18 Of The Longest-lasting Female Friendships In Hollywood

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Back when Poehler and Fey were cutting their teeth in the improv circuit, they met at Chicago's ImprovOlympic theater. In her 2014 autobiography, "Yes Please," Poehler recalls meeting Fey for the first time. 

"[ImprovOlympic co-founder Charna Halpern] said there was another new improviser in another one of her classes whom she thought I would really like. Her name was Tina and she was like me but with brown hair," she wrote.

The two had their own show at ImprovOlympic for a bit before joining the legendary "Second City" improv troupe. Since that fateful meeting 30 years ago, the duo has gone on to host the Golden Globes, star in the movie "Sisters" together, and create some of the most beloved "SNL" skits in recent history.

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Jada Pinkett Smith first saw Queen Latifah at a club in Baltimore where the then 17-year-old rapper was performing. 

"I'd never seen anyone like her before, this female rapper named Queen Latifah," Pinkett Smith told People in 2017. "I convinced the promoter to let me introduce her."

In the more than 30 years since that night, the two have become best friends, starring in the 1996 film "Set It Off" and 2017's "Girls Trip" together. 

"Jada and I can have whole conversations where we haven't really said anything, but we've said a lot," Latifah told People.

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More specifically, it started over a cup of coffee.

Back in the '80s, Diaz, 16 at the time, grabbed a cup of joe from the coffee shop Barrymore worked at. As reported by E! Online, the two maintained a low-key friendship until, in 2002, Barrymore offered Diaz a role on the "Charlie's Angels" reboot she was producing.

Since then, the two have developed an unbreakable bond, with Barrymore telling Entertainment Tonight's Lauren Zima in 2018 that she considers Diaz her sister.

"We have much more of that kind of relationship, we're very honest with each other," Barrymore told ET. "We push each other. And we've had the majority of our lives spent side by side, really going through what real life is, which is an everyday high and low and we just have each other's backs."

In September 2020, Barrymore invited Diaz and fellow "Charlie's Angels" star Lucy Liu to be the first guests on her talk show, and they spoke about their friendship.

"The thing that I love about our friendship is that we have been there in all the big and important moments, we've also been there in the small moments and the casual moments and the reason we are such good friends is because it's real and we go through real stuff with each other. It's not a Hollywood fairytale," Barrymore said.

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Over four decades ago, Winfrey and King worked at the same Baltimore news station as a news co-anchor and production assistant, respectively. When a snowstorm prevented King from driving back to her house in the suburbs, Winfrey invited King to stay with her. 

After staying up all night talking, the two quickly moved from colleagues to friends. 

"I believe God put the two of us in each other's path to do exactly what we've been doing since that night in Baltimore when I was 22 and she was 21," Winfrey wrote in a 2019 article for her O Magazine. "Listening. Listening. Talking. Listening. Laughing (a lot). Building dreams. Standing in the gap. Cheering. Being a shoulder to cry on. Supporting. Speaking the truth. Being the truth!"

In September 2021, in her Oprah Daily series "The OG Chronicles: Joy Ride," Winfrey said that King has been on every vacation with her and her longterm partner, Stedman Graham, since 1993.

"The three of us have had a wonderful time," King said in the episode. "If I was the third wheel, I didn't know it! If Stedman didn't like me, that would've been tough."

Winfrey added, "If Stedman didn't like you, Stedman wouldn't have lasted. Husbands and boyfriends come and go. Best friends last forever."

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It's a bit serendipitous that Aniston and Cox met on the set of "Friends." After acting alongside each other for a decade, the two developed a special bond that has only strengthened throughout the years. 

Aniston is the godmother of Cox's daughter, Coco, and when Aniston married now ex-husband Justin Theroux in 2015, Cox was her maid of honor.

On February 11, Cox shared a birthday tribute to Aniston on Instagram writing in part, "Happy birthday to my friend for life. Never has there been a more generous, loving, beautiful, talented, funny, loyal friend."

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While flying to Mexico to film the movie "Bandidas" in 2004, the actresses' plane had to make a pretty serious emergency landing that involved depressurizing the cabin and wearing oxygen masks. Even worse, the flight was on Halloween, so, naturally, Cruz and Hayek were dressed as clowns. 

"I've never liked clowns, even as a kid, but after this experience [I like them] even less," Cruz told People in 2017.

In the years since, the two have become one of the most adored friendships in Hollywood. They even have a cute nickname for each other, Cruz explained to Allure in 2014.

"She's one of my best friends. We call each other 'huevos' [eggs]," Cruz said. "It was because when we were working together, we didn't have children yet, so we used to sleep much more than now. So it was a way to call each other lazy. We slept in the same bed so many times, and it was like she was always trying to wake me up and call me 'huevos.'"

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The "Grace and Frankie" stars began working together more than 40 years ago after Fonda, who was co-producing "9 to 5," stumbled onto Tomlin's one-woman show "Appearing Nitely." 

"What can I say, I was smitten," Fonda said on a 2017 episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," adding, "I said I don't want to make a movie about secretaries unless she's in it."

In addition to the time they've spent together on screen, Fonda and Tomlin are dedicated climate activists — Tomlin was arrested at one of Fonda's climate protests in 2019. Together they've answered the internet's most searched questions about themselves and even did a TED Talk in 2016 celebrating their decades-long friendship.

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Despite often competing for the same roles, Lathan and Hall became such good friends that they refer to each other as their "human diaries."

In 2018, Hall was recognized at the Step Up Inspiration Awards for her commitment to mentoring young women in Los Angeles. Lathan presented Hall with the award and dedicated a heartfelt Instagram post to her friend.

"Had the pleasure of honoring my bestie @morereginahall today at the Step Up inspiration awards ... So proud of you Regina you inspire me and so many others. Love u and congratulations!" Lathan wrote at the time. 

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Watts' and Kidman's 30-year friendship started while filming the 1991 movie "Flirting," but the two had known of each other for many years. They actually attended the same high school and were part of the same Australian theater company. 

"We've gone through a lot together over a significant amount of time. That history binds you," Watts told People in 2017. "We have a strong respect and love for one another."

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In the 20 years since Busy Philipps and Michelle Williams met, the two have become the definition of friendship goals. 

Williams is the godmother of Philipps' daughter, and she supported her friend after Heath Ledger's death in 2008.

"I'm so in love with her," Williams told People in 2016. "She's proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man! That's the love of my life right there."

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In Jennette McCurdy's 2022 memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died," the Nickelodeon star shared details about the beginning of her friendship with Cosgrove. She referred to their friendship as a "source of camaraderie and emotional support" during her difficult childhood. 

According to McCurdy, after meeting Cosgrove on the set of iCarly, the two spent hours each day talking on AIM. She recalls being drawn to Cosgrove's "distinct and hilarious personality."

"So many of the things she said made me laugh," McCurdy wrote. "Her way of observing things — people, habits, human nature. I loved her. And I was so excited we were becoming friends."

In 2022, McCurdy told Entertainment Tonight, "I love Miranda to pieces. I always will. She has such a special place in my heart."

Of their more recent friendship, she said, "We totally still keep in touch — not as often as we used to. We used to be attached at the hip."

She added, "But I'm always rooting for her."

Cosgrove also spoke to E! News in 2022 about McCurdy's decision not to join the "iCarly" reboot, stating that it is a "different show without the Sam character."

"If she ever wanted to come back, of course, the door would always be open," Cosgrove said.

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Hudson and Tyler both attended the Crossroads School For Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica during the '90s, The List reported. The two have been best friends ever since. 

Early in their careers, the two co-starred in the movie "Dr. T and the Women," in which they share an on-screen kiss. On "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in 2017, Hudson said the two still talk about their kiss all the time.

"We're like, 'We should've gone for it more.' It was so sweet, you know? It was such a sweet kiss. We should've just really made out," she said.

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Remini first met Lopez in 2004 because she and her husband, Angelo Pagán, were close with Marc Anthony, Lopez's boyfriend at the time. Remini remembers being wowed the first time she met J Lo. 

"He was like, 'She's the love of my life, blah, blah, blah,'" Remini recalled in a 2018 interview with The Los Angeles Times. "As I was walking up to the table, I was like, 'Ugh, God, you're even prettier in real life.' She started laughing, and I was like, 'Ugh, and you have a sense of humor even?'"

The two became fast friends and have been frequently spotted in public together in the years since. Lopez stood by her friend and supported Remini's decision to leave the church of Scientology in 2013. Five years later the duo starred in their first movie together, the romantic comedy "Second Act." 

Remini told The LA Times she said yes to her role before even reading the script because she trusted Lopez so much. 

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Before becoming royalty, Meghan Markle met tennis star Serena Williams at the Super Bowl in 2010. Their friendship began to blossom when they met for a second time in 2014 — once again, at the Super Bowl. Markle became an avid supporter of Williams, attending many of her tennis matches and celebrating her wins.

Soon after the beginning of their friendship, Markle discussed their bond on her now-defunct blog, "The Tig," stating, "We are both the same age, have a penchant for hot sauces and adore fashion, but what connects us more than those things is perhaps our belief in exceeding expectations – our endless ambition."

In 2017, when Williams announced her pregnancy with her daughter, Markle told Vogue, "She will be an amazing mom. The very best, because she is so attuned to balancing strength and sensitivity."

Williams attended the royal wedding in 2018, and documented the experience on Instagram, writing, "So my friend is getting married today... I've known her for so many years, and I'm so happy for her."

And in 2022, Markle shared the first episode of her podcast, "Archetypes," with Williams as her guest.

When Markle asked her why she agreed to do the podcast, Williams said, "I love you, believe in you. We've been friends for so long. I'm super loyal, you know that."

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In 2008, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez dated Joe and Nick Jonas, respectively, and quickly became close friends. In 2017, Gomez joked that their long-lasting friendship "was the best thing we got out of those relationships."

When Swift released her album "1989" in 2014, Gomez posted a collage of photos of the two of them on Instagram, writing, "From hotel room album listening parties, kitchen dance floor album listening parties to driving on the pch, windows down album listening parties. -The best part is we were the only ones there. Each time. So happy, honored and proud to know you and your diaries."

Swift sent Gomez a cake for her birthday in 2018, referencing one of Gomez's songs in her Instagram post, writing, "Will I let distance stop me from celebrating my best friend's bday? I MEAN I COULD BUT WHY WOULD I WANT 2."

And in 2022, Gomez referred to Swift as her "only friend" in the music industry, telling Rolling Stone, "I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor [Swift], so I remember feeling like I didn't belong."

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It's no secret that Khloé Kardashian has been through a lot. Luckily, her best friend, Malika Haqq, has been by her side since they were only 15 years old.

Cosmopolitan reported that Kardashian referenced their friendship's beginning on her blog, writing, "Malika was dating one of my male best friends. He would always keep us apart because I am sure he knew we would just hit it off. One day we met and we did. Malika and [her twin sister] Khadijah have been my best friends ever since."

Since then, they've embraced not only life's struggles, but its successes, too. One highlight of their friendship came in 2018 when they collaborated on BECCA Cosmetics' BFF Collection. In an interview with Bustle in 2019, the pair explained that their long-standing friendship made working together an easy process.

"We know our strengths and our weaknesses — who is stronger at what — and that's a blessing of a real friendship," Kardashian told the outlet.

The two are still going strong, with Haqq recently supporting Kardashian at the launch of her perfume, XO Khloé, in December.

"It never gets old to see you shine or they people love and support you. YOU deserve it all," she wrote on Instagram.

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Lawrence and Stone's friendship famously began with a shared "stalker" they called "John the Orchestra Guy."

"Jennifer Lawrence and I both had the same stalker, John the Orchestra Guy," Stone told W magazine in 2018. "He would text us both and say things like 'I'm running late on my way to the soundstage. Can you warm up the orchestra for me? Text me back and let me know you got this.' He wasn't really a stalker. He must have worked at a studio or something because he had a lot of people's numbers."

Lawrence and Stone ended up texting every day for a year before finally deciding to meet in person — only to fear that they'd been unknowingly communicating with "John the Orchestra Guy" the whole time. A quick phone call revealed it wasn't him, and the two have remained close ever since.

Last year, Lawrence displayed her affection for Stone at the Golden Globes. The friends were both nominated for best actress in a motion picture comedy or musical: Lawrence for "No Hard Feelings" and Stone for "Poor Things."

When Lawrence's name was read during the award nominations, she jokingly mouthed to the camera, "If I don't win, I'm leaving," Variety reported. However, when she lost to Stone moments later, she immediately jumped to her feet to clap and cheer.

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2024 was the year of Victoria Monét and Ariana Grande, but their friendship actually started over a decade ago when Grande was beginning to work on her debut album, "Yours Truly," StyleCaster reported.

Monét helped write the album's first track "Honeymoon Avenue," and has since contributed to some of Grande's biggest hits like "Be Alright," "thank u, next," and "34 + 35." The two even have a song together called "MONOPOLY," where they sing, "I'm so thankful working with my best friend, she the cheat code."

The besties have repeatedly been supportive of each other's career growth. E! News reported that Grande was quick to praise Monét's Grammy wins last year on her Instagram story, writing, "My friend you deserve this one million times over. I am so deeply proud and happy for you there are no words. You have worked so hard and given so much of yourself to this industry for so, so long while quietly being in your absolute own league."

Monét returned the support after the premiere of "Wicked" in November 2024, writing on Instagram, "What a CLASSIC!!! What a CAST!!! It is absolutely incredible we are obsessed," adding "all my sincerest congratulations just WOW" to Grande and costar Cynthia Erivo.