"How AnnaLynne Tamed Danny Cipriani: Friends Reveal the Trait That ‘Hooked’ Him After Their Crowdfunded Wedding"

THEY have been on and off for a decade, survived a marriage to another woman and even a very public controversy over who should pay for their wedding.

But now and AnnaLynne McCord are finally husband and wife – and those closest to the former rugby star say there is one very simple reason they are still together.

in an intimate ceremony at their Los Angeles home this month, with former England rugby ace Danny, 38, and 90210 actress AnnaLynne, 39, surrounded by loved ones.

Yet their unusual journey to the altar is a far cry from the whirlwind romances that made Danny one of Britain’s most notorious celebrity heartthrobs.

Over the years, he has been linked to a string of famous women including , , , Cheeky Girl Monica Irimia and his former wife Victoria Rose O’Callaghan. So after years of holding up a reputation as a womaniser, it has come as a surprise to many that Danny has finally settled down.

But one source close to Danny has told The Sun that AnnaLynne succeeded where others could not – by giving him the freedom to be himself and, crucially, never chasing him.

Our insider said: “Danny has spent years being pursued by women. He’s always been the one the ladies wanted, and that attention was so much it became part of his identity and had a real impact on his life.

“But AnnaLynne was completely different. She never chased him, never tried to pin him down and never made him feel like she needed him to complete her life.

“She was sworn off marriage and didn’t care about it. Danny loved that and made it his goal to persuade her to be his wife.”

The couple first met on celebrity dating app Raya around ten years ago and went on to enjoy a four-year on-off relationship. But their first attempt at love came to an abrupt end in 2020 when Danny called AnnaLynne to tell her that another woman, Victoria, was pregnant.

Victoria, a neuroscience practitioner, tragically suffered a miscarriage at 14 weeks but the pair went on to wed in 2021. They later separated, with the marriage finally ending in divorce in 2023. And it was then that AnnaLynne made the first move.

When news of Danny’s split became public, she reached out to her former flame and the pair rekindled their romance in 2024. AnnaLynne has previously said Danny told her he had loved her since the day they met.

The source said her attitude throughout was simple.

“She’s a total free spirit and there’s something incredibly magnetic about that,” they said.

“Her attitude was always, ‘If you love something, let it go.’ She knew that if Danny was meant to come back to her, he would. And deep down, she was confident that one day he would.

“That was completely different from what Danny had experienced before.”

Our insider claimed Danny had become accustomed to relationships where he felt women wanted to hold on tightly to him.

They continued: “With some of the women from his past, there was a real sense that they had quickly grown obsessed with him and wanted to hold on to him. Whether it was Victoria or Katie Price, Danny was often the one being pursued – and when he felt someone wanted too much from him, his instinct was to run. AnnaLynne never gave him that feeling.

“She was never going to beg him to stay. She was never going to chase him down the street or demand his attention. She had her own life, her own world and her own sense of who she was. And that completely turned the tables on Danny.

“Suddenly, he was the one doing the chasing. He was the one who couldn’t get enough of her.”

Indeed, the couple’s relationship has been anything but conventional.

Their romance briefly appeared to be over again in early 2025 before they reconciled – and this time Danny decided he wanted to make things permanent.

On Christmas Day, he got down on one knee in front of the tree at AnnaLynne’s home and .

But getting to the wedding day came with its own drama. Rather than staging the huge celebrity bash many might have expected, the pair opted for an “elegant bohemian” ceremony in the back garden of their LA home.

AnnaLynne wore a sheer white lace floral gown with an embroidered veil, while Danny opted for an all-black suit. The night before, they enjoyed a pre-wedding dinner at West Hollywood restaurant Katana, looking every inch the loved-up couple.

But their wedding plans had already become a talking point after they decided to

The couple created a page on US wedding platform Honeyfund, asking friends and family to contribute towards individual elements of their big day.

Guests could donate between $100 (£75) and $600 (£445), with requests ranging from the marriage licence and wedding cake to catering, photography, booze and even construction of the wedding venue.

AnnaLynne believed the page was only visible to their guests. Instead, it was publicly accessible – and the backlash was fierce.

She later claimed thatover the decision.

Speaking to The Sun from a Hollywood hotel, she said: “I was told I was despicable – and that I was trying to extort money from my wedding guests.

“People actually donated ten dollars towards the wedding so they could write on the site that Danny and I were disgusting. There were even death threats.”

Despite the controversy, guests contributed towards the marriage licence, music, cake and flowers, although a number of the more expensive requests remained unfulfilled after the ceremony.

And ultimately, the couple got the wedding they wanted. Their unconventional approach perhaps sums up their relationship – that is something pals say has always attracted Danny to AnnaLynne.

The source said: “She is absolutely spellbinding to him. There’s something magical about AnnaLynne that he just can’t get away from. He knows she would be OK without him – and that is exactly what makes him want to be with her even more.

“Danny was used to women wanting him. Now he’s the one who is completely hooked on a woman who doesn’t need to chase him.”

And Danny’s romantic history certainly makes the transformation notable.

He began dating Monica Irimia in 2007, although the relationship ended amid claims he had cheated with glamour model Larissa Summers.

Monica later warned to steer clear of him, telling the Daily Star: “He doesn’t want a steady relationship.”

A few years later, Danny was linked to Lindsay Lohan after the pair met in LA in 2010, although their romance amounted to little more than a handful of dates. By the following year he had moved on to Katie Price, in another high-profile relationship which ended amid allegations of infidelity and later became the subject of some very public digs from Katie.

Danny subsequently dated Victoria, eventually marrying her after she became pregnant with their child. But that marriage also ended, paving the way for AnnaLynne’s return.

Now, however, the source says Danny has finally found someone who has ‘tamed’ him.

They said: “She tamed him by being completely herself – and by giving him the freedom to choose her. Danny knows that if he ever walked away, AnnaLynne would let him. But he also knows he’d be absolutely mad to.”

And the newlyweds aren’t stopping at one ceremony. The couple are planning two further celebrations – one in London and another in Cambodia at the famous Angkor Wat temple.

After a decade of false starts, dramatic break-ups and a revolving door of famous exes, it seems Danny has finally found the one.