Since his breakout role in Dazed and Confused in 1993, Matthew McConaughey has become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. His charming accent, down-to-earth personality, and incredible acting skills are probably to thank for that.

Despite his successful career, the actor’s personal life has not always been smooth-going. In fact, in his 2020 memoir, McConaughey revealed that he didn’t speak to his mother for eight years because she would continually leak their private conversations to the press. Although the pair made up after the actor set some serious boundaries, things were never the same between them.

As it turns out, McConaughey’s wife, Camila Alves, also had several run-ins with the actor’s mother. The model and designer revealed that her mother-in-law was downright hostile to her when she began dating the actor. But are they on better terms now?

Matthew McConaughey Didn’t Think He’d Find “Unconditional Love” Before Meeting Camila Alves

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves have been married for over a decade now and are still going strong. But how did this celebrity couple meet in the first place?

As it turns out, the couple met, by sheer coincidence, at the West Hollywood nightclub Hyde in 2006. And it was love at first sight for the Dallas Buyers Club actor. “She showed up, and she moved right to left in front of my eyes across that club,” McConaughey told PEOPLE. “It was as if she was floating. And I did not say, ‘Who is that?’ I said, ‘What is that?’ And then introduced myself. Since that evening, I have not wanted to spend time with any other woman.”

Despite speaking different languages, the two got along just fine, and a year later, they made their relationship official. In 2008, the couple welcomed their first son, Levi Alves McConaughey, and two years later, they had their daughter Vida Alves McConaughey. However, the pair didn’t tie the knot until 2012, in an extravagant, three-day ceremony held at their home in Austin, Texas.

Now, with three children and a decade together, the couple seems more in love than ever. But before meeting the Brazilian model and entrepreneur, McConaughey wasn’t sure he’d ever find love. “I mean, the clock was ticking — I was about to be 40 and my plan was to be married and have kids by that age,” McConaughey admitted. “But I didn’t want to play the game of starting to feel anxious because, with too much anxiety, you can’t find a mate. And then you make a hasty decision.” Luckily, he found the one pretty quickly.

Matthew McConaughey’s Mother Was Rude To Camila Alves When She First Started Dating the Actor

In a recent interview, Camila Alves revealed that the relationship with her mother-in-law, Mary Kathlene ‘Kay’ McCabe, didn’t get a good start. The actor’s mother would be purposely rude to Alves in order to test her.

“She did all these things when I first came in the picture, right? She was really testing me. I mean, really testing me,” the Brazilian model revealed in an episode of the Southern Living’s Biscuits & Jam podcast. “She would call me by all of Matthew’s ex-girlfriends’ names, she would start speaking Spanish with me in a very broken way, kind of putting [me] down a bit. I mean, all kinds of stuff.”

Despite McCabe’s downright hostile attitude towards her, Alves never considered ending things with McConaughey. In fact, she would go out of her way to build a good relationship with her mother-in-law. Luckily, things worked out for her!

McCabe finally accepted Alves as part of her family after a certain incident. The model revealed that, years ago, she got a gig in Istanbul with free first-class tickets and a stay at a luxury hotel. And she decided to take her MIL with her to work things out.

“The whole way there, the whole plane ride to Istanbul, she was telling me all these stories and putting all these things in my head,” Alves explained. “When we landed, I was like, ‘Okay, all right. Let me buckle up. Let me get ready for this situation.’”

After a while, Alves got tired of her MIL’s attitude and decided to do something about it. “I just [flipped] it on her and brought my spicy Brazilian, Latin side, and I let her have it. So I went back at her, and we had it back and forth, back and forth,” she admitted. In the end, “She just looked at me and she was like, ‘Okay. Now you’re in,’” Alves explained, adding, “All she wanted was for me to fight back.”

Are Camila Alves And Matthew McConaughey’s Mom Close Now?

Camila Alves’ relationship with Matthew McConaughey’s mother greatly improved after their trip to Istanbul. “From that day on, that night on, we have the most amazing relationship, and I have so much respect for her,” Alves explained. “She has so much respect for me.”

Additionally, in 2020, the pair admitted to having a close bond although “it took some work” to get to where they are today. However, the model also admitted that things “can get tricky sometimes.” Luckily, they “always end with a good laugh and a joke.”