John Legend Reveals Why He Was Shirtless ‘Ironing My Own Clothes’ When He Met Chrissy Teigen

The EGOT winner — who’s one of 11 cover stars featured on PEOPLE’s 50th anniversary issue — looks back on his instant chemistry with Teigen

 

 

Sitting down with PEOPLE exclusively for its 50th anniversary issue (on stands April 12), the EGOT winner, 45, reflected on the unexpected start to his romance with Teigen, 38, in 2006 on the set of his “Stereo” music video.

 

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend attend LOVED01 By John Legend Launches Pop-Up At at Westfield Century City

 

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend.STEFANIE KEENAN/GETTY IMAGES FOR LOVED01

“As soon as I met Chrissy, she had this infectious laugh. She just lit up the room. When she met me, I think I was shirtless ironing my own clothes because we didn’t have a stylist for the shoot. It was very low budget,” he remembers.

 

 

 

 

“I styled myself, ironed my own clothes. She walked in, and that’s how we met. I’m sure she made a joke about that. We just clicked right away,” says Legend, who’s kicking off the latest leg of his “An Evening with John Legend” tour on May 31.

People 50th Anniversary JOHN LEGEND Photographed 3/8/24 at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, CA.

John Legend.ART STREIBER

In 2013 the couple — who are parents to daughters Luna, 7, Esti, 15 months, and sons Miles, 5, and Wren, 9 months — tied the knot at Lake Como, where they also co-starred in Legend’s iconic “All of Me” music video.

“Nabil Elderkin, the same guy who directed the video where we met, was the director of this video as well. We shot it the same week we got married at Lake Como,” says Legend. “We went a little bit early and shot the video on the Thursday and Friday before we got married.

 

 

“We finished the shoot, got ready for our rehearsal dinner, and then the next day we got married,” he adds. “It was a very full-circle moment. Then of course this song goes on to be the song that everyone plays at their weddings.”

 

 

For their tenth anniversary last year, they returned to Lake Como for a fun-filled vow renewal weekend with their closest friends and family.

“We had just completed our family just a couple of months before that, and we got to bring all of them to Italy, to Lake Como where it all started,” he says. “We recreated the magic of our wedding night.”

Having their kids by their side as they said “I do” again made the festivities extra special. “We were so emotional being there with our kids,” says Legend, “knowing that we could celebrate our love with the products of our love.”