Julia Roberts Marks Husband Daniel Moder’s 57th Birthday with Rare Public Tribute
Julia Roberts celebrated husband Daniel Moder’s 57th birthday on Jan. 31, 2026 (ET) with a rare public photo and a simple, affectionate caption — “My favorite day. My favorite man. ” The post is notable for its intimacy and the couple’s continued preference for keeping family life largely out of the spotlight, even as fans flocked to extend warm wishes.
A rare public tribute
The image shared by Roberts stood out because Moder is seldom featured in her public posts. The brief caption conveyed a straightforward devotion that resonated widely: a decades-long partnership distilled into a few heartfelt words. The couple first met on a film set in 2001 and have built a life together marked by stability and privacy. They have been together for 25 years and married for 23 of those years, a longevity that draws attention in an industry where relationships often face intense scrutiny.
Fans responded with an outpouring of birthday wishes and supportive messages in the hours after the post went live. The warm reception underscores the public’s enduring affection for the pair and a broader interest in celebrity couples who maintain a low-key, family-first approach to fame.
Family life and the transition to empty nesters
Roberts and Moder are parents to twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, who are 21, and son Henry, 18. With the children having left home, the couple is navigating the emotional shift that comes with an empty nest. Roberts has spoken candidly in the past about the difficulty of saying goodbye to daily parenting routines, even describing moments of grief at the transition.
At the same time, there are welcome silver linings. The change has given Roberts and Moder opportunities to rediscover one another away from the nonstop responsibilities of childrearing. Friends close to the couple say they’re enjoying renewed downtime together — a chance to return to the rhythms of their relationship before parenthood consumed much of their daily life. That balance of bittersweet reflection and quiet joy is reflected in the tone of the birthday tribute: intimate, grateful and unshowy.
Why the moment matters
The birthday post offers a small but telling glimpse into how a high-profile couple chooses to present themselves. Rather than elaborate celebrations or publicity-driven fanfare, the image and caption favored warmth and simplicity. For many followers, it affirmed the idea that long-term partnerships built on mutual support can exist even within public careers.
Roberts’ choice to share a single photo with a short caption reinforces the couple’s longstanding approach to fame: prioritizing family privacy while allowing occasional, meaningful windows into their life together. That restraint appears to deepen public goodwill rather than diminish interest, with fans responding less to spectacle and more to the authenticity of the moment.
As Roberts continues to balance work with personal life, moments like this birthday tribute serve as reminders of the private foundations that underpin a very public career. For supporters of the couple, the post was both a celebration and a quiet testament to enduring companionship.
