He’s The Miz, and Maryse thinks he’s awesome. Since Maryse returned to WWE in 2016, she and her husband, The Miz, have turned into one of the prominent power couples in WWE. Given the pairing’s success in outside interests, they could be considered one of the bigger power couples in general entertainment, and the story of their romance is befitting of a saccharine soap opera, if not the squared circle where much of it actually took place. That is, when they weren’t filming movies together, helping out charities, or hosting award shows. Despite the fact that they’ve only recently taken their relationship public and started working together on screen, The Miz and Maryse actually met while working for WWE, and their relationship has therefore been inexorably linked with their careers from the start. That doesn’t mean it was exactly love at first sight, as there were actually a few major barriers to them getting together upon their first meeting. In time, the two got over any problems they might have had, though, gradually coming together to form a strong and happy marriage.

Now that The Miz and Maryse are working together onscreen and off, there’s no telling how successful the couple will become. Maryse has already guided The Miz to his fifth WWE Intercontinental Championship reign, and with their profiles higher than ever in 2016, there could be plenty more gold in their futures. Until then, check out our list to learn 15 things you didn’t know about The Miz and Maryse’s marriage.

15.  They Met During The 2006 Diva Search

Maryse dreamed about being a WWE diva for her entire life, and she finally got her chance during the 2006 Diva Search. Coincidentally, The Miz had likewise dreamt of being a WWE superstar for his entire life, publicly announcing as much during his many appearances on MTV’s, The Real World. Through this notoriety, The Miz also got his first big break in WWE as the host of the 2006 Diva Search. Maryse didn’t perform particularly well in the contest and was the second to be eliminated. Things didn’t go too well for The Miz, either, as it was best remembered for an opening promo where he clearly forgot most of his lines, stumbled over his words, and couldn’t remember the contestants' names. Despite these initial missteps, both Maryse and The Miz wound up with long-term WWE contracts. Perhaps more importantly to either of them, the contest was where they first met and started to get to know one another. Layla El ultimately won the 2006 Diva Search, and future WWE divas, Rosa Mendes and Rebecca DiPietro, were amongst those to outlast Maryse.

14.  Maryse Could Barely Speak English When They Started Talking

A good number of Americans were well aware of The Miz’s gift of gab long before he entered the WWE Universe thanks to his appearances on The Real World. On the other hand, Maryse found herself having a great deal of trouble communicating with Americans at first since she was a native of Montreal. Maryse grew up speaking French and didn’t learn English until she started working for WWE. This meant that she also didn’t speak English when she first met her husband, which she explained was the reason why they didn’t exactly hit things off from day one. The best way to learn a language is to speak it every day, and therefore it didn’t take long before Maryse was speaking English as fluently as her native French. We’re not exactly sure what the timeline was from when Maryse started speaking English and when she ultimately began dating The Miz, although it must not have been long. Maryse has claimed that she is also somewhat fluent in Spanish, and very good at reading the language as well.

13.  Maryse Was Stalked During Their Relationship

Regardless of how fans feel about their characters, chances are that the vast majority of the WWE Universe is happy for Maryse and The Miz in regard to their seemingly loving relationship. Unfortunately, that doesn’t apply for everybody, and most certainly not the mentally disturbed, as Maryse found out in terrifying fashion throughout 2011. Already firmly into her relationship with The Miz, Maryse began receiving disturbing letters, phone calls, and voicemails from a 61-year-old man named, Lee Silber. Silber suffered from delusions that led him to believe that he and Maryse were friends or in love, and led Maryse to refer to him as “a crazy stalker who needs to either be in a psychiatric hospital or jail.” At first, the letters were merely disturbing, but they started to make Maryse fear for her life when Silber claimed he was “coming to LA [to get her]” and threatened to “take [her] to heaven with him.” Maryse applied for a restraining order against Silber, which was granted in August of 2011. The Miz never publicly commented on the situation.

12.  They've Both Been Champions

With nearly 20 collective championships to their name, The Miz and Maryse are certainly one of the most decorated married couples that WWE has ever seen. The Miz is clearly the more successful of the two in terms of winning titles, having won the WWE World, United States, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Championships all multiple times. Yet, Maryse is no slouch either, with two reigns as WWE Diva’s Championship to her name. For the first 5 years that the Diva’s Championship existed, Maryse held the record as the longest reigning champion, although both AJ Lee and Nikki Bella ultimately exceeded her feat. The two have done more than simply win titles to show their skills in the ring, with a plethora of other accomplishments to their names, as well. The Miz is still the standout, having won the 2010 Money in the Bank, while his wife started that same year out with a bang by winning her second championship in a title tournament.

11.  The Relationship Grew During Maryse's Time Off

Not long after Maryse lost her second Diva’s Championship, her profile started to wane, and she was released from her WWE contract in August of 2011. The Miz continued to thrive with the company at this time and never seemed bitter about his wife’s release, most likely due to the fact that Maryse herself didn’t seem to mind being let go, either. During this time, Maryse worked on a number of outside business ventures, most notably starting a career in real estate and opening her own fashion line, the House of Maryse. More pertinent to this article than any of Maryse’s business efforts, it was during Maryse’s time off that her relationship with The Miz blossomed from a fling into a marriage. The two purchased a “dream house” in Hollywood Hills together, and it was during her time off that The Miz proposed and they were later wed. Maryse appreciated not working for WWE during this time and being able to set her own schedule and do whatever she wanted, helping her juggle her personal life and various businesses without needing to worry about performances in the ring at the same time.

10.  The Miz Proposed At The Same Place They Met

While the old fashioned dropping to one knee and asking for a woman’s hand in marriage still works pretty well for plenty of guys out there, celebrity couples have a tendency of making their proposals big and bombastic. This was definitely the case with The Miz and Maryse. After about six and a half years of dating, The Miz proposed to Maryse in February of 2013. In order to make the event special, The Miz took Maryse back to the convention center, Marina del Rey, where they first met at the start of the 2006 Diva Search. Maryse told the story to WWE.com the next year, going back and forth on whether or not it surprised her. She said that she knew it was coming as soon as they pulled into the parking lot, but also that she was shocked and overwhelmed with joy nonetheless when the actual proposal happened two and a half hours later. Despite bouts of “freaking out the whole time” because she expected what was coming, Maryse obviously accepted the proposal immediately and the couple began planning their wedding.

9.  The Miz Was Very Involved With The Wedding Plans

The cliché goes that weddings are the day that women dream of their entire lives, and as such, plenty of men have decided to stay out of the wedding plans and let their future bride do all of the work. The Miz wasn’t like other guys in this respect, as both he and his wife were boastful during interviews about how involved The Miz was from the start, and how much fun the couple was having while making their elaborate and expensive plans. These plans involved inviting some 100 guests to a huge destination wedding in the Bahamas, for what Maryse later described as a fairytale come true. The Miz so enjoyed the planning sessions that he claimed that he didn’t understand why there was such a fuss about how difficult they were for others. Although, he did admit that their enjoyment of the process was most likely due to the many great people helping them through the process and, of course, the fact that as two superstars, they had the money to create whatever sort of paradise for themselves that they wanted.

8.  Multiple WWE Superstars Attended Their Wedding

People only invite their coworkers to their weddings if they also happen to be close friends, and as it would turn out, at least a few other WWE superstars are close enough friends of The Miz and Maryse to have made the trip down to the Bahamas to watch them get married. Amongst those in attendance were Zack Ryder, Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, Dolph Ziggler, John Morrison, Alex Riley and former ring announcer, Justin Roberts. Kelly Kelly’s future husband, former NHL star Sheldon Souray, was also in attendance as her date. Coincidentally or not, The Miz would somehow be linked with all of his male wedding guests in WWE at one point or another, either in feuds or as tag team partners. The Miz would trade the Intercontinental Championship with Ryder and Ziggler, win the Tag Team Championships with Morrison, and serve as a mentor for Riley during his time as WWE World Champion. Likewise, Maryse had plenty of battles with Kelly and Torres, although it was nothing but merriment and celebration on that night in the Bahamas.

7.  Ryan Cabrera Played The Wedding

Most weddings are big and bombastic events as much about giving the guests a good time as they are about celebrating any two people’s love, and that’s why picking the right entertainment can make or break a reception party. It helps to be in the entertainment world and to be able to call in a favor with some famous friends, which is what The Miz and Maryse must have done when they got their buddy, Ryan Cabrera, to handle the music for their nuptials. Cabrera is best known for his debut album, Take It All Away, released by Atlantic Records in 2004. The album featured hit songs including “True” and his debut single, “On the Way Down.” Cabrera’s later records waned in popularity, although he managed to stay in the spotlight thanks to a series of high-profile relationships with reality TV stars, Ashlee Simpson and Audrina Patridge. Cabrera has been working on the collaborative project, Beyond The Sky, since late 2015.

6.  They Strongly Support LGBT Rights

Early in their relationship, Maryse was apparently teaching The Miz some French, and his poor pronunciation of the language once led to telling his wife “I’m gay” in French, on an episode of SmackDown. Few WWE fans noticed the gaffe or cared, and the couple laughed it off as a sign that The Miz wasn’t learning French as quickly as Maryse had learned English. Obviously, neither The Miz nor Maryse are gay, although as it would turn out, both of them strongly support LGBT marriage rights. Miz and Maryse first made their charitable efforts for equality public by participating in the NOH8 campaign. NOH8 was developed as a silent form of photographic protest, where celebrities or supporters, in general, took pictures of themselves adorned with the NOH8 logo with their mouths taped shut. NOH8 was a direct response to the passing of Proposition 8, a short-lived California resolution that would have attempted to ban gay marriage prior to it becoming legal throughout the country. As residents of Los Angeles, Miz and Maryse attended a Hollywood fundraiser for the event, photographing themselves to spread the charity’s message while there. WWE ring announcer, Lilian Garcia, has also participated in NOH8 related events.

5.  They Co-Starred In Santa's Little Helper

WWE Studios tried their hands in all genres, including holiday fair for the Christmas film, Santa’s Little Helper, released in 2015. The Miz and Maryse co-starred in the film, with The Miz as the lead and Maryse in a smaller role. The couple didn’t get a chance to show their love on screen, though, as actress AnnaLynne McCord served as The Miz’s love interest throughout the film. Gil Junger directed the movie and WWE superstar, Paige, also starred in a top-billed role. In the film, The Miz plays a cliché corporate businessman prepared to shut down a rec center until Santa Claus and his elves interfere with the power of Christmas and convince Miz to chance his Grinch-like ways. Paige plays the villainous elf Eleanor, who attempts to thwart the good elves' plans and bring The Miz to ruin. Actors, Eric Keenleyside and Peter Kelamis, also co-starred. Miz and Maryse will also co-star in The Marine 5: Battleground, which has been announced and has begun filming, although no release date has been set.

4.  Maryse Returned To WWE To Manage Her Husband

Neither The Miz nor Maryse complained when Maryse was fired in 2011, and The Miz rarely even mentioned her onscreen as the relationship blossomed from the two of them dating to becoming husband and wife. Miz finally started dropping hints about it after the wedding, and Maryse made her long-awaited return to the company in April of 2016 to help her new husband defeat Zack Ryder for the Intercontinental Championship. Coincidentally, Ryder was one of the few WWE superstars invited to their wedding. Many fans felt that The Miz had been stagnating ever since his WWE World Championship back in 2011, and his wife joining him on television has proved to be the shot in the arm that inspired him back towards greatness. With Maryse at his side, The Miz was able to reign as Intercontinental Champion for an impressive 188 days, and there may be no end in sight to what the WWE “It Couple” could accomplish.

3.  They Appeared On The MDA Telethon Together

The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon was one of the most visible and beloved televised charity traditions from its inception in 1966 to its cancellation in 2014, raising nearly $2.5 billion dollars for muscular dystrophy research in that timeframe. The Telethons hit a serious snag in 2011 when Jerry Lewis left the show amidst heavy controversy, with it still being unclear if he was fired or retired more than five years later. The Telethon continued without Lewis regardless of the circumstance, and in order to bring back viewers in the absence of the old host, the MDA created “The Show of Strength,” hosted by dozens of major celebrities. Relevant to this list, amongst those celebrities was none other than The Miz and Maryse. This actually wasn’t the first time a wrestler appeared on the MDA Telethon, as “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair appeared in 2009 while Lewis was still hosting in order to give a message of support and a plea for donations. WWE, in general, has also supported the charity by donating tickets to shows around the time the Telethons took place, and John Cena similarly has donated clothing to be auctioned off in support of the charity.

2.  They Attended The Kids' Choice Awards Together

WWE has fans of all ages, but especially as of late, the target audience has increasingly veered young, with plenty of programming directly geared towards children. Perhaps the most telling sign of this fact is that multiple wrestlers have made appearances at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, and that includes The Miz on multiple occasions. The Miz first appeared in 2012 to challenge The Big Show in the first ever slime wrestling match, which was won by Show when he was tossed into a tub of Nickelodeon’s trademark slime. Maryse joined Miz next year, although they would be freed of the green gloop. The Miz, Maryse, and Big Show’s appearances were hardly the only times wrestling and the Kids’ Choice Awards collided, as The Rock won an award the same year Miz and Maryse made their joint appearance. Santino Marella also popped up during the slime wrestling match, and the trend actually began in 1999, when “Macho Man” Randy Savage was the first wrestler to turn green after he lost an elaborate mini-golf game to future SNL star, Kenan Thompson.

1.  They Plan On Having Children

The only thing WWE executives love more than a star with The Miz’s crossover appeal is a second-generation superstar, and if Maryse gets her way, there may be a future Mizryse or Maryiz or perhaps even a normal named child to give WWE what they want. Both The Miz and Maryse have been open during interviews about their desire to eventually have children, although The Miz admits that he believes any offspring of his would be bound to become “the most annoying kid in the world.” Be that as it may, the couple welcomes the idea of such an annoying progeny, although they’ve both clearly been careful about planning when to welcome a child to the world in a manner that wouldn’t interfere with their bustling careers. Considering that The Miz has potential as a movie star, and Maryse has her foot in dozens of different business ventures, it wouldn’t be too hard for them to take a vacation from the ring and start raising a child. It seems like this could be some time still to come, though, as The Miz has been back in the spotlight ever since his wife joined him in April. Of course, this only means the unit could grow stronger still if a child were to join them sometime down the line, and chances are they’d all agree, it would be awesome.

Sources: WWE, TMZ, Wrestling Inc.