The More Popular Half of Iconic Celebrity Couples
With follower counts ranging from hundreds to millions, it’s no secret we’re obsessed with celebs. We scroll through Instagram daily, searching for the latest tea, and nothing makes us double-tap faster than famous couple drama.
Our favorite iconic celebrity couples tend to appear in the media together (when was the last time you saw a headline that wasn’t about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift?), but you have to wonder which partner is viewed as the better half. We took a deep dive into Google Trends to find out who outshines their partner in online searches.
Which Celebrities Outrank Their Other Half in Online Searches?
Alt: Graphic of celebrity couple match ups based on Google Trends search volume
Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift
Swifties rejoice! Our girl Taylor outranked Travis Kelce in every state except—yep, you guessed it—Kansas. As Taylor herself once said, “In your life, you’ll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team.”
Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds’ boyish good looks have made him all the rage on TikTok, but the lovely Blake Lively has him beat in internet searches. She won first place in 36 states! From what we’ve seen of this power couple online, her husband would gladly accept this defeat.
Beyoncé & Jay-Z
Girls might run the world, but Jay-Z came out on top this time. He ranked in a higher search volume than Beyoncé in 43 states, including the Concrete Jungle itself. Sorry, Queen Bey!
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
This famous royal duo must be a match made in heaven because this was a close race. While Meghan Markle outranked her husband in an astounding 23 states, Prince Harry was crowned as the winner in 28. Too bad we didn’t find out before their Netflix debut!
Justin Bieber & Hailey Bieber
Bieber Fever swept across the world back in 2010, but the last year’s worth of Google searches has proven that Beliebers never back down. Justin Bieber stole the spotlight from Hailey Bieber in 47 states. He might want to serenade her with his album Changes after this!
Victoria Beckham & David Beckham
David Beckham may not have been a goalie, but he blocked posh Victoria Beckham’s claim to fame in 48 states. It looks like this ’90s power girl finally found “... a man, not a boy who thinks he can.”
Zendaya & Tom Holland
Who do you think would win in a fight: Spider-Man or MJ? If you guessed Spider-Man, think again; Zendaya shook it up and won every state but Utah! Tom Holland may have finally met his match.
Nick Jonas & Priyanka Chopra
After all this time, Nick Jonas is still burnin’ up the charts—he had more searches than Priyanka Chopra in every state but New Jersey. Unfortunately, this is one award she won’t be adding to her accolades.
Rihanna & A$AP Rocky
Everyone should have listened when RiRi warned us she was a savage because she outranked A$AP Rocky in 48 states. At least he’s living up to his lyrics: “Bad chick on my arm got me looking like The Fonz.”
Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck should have stayed gone, girl, because Jenny From the Block is back! JLo took first place in 46 states, including New York.
Battle of the Former Flames
Alt: Graphic of celebrity ex-couple match ups based on Google Trends search volume
It’s about to get messy! Check out the results of this throwback to former flames:
Britney Spears & Justin Timberlake
Sorry, Justin, but it’s not gonna be you this time! Britney Spears solidified her femme fatale title by coming in first in 43 states.
Justin Bieber & Selena Gomez
Belieber hearts everywhere shattered when Justin and Selena officially got together, but maybe him being the most popular half of two of his relationships will heal them. Justin Bieber beat out Selena Gomez in 40 states! Magic powers weren’t enough to save her this time.
Pete Davidson & Ariana Grande
“I’m Just Pete” Davidson came up short of being Kenough when compared to Ariana Grande—she was victorious in 36 states. It looks like Ariana is drip-drip-dripped in gold yet again!
Kim Kardashian & Kanye West
Kim Kardashian couldn’t keep up with Kanye West this time; he has a higher search volume in 37 states. Ye’s words of advice? “Don’t let nobody tell you what you can do, what you can believe, what you can achieve.”
Jennifer Aniston & Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt got in a few good swings, but Jennifer Aniston won the fight in 33 states. Isn’t that just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?
Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth
Unfortunately, the best of both worlds doesn’t exist in this scenario. Miley Cyrus came in first in every state but Hawaii, Idaho, and Utah. Looks like she sang Liam Hemsworth his last song!
Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck made a comeback in this race by outranking Jennifer Garner in 29 states. Hopefully, this news doesn’t make Jennifer have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise
Katie Holmes may have been the First Daughter, but she didn’t come in first place. Is it really any surprise that Maverick came out on top in 28 states?
Miranda Lambert & Blake Shelton
Girls must still love the boys ‘round here because Blake Shelton shot straight to the top in 33 states. Miranda Lambert’s broken little red wagon just couldn’t make the cut.
Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson
For years, Twilight fans battled it out over who Bella Swan should choose: Jacob or Edward? It turns out Team Edward is still going strong because Robert Pattinson eclipsed Kristen Stewart in 35 states. Maybe she should have let the Volturi have him after all.
<h2>State-by-State Celebrity Search Showdown</h2>
Alt: U.S. map showcasing the more searched celebrity half in every state
Are you a Prince Harry or Meghan Markle state? Aniston or Pitt? Take a look at this map to find out!
Closing Thoughts
Ding ding ding! This celebrity showdown is officially over. Although not everyone can be a winner, they all make sure to look their best when they’re in the spotlight. If you want to dress like a celeb, check out what Fashion Nova has to offer! From formal dresses to going-out jumpsuits, we’ll be sure to have you and your besties red-carpet-ready.
Methodology
To determine which popular celebrity couples to include in this study, we compiled a list of the 10 most famous current celebrity couples and the 10 most famous ex-couples using The Knot, Seventeen Magazine, and Town and Country Magazine as sources. Using Google Trends search data from December 2022 to December 2023, we concluded who the most popular half of each celebrity couple was based on who had the highest search volume in the most states (including Washington D.C.), and which states each celebrity was most searched in.