Dolph Lundgren Shares ‘Secret’ Behind His Strong Marriage To Wife Emma

Dolph Lundgren is dishing out relationship advice as he shares the “secret sauce” that guarantees a strong marriage.

The “Rocky IV” actor revealed that he has a “new recipe” for building strong romantic relationships, explaining that he gives his partner “a nice big hug” ten times a day.

Dolph Lundgren also touched on the impact of a person staying apart from their partner for too long, calling it a “recipe for disaster” in any marriage.

Lundgren seems to know a thing or two about building a strong relationship and is now sharing it with those who care to listen.

In a chat with Fox News, the Swedish actor revealed his “secret sauce” to a long-lasting marriage, which has led him to make “a new vow” in his own home.

Lundgren, 67, married Norwegian personal trainer Emma Krokdal, 29, in 2023, after which they both became American citizens the following year, with California being their home.

They have since partnered to launch the actor’s all-American Hard Cut Vodka, which was inspired by a date they had in the early days of their relationship.

“I have this new thing, I have to give her a hug, a nice big hug, 10 times a day,” Lundgren disclosed. “I try to get a few before lunch, so I still have some in the bank [throughout the day]. It sounds simple and a little goofy, but doing that neutralizes a lot of disagreements and misunderstandings. And it makes us both feel good. That’s my new recipe now.”

“When you have disagreements, somebody wants to be right, but the other person also wants to be right,” the actor continued. “But you have to make your partner feel good, even when you both have disagreements. That phrase [‘happy wife, happy life’] is true. You have to respect each other. You have to complement each other.”

Lundgren pointed out the negative effect the “distance” between partners can have on a home, tagging it as a “recipe for disaster” in most relationships.

Of course, with his busy schedule in his line of profession, Lundgren is usually away from his home, but as he explains, he has made it a point to form a “partnership” with his wife, “not just romantically, but also professionally.”

“I’m in a tough business,” he explained. “And in show business, you travel a lot. And I’m a hardworking guy. I think what’s helped us is that we work on things together. We work on the vodka together.”

“My wife has also helped me produce and develop movies. So, we have a partnership, not just romantically, but also professionally. That way, we don’t have to be apart a lot. And I value her opinions, her ideas,” he added.

Joint interest in a hobby also seems to be a relationship nugget that has worked well for Lundgren and Krokdal.

According to Fox News, the pair met at a Los Angeles Equinox and shared a mutual love for fitness before they started dating in 2019.

“My fitness routine these days, well, I think there are three parts to it,” Lundgren shared about his fitness regimen. “One is strength. I try to do weights about twice a week. The other one is cardio. I keep the heart rate up either by biking or just walking, or climbing stairs. The third one is functionality, because, as you get older, you lose some of your mobility.”

“And I found that floor Pilates, not with the machine, is really good for you,” he continued. “It’s a combination of gymnastics and core work. I find it really helpful, especially as you get older. I sometimes do martial arts for functionality, get some kicks in, but a combination of those three is important to me.”

Lundgren and Krokdal tied the knot in a private wedding ceremony in Mykonos. The couple got engaged in 2020 and finally married in front of a small group of family and friends in July 2023.

At the time, the couple spoke to People Magazine about their decision to marry and explained that they’d had to “push [their] marriage plans many times” because of Covid-19 and other health issues.

They noted, “We felt it was finally the right time to celebrate love, life, and happiness— in the land of the Gods.”

Lundgren was previously married to jewelry designer and stylist Anette Qviberg from 1994 until 2011.