simply getting all three kids fed, their vegetables eaten, and getting them to bed without anyone crying.
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There’s also a cool cultural mix happening. Matthew is fiercely proud of his Welsh heritage. He only speaks to his son, Sam, in Welsh. While Sam usually answers in English, the fact that he understands a Celtic language while growing up in Brooklyn is a pretty unique detail of their family life.
Why they work (and why they might never wed)
Keri recently joked in an interview that she’s been with Matthew so long she "doesn't remember other relationships." They seem to have found a balance that works without the legal formalities.
They still work together too. You might have spotted Matthew’s brief, chaotic cameo in Keri’s movie Cocaine Bear (2023). He basically begged for the part just to be near her on set.
If you're waiting for a massive celebrity wedding, don't hold your breath. They seem perfectly content being the "unmarried married couple" of Brooklyn.
Next steps for fans:
Check out Matthew Rhys’s recent work in The Beast In Me or catch up on Keri's high-stakes performance in The Diplomat. If you want to see where the real-life sparks first flew, revisiting the first season of The Americans is always a good move.