For Will Packer, the romance on screen in his latest film is not just a professional project it is deeply personal.
The veteran producer, 52, attended the New York City premiere of the newly released romcom You, Me & Tuscany on April 8, and he did not go alone. His wife of more than 10 years, Heather Hayslett, was right by his side for what the couple had declared an official date night. It was a fitting setting: Packer has credited Hayslett as the very reason he signed on to produce the film in the first place.
How a boat ride turned into a decade long love story
The couple’s origin story has the kind of serendipitous quality that would not feel out of place in the film they were there to celebrate. Packer and Hayslett first crossed paths in 2009 at the ESSENCE Festival, meeting during a boat ride. Four years later, he proposed, and in 2015, the two exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony held in Atlanta.
In the years since, Packer has spoken warmly about what makes their bond so enduring. He has described Hayslett not only as the love of his life but as his closest companion someone whose presence transforms even his most solitary moments into something worth savoring. The sentiment has clearly stuck.
The 3 qualities Packer says make the difference
When asked at the premiere what the secret was to keeping a marriage strong over so many years, Packer did not hesitate. For him, it comes down to three things: 1) honesty, 2) trust and 3) communication. He also emphasized the importance of truly knowing that your partner has your back a level of loyalty he described as genuinely rare and something he believes has directly fueled his professional success as well.
He also stressed the importance of intentionality in a relationship, noting that keeping things special does not happen by accident. Even something as simple as treating a film premiere as a proper date night reflects a mindset the couple seems to have embraced: that love, however long it has been going, deserves to be treated with care and attention.
A love celebrated publicly and privately
Hayslett has been equally vocal about her feelings for her husband. On April 11, she marked Packer’s birthday with an affectionate tribute on Instagram, describing him in layered, enthusiastic terms her best friend, her comedian, her dance partner and the love of her life, all rolled into one. It was a public expression of a private bond that the couple has nurtured steadily over the years.
Packer also has four children: son Dominique, daughters Maya and Nija and son Zion. He was previously married to Nina Packer from 2001 to 2009.
Why romcoms matter to Packer beyond the box office
You, Me & Tuscany stars Halle Bailey, 26, as Anna, a woman who travels to Italy to stay at an abandoned villa belonging to a man she met at a bar named Matteo, played by Lorenzo de Moor. The story takes a sharp turn when Anna is caught by Matteo’s family and finds herself pretending to be his fiancée just as she begins to develop feelings for his charming cousin Michael, portrayed by Regé-Jean Page.
For Packer, the film represents something larger than its storyline. He has long believed that romantic comedies occupy a uniquely powerful space in cinema precisely because they ask audiences to do something universal: believe in love. In his view, that is a message with no expiration date, one that transcends age, background and generation.
It is a conviction that, based on his own marriage, he appears to live by just as much as he produces by.
You, Me & Tuscany is in theaters now.
EXCLUSIVE : PEOPLE
