The Vow: The true story of the real couple

The Vow, starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, is inspired by the true story of a real-life couple – here’s what you need to know.

Directed by Michael Sucsy, the 2012 movie follows Paige (McAdams) and Leo (Tatum), newlyweds whose lives are shaken by a dreadful accident: a truck hits their car, sending Paige flying through the windshield.

Both survive, but after emerging from a coma, Paige doesn’t remember anything from the past few years – including how she met and fell in love with Leo. Understandably, this becomes a huge source of tension between the two, especially when she reconnects with her past fiancé.

Clips from the movie have racked up millions of views on TikTok, and you may be curious about whether or not it’s based on real people – it is, and this is their story.

The Vow is inspired by a real-life couple

The Vow is (loosely) inspired by Kim and Krickett Carpenter. Two months after their wedding in 1993, a car crash left Krickett with brain trauma and no recollection of their relationship.

While her “faith in God remained intact,” Kim said (as per CBN) she struggled to remember anything about her husband. “As hard as it was, I knew God must have preserved her like this for some great purpose He could see that I couldn’t… regardless of how my wife felt about me, I still loved her,” he added, even likening Krickett to a “stranger” at times.

Kim brought Krickett home in April 1994. “There were moments I would get glimpses of the woman I had married that returned for a split second,” he recalled, but all hope wasn’t lost. “I figure if I fell in love with this guy before, I could do it again,” she said.

Encouraged by a counsellor to make new memories together rather than obsessing over the past, they essentially started dating all over again. Two years later, they re-married.

“I chose to love him, and obviously my love grew for him. He’s a wonderful invividual,” Krickett told Today in 2012.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. It turns out Kim had an affair, so Krickett filed for divorce.

“Kim was having an affair. I never thought that’s the road I would go down because I made a vow for life. It was shocking and surprising to me because we were so committed to each other and to the vow,” she said.

The Vow is available on-demand via Amazon Prime and other platforms.

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