15 surprising celebrity friendships with huge age differences

When Jamie Foxx walked up to director/former child star Ron Howard at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009, Howard probably didn't expect Foxx to ask him to make an appearance in his music video for "Blame It" ... but that's exactly what he did.

"I was picturing a sort of 'We Are the World' thing," Howard told Entertainment Weekly in 2009. "So I showed up, and Jamie said, 'It's this party scene, and you're going to drive up with Jake Gyllenhaal and Forest Whitaker and me.'" Foxx thanked him for his appearance with a case of champagne.

In 2012, they joined forces again for "Project Imaginat10n," led by Howard. It was a contest for photographers to submit photos that celebrity directors, like Foxx, would then use as inspiration for short films.

Speaking to Complex in 2012 about the project, Foxx recalled Howard's 2009 cameo and said, "It was just two old friends getting back together."

"Ron Howard is so cool and laid-back. To me, he still has that freshness of a child," he said. "He has so much energy and he's done so much for this industry because he's been in it so long."

Although reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian and TikTok sensation Addison Rae are both popular influencers, they didn't exactly run in the same circle … until Kardashian's oldest son, 12-year-old Mason Disick, inspired their relationship in 2020.

Before lockdown, Rae was featured in one of Disick's TikToks. Soon after, Rae started appearing frequently on social media alongside Kardashian. In a YouTube video Rae posted in August 2020, Kardashian shared that the pair religiously exercise together in the morning and eat avocado pudding before swimming in her pool.

In August 2021, Rae told Entertainment Tonight, "Kourtney has been an amazing mentor for me and she's been such an amazing friend and person to really just ask anything to."

In a season 20 episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" that aired in April 2021, Kim and Khloé questioned their sister's friendship with Rae. Kardashian said their friendship worked because their "energies align," and that she felt like she has "a young heart and an old soul." Kardashian continued, "I feel like, we all have such a good circle of people around us — everyone's just different ages."

The pair have remained best friends and have worked on projects together, including Kardashian playing Rae's character's boss in the 2021 film "He's All That."

The "Friends" alum first crossed paths with the "Wizards of Waverly Place" star in the bathroom at a 2009 event, but they didn't really meet until their shared manager, Aleen Keshishian, introduced them in 2014.

That December, Gomez posted a photo of the pair on Instagram. The two were then seen mingling at a Golden Globes after-party in January 2015. "She's just like a little cherub that I feel like I wanna take care of," Aniston told E! News a few days later.

During a radio interview with KTU in June 2015, Gomez said they became friends quickly, and that she had been at Aniston's house to make homemade pizzas, as per E!.

"She kind of gives me a lot of, like, maternal advice," Gomez said. She also called Aniston "very cool and very sweet."

In January 2020, Aniston interviewed Gomez while guest-hosting "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," and the two reminisced over their first bathroom meeting. "You were everything that I wanted," Gomez said.

Courteney Cox and Ed Sheeran's sweet relationship began in 2013 when "Cougar Town" creator Bill Lawrence and his wife, Christa Miller, invited Sheeran to a party at Cox's house, the singer told the Daily Mail in October 2014.

Sheeran, who was a frequent couch surfer early in his career, wound up crashing on Cox's couch that night. He then introduced Cox to his friend and musical collaborator Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol. Cox and McDaid hit it off, and they got engaged in 2014. After the introduction, Sheeran lived at Cox's house "rent-free" for a while, cementing their friendship.

To celebrate the HBO Max "Friends" reunion special in May 2021, the two besties recreated the iconic dance routine that Cox and co-tar David Schwimmer performed during a season six episode. "Had a reunion of our own this weekend," Sheeran captioned his post on Instagram, adding the hashtags "#theroutine, #iknow, #friends4eva, and #obviouslybetterthanross."

In a June 2021 interview on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Sheeran said he regularly pranks Cox by ordering S&M masks to her house. "She has maybe 12, and then, I hide them in people's bedrooms. So they'll go in a drawer, and they'll just find this leather S&M mask," he said.

In a surprising collaboration, Elton John teamed up with Eminem to perform the controversial rapper's song "Stan" at the 2001 Grammys. This was criticised by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups due to the rapper's homophobic lyrics. Many were shocked when the pair embraced and held hands at the end of the song.

Eminem said he didn't know John was gay prior to their collaboration, nor did he care. "But being that he was gay and he had my back, I think it made a statement in itself saying that he understood where I was coming from," he told MTV in 2004.

Beyond this, John has served as a mentor to the rapper, as both have struggled with substance abuse in their careers.

"When I first wanted to get sober, I called him, because he's somebody in the business who can relate to the lifestyle and how hectic things can be," the rapper told a Detroit newspaper in 2009, according to The Guardian.

John confirmed this, saying, "I've been helping Eminem in the last 18 months and he is doing brilliantly," during a 2010 radio appearance.

He has spoken highly of Eminem on many occasions since, and in 2011, he told Rolling Stone, "I love him," and added, "We have such a laugh ... He's got a great sense of humor."

In 2019, John revealed in his memoir, "Me," that he was even Eminem's AA sponsor.

In 2020, Elton John and Charlie Puth released their song "After All" for John's "Lockdown Sessions" album. Then, they performed it together at the Global Citizen Festival in Paris last September. But little was known about their relationship prior to that collaboration.

In a joint November 2021 interview on "Lorraine," Puth explained, "We met each other at a restaurant in Los Angeles and he was brutally honest with me about past music I put out."

Puth then initiated the idea that they should collaborate, and despite social distancing struggles during the pandemic, they made it work.

"He's become a friend of the family," John said. "He'd pop down every Sunday with his mask on and we'd have pizza. The kids absolutely adore him and I adore him."

John explained how effortlessly they compose and write music together, saying, "It's like a Betty Crocker cake mix. It's very simple."

Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Pérez, and John Travolta became pals after collaborating on the film "Gotti" in 2018 — in fact, they became so close that Travolta gave a heartwarming speech at Pitbull's hand-print ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in December 2018.

"I once told Armando I wanted to be friends with him for the rest of my life and forever. Little did I know we would be immortalized together at the Chinese Theatre," he said, as per People.

In January 2019, when Travolta began sporting a new bald look, he told Extra that Pitbull had inspired the new 'do by sending him superimposed pictures of Travolta with a shaved head. On "Jimmy Kimmel Live" that May, he said, "All of us guys who do this have got to stick together."

In the August 2019 music video for Pitbull's song "3 to Tango," it appears as though Pitbull is watching a group of female dancers, but viewers can only see the back of his head. In the end, it's revealed that we've actually been watching Travolta the whole time.

The pair collaborated musically again a few months later at the 2020 Lo Nuestro Awards. Pitbull was performing the song, and Travolta came out on stage to dance just like he did in the music video. He later returned to the stage to perform Blake Shelton's part in his collaboration with Pitbull, "Get Ready."

Celebrity chef Martha Stewart and rapper Snoop Dogg are one of the most peculiar pairings in Hollywood. But this hasn't prevented them from maintaining a bond and collaborating on several projects since meeting on a 2008 episode of "The Martha Stewart Show."

From then until 2016, the pair occasionally interacted over social media and made TV appearances together. Then, to our delight, they announced their joint VH1 cooking show, "Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party," which debuted in 2016. They changed the format and added "Challenge" to the name in 2019, and it's been airing ever since.

Snoop spoke about their connection to Rolling Stone in September 2016, saying, "I've never met anyone like Martha Stewart. When we come together, it's a natural combination of love, peace, and harmony."

Stewart also wrote the foreword for Snoop's 2018 cookbook, "From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen," writing, "Not only has he taught me new lingo and cultural references, he surprised me with his unique cooking techniques and recipes," as per Insider.

Another surprising pairing is rapper 50 Cent and singing and acting legend Bette Midler. The two first met in 2008 when 50 Cent's G-Unity Foundation collaborated with Midler's New York Restoration Project (NYRP), creating a community garden in Jamaica, Queens.

Midler referred to their friendship as the "little Jewish lady and the great big rapper" to E! News in May 2009. "He's such a doll. I love him. He's gorgeous," she added.

At the 2009 NYRP annual spring picnic, Midler said that 50 Cent makes "life worth living," while the rapper added that everything is beautiful when he's around the actress.

In April 2014, 50 Cent posted a picture of the two on Instagram, writing, "Bette Milder is on my list of my favorite people in the world." In April 2018, Midler tweeted a similar throwback photo and reminisced over their community garden.

Beyond sharing a hometown of Essex, England, Helen Mirren and Russell Brand didn't have much to bond over when they met while filming an adaptation of "The Tempest" in 2009.

However, they both deeply respected each other's work and Brand pitched Mirren to be cast in the 2011 remake of "Arthur." He had even dedicated a chapter of his 2010 memoir, "Booky Wook 2," to the actress, entitled "Mummy Helen."

For her part, Mirren called him one of her "close friends," and added that she wears "the safety pin that he gave me around my neck all the time" in January 2011.

In a joint interview for Collider in April 2011, Mirren said that Brand "seduced" her into joining the film. Brand added, "We had a wonderful relationship, is the truth of it. I'm a bit in love with Helen."

Also in April 2011, Mirren praised him in an interview with The Stylist, saying, "He just goes off and he's so unbelievably brilliant and wise and smart."

The child star, then 10, starred alongside Cruise in the blockbuster "War of the Worlds" in 2005.

During the infamous interview in which Cruise jumps on Oprah Winfrey's couch, the actor also discusses working with Fanning on the film, saying, "She's lovely. I feel like I just want to protect her."

For the interview, Fanning sent over a video for Cruise where she said, "You made me a better actress. I'll never forget my memories with you and I love you."

Years after working together, Fanning told Andy Cohen during a "Watch What Happens Live" appearance in October 2016 that, to this day, Cruise still sends her birthday presents every year, and that they're usually beautiful pairs of shoes.

Fanning's younger sister, Elle, 24, told Access Hollywood in May 2020 that her family also receives a coconut cake from the actor every Christmas.

In a July 2020 interview with Cohen, Fanning fondly remembered when Cruise and director Steven Spielberg threw her a Coldstone Creamery-themed birthday on set when she turned 11.

Within a few years of meeting, Jennifer Lawrence went from being a "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" fanatic to having Kris Jenner attend her wedding.

The pair's friendship began when Jenner surprised Lawrence on her 25th birthday in August 2015 with a cake in her hotel room. The "momager" even posted a photo of the pair posing on a bed from that evening.

In 2017, Lawrence took over hosting duties on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" where she interviewed Kim Kardashian. They discussed having dinner at Jenner's house, and Lawrence and Jenner getting drunk, dancing, and singing. Kardashian also said she styled Lawrence in her mother's closet and the actress confirmed that she kept Jenner's dress.

Soon after, Jenner shared on Instagram that she told Lawrence she wanted a Porsche for Christmas, so the actress in turn bought her a child's size version of the car.

In a 2019 episode of "KUWTK," they further proved their comical bond when Lawrence answered a FaceTime call on Jenner's phone and poked fun at Jenner's meme-worthy quote, saying, "You're doing great sweetie!"

In August 2020, Jenner posted an Instagram story for the actress' 30th birthday, as per People. She wrote, "You are the most amazing girlfriend, wife, daughter and my favorite daughter today!" In another story, she added, "Thank you for your friendship, love, and so much laughter my sides hurt."

Harry Styles and Stevie Nicks have a relationship that first started as a mentorship and blossomed into a full-fledged friendship.

They met when Styles attended a Fleetwood Mac show in 2015 and surprised Nicks with a birthday cake backstage. He then invited her to perform at one of his concerts in 2017, where they sang "Landslide" and each other's solo songs.

In a February 2019 Rolling Stone interview, Nicks said, "When Harry came into our lives, I said, 'Oh my God, this is the son I never had.'" She added, "So I adopted him. I love Harry."

A month later, Styles helped induct Nicks into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

"Whenever you hear her voice, life gets a little bit better," Styles said in his speech. "She is everything you've ever wanted in a lady, in a lover, in a friend."

Since then, they've spoken highly of each other in interviews and have performed together multiple times. They've even inspired each other's music. Styles told Howard Stern in March 2020 that Nicks was the first person to hear his second album and that he took some of her suggestions.

Later that month, Nicks shared with her fans that she was listening to Styles' music a lot and that he inspired her to start writing more music again.

When Diane Keaton was interviewed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in November 2015, she shrieked twice: once when Justin Bieber's "gorgeous" Calvin Klein advertisement was shown and once when Bieber himself popped out to surprise her. A true Belieber, she turned away and covered her face before hugging and kissing him.

Afterwards, she jokingly asked DeGeneres, "Do you think he'll ask me out later?"

Bieber seemed to keep that friendship in mind when he was casting for his 2021 music video "Ghost." In the heartwarming video, Keaton plays Bieber's grandmother. After they both deal with a death in their family, they go out singing and dancing to try and find joy again.

Prior to the video being released, Keaton shared a teaser on Instagram and wrote, "AM I DREAMING??? WHAT AN HONOR IT WAS TO WORK WITH JUSTIN BIEBER AND HIS INCREDIBLE TEAM!!!"

In the behind-the-scenes footage from the video, Bieber called Keaton "the best" and said they were having a great time together.

They might be far apart in age, but Bennett's and Gaga's love for jazz music is what brought them together. After Gaga sang a jazz song at a 2011 charity gala, Bennett, who was in attendance, asked to meet with the superstar.

"He said, 'Do you want to do a jazz album together?' And I said, 'Yes, of course I do!'" Gaga told People in July 2014.

Gaga first sang "The Lady is a Tramp" on Bennett's 2011 album, "Duets II." Then the duo released their first joint album, "Cheek to Cheek" in 2014, which was very successful. They even toured the album together in 2014 and 2015.

They released a second album in 2021, the Grammy-winning "Love For Sale." In a teaser trailer for its release, Bennett discussed his and Gaga's spark, saying, "She's got so much talent that the minute we're together, something very good happens between the two of us."

The pair have had several TV specials, including CBS' "One Last Time," which showed the pair's final performance at Radio City Music Hall, after it was revealed Bennett has Alzheimer's disease and would be retiring from public life in February 2021.

At the 2022 Grammys in April, Gaga performed a tribute in honor of Bennett, singing songs from "Love For Sale" while a montage of their friendship and performances throughout the years played in the background. At the end, a tearful Gaga said, "I love you Tony."