Slideshow: Staying power of black celebrity couples

SLIDESHOW - These relationships often appear glamorous and effortless, but only time will tell if the foundation of these couples is strong enough to endure...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Years ago celebrity couples like Brad Bitt and Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones dominated the entertainment headlines. But in 2011 it seems that black is the new power celebrity match.

Last year Beyonce and Jay-Z topped Forbes list as Hollywood’s highest-earning couple, bringing in a combined $122 million dollars. The president and first lady of our country, are arguably one of the most notable, esteemed and well recognizable couples the world over.

From the outside looking in, these relationships often appear glamorous and effortless, but only time will tell if the foundation of these couples is strong enough to endure and last a lifetime.

The future of our current black celebrity couples is still unknown and several questions linger; why are they great together? What are their problem areas? What is the future prediction for the couple — will they make it or break it?

To answer these questions we enlisted the help of relationship therapist and best selling Author of How to Love a Black Man, Dr. Ronn Elmore , clinical psychologist and NBC News contributor Dr. Jeff Gardere , and Demetria Lucas, relationships editor at Essence Magazine and author of A Belle in Brooklyn: Advice for Living Your Single Life & Enjoying Mr. Right Now.

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