COUPLESHolly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete Reveal the Secret Behind Keeping Their Romance Alive After 31 Years of 'Fun' Marriage
Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete kept the spark alive after 31 years of marriage through 'dates' and 'role-play.'
Aug. 6 2026, Updated 3:23 p.m. ET
Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete have kept the spark alive through 31 years of marriage.
"You gotta schedule dates. We used to go do hotel nights back in the day, before we were empty nesters," Holly told news correspondent Shy Taylor at Jabali Academy's third annual Empowering Minds Gala.
Holly Robinson Peete revealed she and Rodney Peete once kept the spark alive by pretending to be strangers through playful 'role-play.'
"But now we’re empty nesters," she went on to say, "so we kind of have the run of the house, if you know what I mean."
Holly shares four children with Rodney, twins Ryan and RJ, 28, and sons Robinson, 23, and Roman, 21.
She continued, "But the fun thing is we would show up separately and, like, role-play and pretend we were somebody we were just meeting in the bar. We would just do some crazy stuff. We don’t do that no more, though."
Rodney Wanted Holly to Play One Specific Role 'Most of the Time'
Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete had specific roles they liked to see each other in.
Holly had one particular role that she wanted Rodney to play "most of the time."
"I wanted him to be a firefighter, ‘cause I always had a crush on a firefighter," Holly said, with Rodney smiling and humming an "mm-hmm" in agreement.
Meanwhile, the former NFL player had his wife become a flight attendant.
"And then I was a flight attendant for a French airline," Holly shared.
The couple then said in unison, "Ooh La La Airways."
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Holly Also Shared 'The Secret Sauce' to Their Romance
Holly Robinson Peete said the 'secret sauce' to their marriage is surrounding themselves with people who want to see them win.
Holly also shared another factor that helped strengthen her marriage.
Speaking with People at the American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach, Florida, she explained, "I think some of the secret sauce to having a really good long relationship is surrounding yourself with people who wanna see you win as a couple. You know?"
"And those people that were at your wedding that saw the courtship and all," Holly added.
Holly Shared A Cheesy Message on Her 30th Anniversary With Rodney
Holly Robinson Peete shared a cheesy message to celebrate her 30th anniversary with Rodney Peete.
Holly and Rodney tied the knot back in 1995, more than three decades ago. The pair celebrated their 30th anniversary in June last year, with Holly sharing a carousel of photos of the two from over the years on Instagram.
She emphasized each other's importance in their lives in the caption, writing, "Here’s to seeing the best in each other. To fighting with and FOR each other. To forgiving, loving, and laughing our way through it all. And to still flirting after three decades. 😘"
