History Main / HappyMarriageCharade

* This is the situation behind ''LosExitososPells''. The husband is gay, the wife is just on there for the career bust, and both are planing to elope with their real love interest at the first chance, but both are forced to being together because their network contracts, and have to keep the happy charade for ratings sake. The hero, who is forced by the same network to secretly impersonate the husband after an accident, is quite on shock when he discovers all of the above.
* John And Mary on ''FatherTed'', married shopkeepers who are always plotting to murder each other, but who go into over-the-top perfect couple mode whenever anyone else is around.

* Lindsey and Melanie do this in ''QueerAsFolk'' after they separate when Lindsey cheated on Melanie with a man. Needless to say, they got found out.

* In ''Webcomic/{{AGENCY}}'', [[spoiler: [[StarFox Fox and Krystal McCloud]]]] have a very rocky marriage, but they put on a happy face in public. They are, after all, heroes and have a young son to care for. [[SpongeBobSquarePants Sandy Cheeks]] is quick to pick up on this, but so far, the charade hasn't affected the plot much. With one of them kidnapped and held in an unknown location, it might not come up for a while.

* A reccuring arc in ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' is how Jerry and Beth married because he got her pregnant [[PromBaby on their prom date]] and they agreed to keep it -- and as such, they're more like co-habiting adults rather than married as they refuse to even consider divorce. However, each round often resolves with [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther their problems disappearing and their love seemingly getting stronger]] and everyone thinking they're better, only to [[StatusQuoIsGot revert straight back]] in a few episodes when they're back to snarking and arguing.

* ''{{Dave}}'' had the (real) President and First Lady unable to stay in the same room or look at each other unless the press was watching, at which time they both play the loving couple. He only stays married for his career image (and has plenty of affairs) and she only stays so she can do important work with charities.

* Nick and Honey from ''WhosAfraidOfVirginiaWoolf'', unlike George and Martha who fight bitterly in front of everyone, and yet they are too emotionally dependent on each other to seriously consider divorcing. They seem to be happily married, yet Nick only married Honey for her father's money (the fact that she was pregnant was a convenient excuse) and Honey is implied to have [[spoiler:aborted her baby after marrying Nick]], and when Honey drinks herself sick, Nick goes to bed with Martha.

* One of the themes in the song ''Dollhouse'' by Melanie Martinez is an unhappy marriage; the husband is cheating on the wife, and the wife simply goes with it; hiding it with expensive jewelry and alcohol.

* ''SteppingOnRoses'':
** Soichiro and Sumi's marriage [[spoiler: at first.]] Soichirou needs to get married to inherit his fortune, Sumi needs money to support her very poor family, and they reach an angreement over marrying without love.

* Stevie's parents apparently did this in ''MalcolmInTheMiddle'', to protect Stevie while he was still very much unwell. When she felt Stevie was now old and strong enough to handle it, Stevie's mom left her husband and Stevie.

* In the ''Series/{{Glee}}'' fanfic [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/291798 When The Lights Go Out, Will You Take Me With you?]], Blaine's parents have this, which works out well for them, since they both have jobs that include a lot of traveling. Basically, they avoid being in the same place at the same time, including the family's house in Ohio. Because of that, it takes them ''four months'' to realize that their 17-year-old son has run away and is now living with his boyfriend in New York.
* [[NobleBigot Starfall]] of ''Fanfic/SummerDaysAndEveningFlames'' has a complicated relationship with his wife. Since she's a pegasus who [[BrokenAngel lost her wings by a griffin attack]], he's held a view of her as "damaged goods" and is rather cold. He's actually the last person to realize this among his circle of coworkers.

* A common cliché of more cynical fanwork featuring [[Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia the Austro-Hungarian Empire]]. They tend to be of the DieForOurShip type as well, portraying Austria as an evil DomesticAbuser whom Hungary hates while she pretends to be happy and secretly pines for her ~True Love~ Prussia. Nevermind that WordOfGod states that even if not everything is perfect in their married life, Hungary actually accepted the engagement [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe since Austria treated her with more respect than their other neighbors]] (Prussia included), and how they seems to be pretty in love ''even after their divorce''.

* Nick and Honey from ''WhosAfraidOfVirginiaWoolf'', unlike George and Martha who fight bitterly in front of everyone, and yet they are too emotionally dependent on each other to seriously consider divorcing. They seem to be happily married, yet Nick only married Honey for her father's money (the fact that she was pregnant was a convenient excuse) and Honey is implied to have [[spoiler:aborted her baby after marrying Nick]], and when Honey drinks herself sick, Nick goes to bed with Martha.

* Oscar and Judie Valentine of the ''Lucy Valentine'' series are still married on paper. In fact, they're still good friends and occasional lovers, though they maintain separate residences, and Oscar tends to philander. But Oscar's family business is ''matchmaking'' and it would be a blow to the business -- and their wallets -- if the King of Love were revealed to be having a failure to achieve marital bliss. So they hang out together and do social events together to keep up appearances.
* Everett and Ivy Noble of ''Heroine Addiction'' are also still happily married on paper. Why? They're both superheroes, and the toast of the town to boot. But even juicier? [[spoiler: Everett actually left Ivy for a guy named Morris Kemp -- who is a supervillain, and one of the family's arch enemies.]] So they go through the motions in public of being happily married, including a date night.

* [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday King Christian]] and [[ArrangedMarriage Queen Isabel]] in ''Literature/KingdomOfLittleWounds''. They don't hate each other, but their marriage is not the miracle their daughter Sophia thinks it is.

* Stevie's parents apparently did this in ''MalcolmInTheMiddle'', to protect Stevie while he was still very much unwell. When she felt Stevie was now old and strong enough to handle it, Stevie's mom left her husband and Stevie.
* This is the situation behind ''LosExitososPells''. The husband is gay, the wife is just on there for the career bust, and both are planing to elope with their real love interest at the first chance, but both are forced to being together because their network contracts, and have to keep the happy charade for ratings sake. The hero, who is forced by the same network to secretly impersonate the husband after an accident, is quite on shock when he discovers all of the above.

* In the ''{{Glee}}'' fanfic [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/291798 When The Lights Go Out, Will You Take Me With you?]], Blaine's parents have this, which works out well for them, since they both have jobs that include a lot of traveling. Basically, they avoid being in the same place at the same time, including the family's house in Ohio. Because of that, it takes them ''four months'' to realize that their 17-year-old son has run away and is now living with his boyfriend in New York.

* A common cliché of more cynical fanwork featuring [[{{Hetalia}} the Austro-Hungarian Empire]]. They tend to be of the DieForOurShip type as well, potraying Austria as an evil DomesticAbuser whom Hungary hates while she pretends to be happy and secretly pines for her ~True Love~ Prussia. Nevermind that WordOfGod states that even if not everything is perfect in their married life, Hungary actually accepted the engagement [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe since Austria treated her with more respect than their other neighbors]] (Prussia included), and how they seems to be pretty in love ''even after their divorce''.

* In ''{{AGENCY}}'', [[spoiler: [[StarFox Fox and Krystal McCloud]]]] have a very rocky marriage, but they put on a happy face in public. They are, after all, heroes and have a young son to care for. [[SpongeBobSquarePants Sandy Cheeks]] is quick to pick up on this, but so far, the charade hasn't affected the plot much. With one of them kidnapped and held in an unknown location, it might not come up for a while.

* ''TheSimpsons'': Selma almost got into one of these with Troy [=McClure=], so he could salvage his career. But when he wanted to have a baby, that queered the deal for her.

* Maryse and Robert Lightwood in ''TheMortalInstruments'' only ''pretend'' to be HappilyMarried, when in reality their marriage has nearly fallen apart at least thrice: once when the Circle disbanded and Robert blamed their wrecked lives on Maryse, twice when [[spoiler: Robert was caught cheating (but Maryse told nobody save her daughter)]], and thrice when [[spoiler: their youngest son dies]]. The general distrust between her parents lead to Isabelle's "all-men-are-untrustable" attitude.

Sometimes the couple hates each other but pretends they're happy to the outside world.

** Soichiro and Sumi's marriage [[spoiler: at first.]]
** Nozomu also thinks this way towards his own marriage with Miu.

* A common cliché of more cynical fanwork featuring [[{{Hetalia}} the Austro-Hungarian Empire]]. They tend to be of the DieForOurShip type as well, specially in regards to Austria.

* ''WhosAfraidOfVirginiaWoolf'': Jury's still out on which of the two couples has the shakiest marriage. However, George and Martha make no pretence to having a happy marriage, fighting bitterly in front of everyone, and yet they are too emotionally dependent on each other to seriously consider divorcing. Nick and Honey, however, seem to be happily married, yet Nick only married Honey for her father's money (the fact that she was pregnant was a convenient excuse) and Honey is implied to have [[spoiler:aborted her baby after marrying Nick]], and when Honey drinks herself sick, Nick goes to bed with Martha.

* In ''DemoReel'', Donnie desperately tries to convince other (and even himself) that he is happily married with his very cold and distant wife, and as long as they are not in the same room he is almost convincing. But when you have a prenup that explicitly forbids you and your partner to appear together in family gatherings, that's quite the facade to maintain.

* ''WhosAfraidOfVirginiaWoolf'': Jury's still out on which of the two couples has the shakiest marriage.
** Though George and Martha have almost the opposite. They fight bitterly in front of everyone and yet would never genuinely leave the other, preferring to spend their life to making the other miserable. Nick and Honey however are this trope.

** Inverted in ''EvilUnderTheSun''. [[spoiler:Patrick and Christine are a happily married couple, but pretend their marriage is on the rocks in order to cover up their murder of Arlena.]]

** Soichiro and Sumi's marriage in [[spoiler: at first.]]