Country music star Kenny Chesney and Academy Award-winning actress Renee Zellweger were married in a brief ceremony Monday in the U.S. Virgin Islands, news outlets reported.
This is the first marriage for both stars.
According to the Associated Press, Zellweger publicist Nanci Ryder has confirmed the marriage.
The 15-minute ceremony was performed by a preacher in front of a "small group" of friends and family in St. John, where Chesney has a home, Entertainment Tonight reported online. The same report said the bride wore a Carolina Herrera design, while the groom was barefoot.
Chesney's father, Dave Chesney, reportedly attended the nuptials, but his mother, Karen Chandler of Halls, did not, one news outlet reported. Efforts to reached Chandler were unsuccessful.
News of the wedding caught many major entertainment news organizations off guard. In its recent issue, People magazine mentioned that Chesney, 37, and Zellweger, 36, were dating.
The couple reportedly met at the Concert of Hope tsunami relief effort on Jan. 15. They maintained a quiet relationship.
Zellweger's credits include "Bridget Jones's Diary," "Chicago," "Cold Mountain" and "Jerry Maguire." In "Maguire," she said the phrase, "You had me at hello," which inspired the Chesney hit "You Had Me From Hello."
Chesney is on break from his tour. It will resume Thursday, May 12, with a show at the Alltel Arena in Little Rock, Ark.
Chesney grew up in Luttrell and graduated from Gibbs High School. He began performing music while attending East Tennessee State University. Chesney moved to Nashville in 1991 and began a slow rise to become one of the top-selling artists in music.
In 2004, the Country Music Association in Nashville named Chesney Entertainer of the Year, and he has ranked as one of the top-selling concert draws for the past three years.
In 1999, Chesney was engaged to East Tennessean Mandy Weals but postponed the wedding, and the two officially parted ways in early 2000. In 2002, he was dubbed "Country Music's Hottest Bachelor" by Country Weekly magazine.
Calls Monday to Chesney's tour manager and director of merchandise went unanswered. Chesney's publicist, Holly Gleason, was unavailable for comment.
Shaun Pennington, publisher of V.I. Source publications, which includes the newspaper the St. John Source, said she had been getting calls asking about the rumor all day.
"I didn't even know who he was," said Pennington. "There's definitely a rumor, but it could be blow back because it's all coming from your area!"
She said that celebrities often come to the island to avoid the press and fans.
© 2005, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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