Matthew McConaughey reveals bedroom secret that’s kept his 13-year marriage with Camila Alves alive

Matthew McConaughey revealed the one bedroom secret that has kept his 13-year marriage with Camila Alves alive.

The 55-year-old Oscar winner – who shares three children with the Brazilian-American model – opened up about the topic in his new book titled Poems & Prayers which hit shelves on September.

The couple tied the knot back in 2012 and are parents to Levi, 17, Vida, 15, and Livingston, 12.

In his latest book, McConaughey wrote: ‘The best thing you can / do for your / marriage. One way to surely / get ahead, / is get rid of that / king-size mattress, / and sleep in a / queen-size bed.’

The Interstellar actor further reflected on the importance of down-sizing the mattress during an interview with the Fox News Digital.

‘We have kids and we go to our friend’s house and he has one of these double king-size beds put together and all the kids sleep in the bed,’ he expressed.

Matthew McConaughey, 55, revealed the one bedroom secret that has kept his 13-year marriage with Camila Alves alive; seen earlier this month in Toronto

In his latest book, McConaughey wrote: ‘The best thing you can / do for your / marriage. One way to surely / get ahead, / is get rid of that / king-size mattress, / and sleep in a / queen-size bed’; seen in January in Saudi Arabia

‘The wife’s on one side with her side table, and the husband’s on the other side, and it’s great when you got all three kids, but all of a sudden the kids get too big. They’re out of the bed.’

McConaughey then explained waking up one day to see how far his wife was from him in their bed.

‘Then you go to bed at night, like you want to snuggle up and …”Well, we’ve got to cover you up. Come about 12 feet and I’ll come 12 feet.”‘

The star remembered thinking ‘this d**n king-size bed is not good for the marriage, man. Get rid of that son of a b****.

‘So we got a queen size where we’re shoulder to shoulder. I’m telling you, it’s good for your marriage.’

McConaughey first crossed paths with Alves while at a nightclub in West Hollywood in 2006 – and the pair sparked up a romance soon after.

Five years later, he popped the big question to the model on Christmas Day and gave insight into the sweet moment during a past interview with People.

‘It was the last gift to be opened, and I wrapped it in seven different boxes so Camila would have to keep unwrapping,’ he said of the engagement ring.

‘So we got a queen size where we’re shoulder to shoulder. I’m telling you, it’s good for your marriage,’ the Oscar winner said

Five years later, he popped the big question to the model on Christmas Day and gave insight into the sweet moment during a past interview with People; seen earlier this month in Toronto

‘She got the ring. I took a knee and asked her to marry me and take my name. After a bit, she conceded…thankfully.’

McConaughey and Alves said ‘I do’ the following year in June 2012 during a romantic ceremony in Austin, Texas.

Other celebrity guests were in attendance on the big day such as Reese Witherspoon and Woody Harrelson.

While previously talking to People, the star credited his three children he shares with Alves for bettering him as an actor.

‘Having children, I know, has made me a better artist and a better actor. Kids see things for the first time all the time.’

The Dallas Buyers Club star added, ‘Their questions are innocent. I’ve become a better storyteller because I have kids.’

McConaughey also talked about his secret to his longtime marriage to Alves while appearing on the Australian talk show Today Extra in 2021.

‘Don’t make a straight line crooked,’ the True Detective actor said. ‘If things are going well, keep catching green lights.’

‘Don’t make a straight line crooked,’ the True Detective actor said. ‘If things are going well, keep catching green lights’

Earlier this year in April, the couple made a rare appearance with all three of their children at the 2025 Mack, Jack and McConaughey Gala in Austin (seen above)

He then added, ‘If they’re not, deal with them soon so they don’t bubble up and get you later.’

McConaughey and his wife have appeared at star-studded events together as well as on the glitzy red carpet.

Earlier this year in April, the couple made a rare appearance with all three of their children at the 2025 Mack, Jack and McConaughey Gala in Austin.

The actor has been keeping busy and recently published his new book Poems & Prayers on September 16.

It is ‘an inspiring, faith-filled, and often hilarious collection of personal poetry and prayers about navigating the rodeo of life and chasing down the original dream, belief,’ per an official synopsis.

The actor has been keeping busy and recently published his new book Poems & Prayers on September 16; seen on Tuesday in NYC while carrying his new book

McConaughey is no stranger to writing and released his best-selling memoir Greenlights in 2020.

When it came to his most recent book, the star told Texas Standard, ‘I found myself in a world now where I’m looking around at facts and evidence and going like, “Oh man, I’m not seeing so many reasons to believe,”‘ referencing to his faith.

‘And so, I said, well, look, you’re writing poems, writing prayers. Those are ideals. Those are pursuits that are not necessarily in reality, but you can get reality from them.’

He added, ‘So I said “Well, let’s lean into that.” And I looked down and found a bunch of poems and prayers from my past and wrote a bunch a new ones. And that’s what I’ve got in this book. And hopefully it’s worth sharing.’