Dismissing critiques about her weight, Ben Falcone says he’s a “lucky fella” to have Melissa McCarthy as his wife

There are far more interesting things about the brilliant actor Melissa McCarthy than her weight.

Chock full of talent, the beautiful McCarthy is a comedic genius who has produced, written and starred in many Hollywood blockbusters.

And, as part of a super talented couple, her and adoring actor husband Ben Falcone (married since 2005) are one of Hollywood’s cutest and funniest couples.

Frequently showering McCarthy with love and admiration, Falcone, 49, gushes over how wonderful she is.

In 2021, Falcone posted a photo of the two on his Instagram with the caption, “This was taken at a friend’s wedding, maybe 14 years ago. We had a good time. It was a fun wedding, but also Melissa makes everything fun–just by being herself. I’m such a lucky fella to be married to someone so smart, kind, beautiful and crazy funny. Happy birthday Mooch, love you!”

The pair both had roles in Bridesmaids (2011), and under their production company On the Day Productions, produced movies like Tammy (2014), The Boss (2016), Happytime Murders (2018) and Life of the Party (2018). More recently, the couple starred in Netflix’s series God’s Favorite Idiot (2022), an apocalyptic comedy created by Falcone.

Earning the fourth spot in Forbes’s highest-paid actresses in 2023, McCarthy is known for roles in TV shows like The Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) and Mike and Molly (2010-2016). On the big screen, she’s performed in movies like The Heat (2013), The Spy (2015), Ghostbusters (2016) and Can You Ever Forgive Me? an Oscar-nominated role where she played a down-and-out author who forges letters from deceased authors. And, in 2023, McCarthy is showcasing her musical chops as Ursula, the villainous sea witch in Disney’s live-action film The Little Mermaid.

Adding to her portfolio of accolades, McCarthy, now 52, was named in 2016 by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2020, The New York Times appointed her as #22 on its 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.

McCarthy and Falcone are not your average Hollywood couple, and their silliness is endearing. In 2019, the couple wore matching Adidas tracksuits paired with sneakers to the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party. “I’m sure it threw everybody into a tizzy because the idea came to me the day before the Oscars,” a decision McCarthy said received mixed reviews.

Joking about her fashion choices, told Entertainment Tonight, “It’s not (less glamorous) to me guys, I’ve doubled my diamonds–I feel great.”

One thing people might not know is that McCarthy is the cousin of Jenny McCarthy, an actress, model and TV personality. In 2013, Jenny lashed out in defense of McCarthy after film critic Rex Reed slammed her cousin in a review of Identity Thief, referring to her as a “tractor-sized Melissa McCarthy” and a “gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success.”

Jenny told E! News, “That’s obnoxious in itself. For anyone to attack like that, it’s just wrong and hurtful, and it doesn’t do anyone any good…” She added, “She’s very very talented and people know that, so…He can go to hell.”

Rated high on the scale for her acting skills, McCarthy graciously dismisses judgments about her ever-changing weight.

In 2016, McCarthy spoke with Refinery29 about her dropping some weight for her role in The Boss, a script she wrote with Falcone, who also directs. “I have, but I’ll be back again. I’ll be up, I’ll be down, probably for the rest of my life. The thing is, if that is the most interesting thing about me, I need to go have a lavender farm in Minnesota and give this up.”

She continued, “There has to be something more. There are so many more intriguing things about women than their butt or their this or their that. It can’t be the first question every time, or a question at all…Can you imagine them asking some of these guys I work with, ‘How do you keep your butt looking so good?’”

And about stereotypes, she said, “I want to get rid of constantly categorizing. Lists give somebody a way to shove and tear down women. Those women that are always shown, that we’re all supposed to be like, is like .000009% of human beings. That’s crazy.”

Having experienced struggles with fashion, McCarthy launched Melissa McCarthy Seven7 to share her fabulous looks with others. Production on her line, ranging in sizes from four to 28, has reportedly shut down but her fierce styles can still be purchased through second-hand online commerce sites.

Despite criticisms, Falcone still gushes over McCarthy, the mother of their two children, with heart-melting comments. Included in one of the captions of his Instagram photos, he said, “I told her, ‘I love you every day. But today I love you most of all.’ And it was true.”

In interviews, Melissa has pointed out that her weight will continue to fluctuate. But I don’t think that should be the ”most interesting” thing about her, or any person to be honest.

“There has to be something more. There are so many more intriguing things about women than their butt or their this or their that,” she says.

I couldn’t agree more, she’s totally right!