The Way Riley Keough Hugs Husband Ben Smith-Petersen Reveals *A Lot*
- 1/5
The Way Riley Keough Hugs Husband Ben Smith-Petersen Reveals *A Lot*
Daisy Jones & The Six star Riley Keough, 33, and husband Ben Smith-Petersen, 31, prove that Hollywood magic can lead to an IRL happily ever after.
ICYDK, the Zola actress and stuntman met in 2012 while filming Mad Max: Fury Road, in which Riley played one of the wives of Immortan Joe (played by Hugh Keays-Byrne). While the pair briefly met on the six-month shoot, they didn’t start dating until the crew began doing re-shoots for the film in Australia.
Riley, for one, was instantly head over heels and couldn’t help her excitement around their budding relationship. In a 2016 interview with USA Today, the granddaughter of the late rock and roll legend Elvis Presley shared that, only two weeks into dating the Australia native, she could already see herself having kids with him. “It was kind of like I knew I was meeting my husband. It was very cool,” she said.
Riley added that the couple are absolutely obsessed with each other, and from the beginning, they just felt comfortable around one another. “You know when you feel weird when you first start dating someone, or like you don’t want to eat in front of them, you wake up and put makeup on or something weird? I just always felt very comfortable with him, always wanted to be near him, even from the beginning,” she told the publication.
Two years after their Mad Max meet-cute, in August 2014, Ben proposed to Riley with a stunning engagement ring made with a diamond his mother gifted them, per Us Weekly. On February 4, 2015, the couple wed in an intimate ceremony held in Napa Valley, California. Celebrity friends including Cara Delevingne, Zoë Kravitz, and Riley’s BFF Kristen Stewart were all in attendance to celebrate the newlyweds.
One month into marriage, The Lodge actress couldn’t hide her happiness. “I’m so excited! He’s the one! We’re going to be together forever!” she gushed about Ben in a March 2015 interview with Town & Country. (Ah, I love love!)
In addition to being dog parents to their French bulldog Grubs, the couple also share a baby girl—their first child, who they secretly welcomed in January 2023, per Us Weekly. Ben hinted at their daughter’s arrival during Lisa Marie Presley’s funeral. “Thank you for showing me that love is the only thing that matters in this life. I hope I can love my daughter the way you loved me, the way you loved my brother and my sisters,” read Riley’s eulogy for her late mother, which the stuntman recited in her place during the ceremony. (No, you’re crying.)
Well, these two are clearly obsessed with each other, and even though proof isn’t needed, body language expert Karen Donaldson has the receipts. She analyzed the couple’s hand placements and gestures throughout their 11-year relationship. Ahead, discover what Riley and Ben’s body language reveals about their marriage.
Getty + Design Christine Giordano - 2/5
1) Ben is Riley’s rock.
In this image of Riley and Ben at the Daisy Jones & The Six Los Angeles premiere, Donaldson admits that the couple is quite stoic and their facial expressions show little to no emotion.
Riley stands with her legs and ankles together, which shows that she may be feeling hesitant or unsure at that moment, says Donaldson. Her hesitation makes sense considering this is her first red carpet appearance since her mother’s death. Not to mention, she’s currently embroiled in a legal battle with her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, over her mother’s trust, per People.
Luckily, through all of this, Riley has Ben by her side. “Ben is leaning in towards her and he places his hand over her waist, almost like a side hug—an encouraging type of hug and hold,” says Donaldson. Read: He’s there for her through the good and the bad.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin - Getty Images - 3/5
3) Riley and Ben shares a bond as deep as the ocean.
In this image, although their faces reveal little expression, their body language speaks volumes.
Riley and Ben are hip-to-hip, and they’re overlapping in their stance, completely in each other’s intimate space, says Donaldson. “[This] signals a deep connection that needs no words.”
Frazer Harrison - Getty Images - 4/5
5) Riley is protective of their relationship.
“This is a territorial gesture,” says Donaldson, noting the way Riley places her hand on Ben’s upper torso. It’s a public display of affection that outwardly states “he’s mine,” she adds.
Donaldson explains that this gesture can be read in two ways: either these two are extremely close and confident in their relationship, or Riley’s sending a warning to any potential onlookers. Either way, it’s clear that there’s no separating this pair.
Matt Winkelmeyer - Getty Images - 5/5
6) They’re on the same wavelength.
Here, Riley and Ben are walking in sync, which is a good sign that can imply “they are in tune with each other on an unconscious level,” per Donaldson. In other words, they “get” one another.
You may also notice that Ben’s hand is on top, as they hold hands, “which can signal that he’s the more dominant one in the relationship,” says Donaldson.
RB/Bauer-Griffin - Getty Images