Pauletta Washington turned down Denzel's marriage proposal twice

NEW YORK, July 31 (UPI) -- Denzel Washington's wife, Pauletta, says the U.S. actor proposed to her three times before she married him 30 years ago.

Denzel, 58, and Pauletta, 62, are the parents of four children.

Asked if it was true she turned down Denzel's first two marriage proposals before accepting the third one, Pauletta told "Access Hollywood,"Yes."

"Twice!" Denzel corrected. "It was three times?"

"It was three times. I know with age sometimes things [go], the mind," Pauletta teased her husband.

"Why was it twice? Why would I have to ask again?" Denzel said.

"Because I said no," Pauletta told him.

"You heard it here first," Denzel said. "She turned me down, she said no. And since it was three times, that means she turned me down twice."

"That's true. I turned you down twice and the third time we did it," said Pauletta, without explaining what he did right that last time.

Denzel's new movie "2 Guns" opens nationwide Friday.