Idris Elba’s Wife, Sabrina, Speaks On the ‘Horrible’ Aspect of Being Married to a Famous Person

People’s 2018 “Sexiest Man Alive” Idris Elba had seemingly been working up to that title in the eyes of his fans. He’s been considered a heartthrob for ages, and the actor broke a few hearts when he announced his engagement to then-girlfriend Sabrina Dhowre in February 2018. The couple wed in a lavish ceremony in Marrakesh, Morocco in April this year, and Mrs. Elba couldn’t be happier, except for one thing that sometimes bothers her.

How did Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina, meet?

Elba met Sabrina Dhowre in late 2016 while filming his movie with Kate Winslet, The Mountain Between Us. Back in 2017, Elba gushed about her during an interview with People, saying, “Falling in love while making a movie about falling in love is pretty special.”

He shared his then-girlfriend is a Canada native and was Miss Vancouver in 2014. They first stepped out publicly as a couple during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017 at the premiere of Molly’s Game. Elba’s proposal was caught on film by an onlooker and went viral in 2018, though he said he didn’t mean for it to happen that way. Still, Elba’s fans swooned and have been happy for the actor.

Sabrina Dhowre became Sabrina Elba and life changed

Sabrina Elba recently sat down for an interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K. where she talks about beauty, confidence, and married life. The newlyweds live in England but that doesn’t mean there aren’t paparazzi and red carpet events with lots of flashing lights.

Unused to all the extra attention that comes with being Mrs. Elba, she joked that when not in the spotlight, she’s more of a ‘Miss Frump’:

“I like sweatpants and having my hair in a bun, so I think my alter-ego is really frumpy. It’s always when Miss Frump comes out at the airport that the photographers will be there too, but the times I look absolutely phenomenal… no cameras!

It’s so weird to be increasingly recognised. In Selfridges the other day, I literally had to pretend I didn’t know who ‘Sabrina’ was. I felt so bad because the girl kept mentioning how much I looked like Mrs. Elba and I kept denying it. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it, especially as a lot of people don’t actually know my name, they just recognise my face from social media.”

Elba says ‘it’s horrible’ at times to be in this position

Elba shared that adjusting to her life during the past few years helped her grow and become more confident, but it’s not always easy dealing with all the scrutiny and online commentary:

“My life has changed in the past few years in ways I could never have imagined. It’s almost like I had to rediscover who I am and what I want to do. I feel like I’ve been reborn into a different person.

Sometimes it can be horrible to have your face all over social media, but, in other ways, it has helped me grow out of my shell. I even have pictures of the back of my head! It’s almost like if you could read a book about the way you looked and all of a sudden you see all these pages. It’s actually made me get way more comfortable with myself.”

Fortunately, hubby Idris is really supportive and is helping her climb out of her shell:

“Idris is also super open and loves to give me compliments on how I look. He’s been great through this whole experience and he definitely wants me to feel comfortable and stand tall.”

Elba has had to get used to slipping between her comfy, everyday style and the glammed-up version that fans see at red carpet events. The article highlights her relationship with bestie Jessica DeBruyne who also serves as her make-up artist for all the major moments going on in her life. Between Idris Elba and DeBruyne, she’s in good hands.