A number of celebrity relationships have been popularly characterised as "
bromances". Although
bromance is a new term, this treatment of celebrity relationships is not new.
Film celebrities Dean Martin and
Jerry Lewis as the 1946–1956 ‘rock star’ comedy team
Martin and Lewis set a new standard for a complex, multifaceted enactment of a ‘special’ male friendship." Coming post-war, "the comedy of Martin and Lewis teased with a sly alternative to the model of heterosexual affirmation traditionally peddled by Hollywood, as their intense and unstable relationship showcased a panoply of emotional and erotic intensities between men. The cultural resonance of Martin and Lewis's comedy derived from the way it set in motion a more complex ‘queering of gender.’" They starred in 16 films together as an inseparable unit, as well as on
early live television and in
nightclubs. They had an immeasurable effect on millions of
baby boomers and future comedians, (including
George Clooney, whose aunt
Rosemary Clooney was a guest on their show).
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were described as "perhaps
the pioneering bromance in showbiz history", Clooney's bromantic tendencies served as the basis for an episode of the animated series
American Dad! entitled "
Tears of a Clooney", in which lead character
Stan Smith becomes bromantically involved with Clooney as part of an elaborate revenge plot.
Athletes Professional
footballers Eric Dier and
Dele Alli, who played together for both
Tottenham Hotspur and the
English national team, have a close relationship that has been described as a
bromance. During the
2016 Olympic 100m finals, the friendship between Jamaican
Usain Bolt and Canadian
Andre De Grasse emerged, characterized and celebrated on social media as a bromance. Bodybuilders
Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Franco Columbu had a close relationship described by themselves as bromance, since 1965. Arnold and Franco were inseparable friends and training partners since then. They began a bricklaying and patio business called European Brick Works in 1969.
Between band members The tight relationship both on- and off-stage between
Bruce Springsteen and the late
E Street Band saxophonist
Clarence Clemons has often been described as one of the most fitting examples of
bromance in Western modern music. This relationship is most notably depicted in Springsteen's song "
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", from
Born to Run – in which Springsteen and Clemons appear respectively under their pseudonyms Bad Scooter and Big Man. It was also described in Clemons' autobiography
Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales. The
Japanese and
Korean music industry actively encourages bromance among male celebrities (particularly members of
boy bands) as part of the
fan service to please the audience.
Gay-straight celebrity relationships While the term has generally been applied to straight relationships, mixed gay-straight relationships without sexual intimacy have also been dubbed "
bromances". Examples of well-known gay-straight bromances include
George Michael and
Andrew Ridgeley from the band
Wham!; Ronnie Kroell and Ben DiChiara from the
Bravo reality series
Make Me a Supermodel, in which the pair was nicknamed "Bronnie"; and
American Idols
Kris Allen and
Adam Lambert, which was given the name "Kradam". ==Cultural references==