Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Runaway Bride caught at the altar
Julia Roberts officially gave up her love-'em-and-leave-'em ways on - ironically enough - America's Independence Day, as she and her cameraman boyfriend Daniel Moder swapped vows in the wee hours of July 4 at the Pretty Woman's sprawling ranch in Taos, New Mexico.

"Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder married during a midnight ceremony before family and friends at their home in New Mexico," the actress' publicist, Marcy Engelman, said in a brief statement. She refused to divulge any other details. Only two days earlier, Engleman was adamantly denying that her Oscar-winning client was planning a trip down the aisle.

Reporters had been staking out the 40-acre ranch for the past few days, ever since Britain's Daily Mail reported the pending nuptials.

The wedding rumours went into overdrive as a big white tent was erected on the property. Among those reportedly on the guest list were George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

Roberts was reportedly flying in about 50 friends and family members for the ceremony.

The midnight marriage was apparently conceived by Roberts as a way to thwart overzealous paparazzi from peering in. The Independence Day vows were reportedly Moder's idea, a symbol that his divorce had been finalised and he was free to marry Roberts. An invitation obtained by reporters said the event was for Roberts' annual barbecue - no mention of the matrimonial fireworks - but it did ask all guests to wear white linen.

This is the second marriage for both. Roberts, 34, spent 21 months wedded to country crooner Lyle Lovett before they called it quits in 1995. Moder, 33, was still married to makeup artist Vera Steinberg - his wife of five years, when he began dating Roberts. He filed for divorce in the spring and it was finalised last month. Roberts and Moder hooked up after her much-publicised split with Benjamin Bratt last year, making their first public appearance in April at the Taos Talking Picture Festival. Moder and Roberts first met two years ago while both were working on The Mexican.

Getting Roberts to settle down was a major coup for Moder. The actress, who won her Oscar for Erin Brockovich and starred in such hits as My Best Friend's Wedding, America's Sweethearts, Pretty Woman, Notting Hill and Ocean's Eleven, has been through enough long-term boyfriends and almost-husbands to prompt comparisons to her role in Runaway Bride. In 1988, she moved in with Liam Neeson after co-starring with him in Satisfaction. Two years later, it was Steel Magnolias co-star Dylan McDermott, to whom she was engaged briefly.

Roberts came closer to walking down the aisle in 1991 with Flatliners co-star Kiefer Sutherland, but the pair broke things off just before the wedding, and she wound up in the arms of Jason Patric. After her marriage with Lovett crumbled, her off-screen leading men have included Daniel Day-Lewis, Matthew Perry and Bratt. (Bratt has since married actress Talisa Soto and the two are expecting their first child.)

There is no immediate word on the newlyweds' honeymoon plans. Roberts will soon be making the rounds to promote Soderbergh's drama Full Frontal, which co-stars David Duchovny and Blair Underwood and is due out August 2.

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