Pick your poison!

CHRISSY TEIGEN: I like whatever! What do you guys want?

We hear you like martinis?

CHRISSY: We could do a dirty one? These sneak up on you too because they are kind of like a meal with the olives, but really they’re not at all. Oh God, please tell me they have bleu cheese olives — I hope they do!

JOHN LEGEND: I have a show tonight so I’ll just have a hot chamomile tea, please.

Well, cheers! Thanks for having a drink with us while you’re in town. Having been together seven years before tying the knot, has newlywed life changed much?

JOHN: We got married on September 14th and had already been together for seven years, like you said, but I actually do think it does make things different.

CHRISSY: Oh, really!? Do tell!

JOHN: I think when you declare it to your family and friends and it’s official they have more respect for your relationship.

CHRISSY: Yeah, that part is nice. It actually makes other people treat you differently, but we don’t treat one another any differently. Aside from that not much has changed, we were together for a very long time. I still feel like such a dork saying, “My husband,” though. Especially because he is well-known, I feel like I just have to call him John.

JOHN: Calling her my wife was the easy part. I like that it’s official.

Favorite part of the actual wedding day?

CHRISSY: I have to admit, I think I did do one too many dress changes. I ended up being stuck in hair and makeup for a lot of it, which kind of sucked because I could hear the party happening. But gosh, I just loved how everything turned out and I loved looking up at the lights. I tried to be very present and in the moment because all I had heard from people was how quickly it flies by and how you don’t end up remembering things as much so I really just tried to be there for it. I think the dinner was my favorite part of the night and when we wove through everybody making our rounds.

JOHN: Yeah, that part was fun. Everything was so nice, I really loved the whole day.

Who got the most tipsy at the reception?

CHRISSY: My brother, definitely. At one point I truly think he just pulled his seat up to the bar. I was lucky because I messed up by getting really drunk at the rehearsal dinner.

JOHN: She doesn’t remember much of the rehearsal dinner, but at the wedding she was very sober!

CHRISSY: Much!? I don’t remember anything about the rehearsal dinner! On the day of the wedding I was so upset with myself for being so hungover from the night before. The rehearsal dinner was crazy. I mean, there are pictures of me lying on the ground with a bulldog, just some random bulldog that had been walking through Lake Como. Brooklyn [Decker] and I [both have bulldogs] so when we saw one we ran outside and were just rolling around on the floor with it.

As a nine-time Grammy winner,  is there anything that still makes you insecure?

JOHN: For me there’s insecurity when you’re releasing an album because you spend all of this time working on that one thing and then once it’s done, it’s done. After you put it out there to the public you never know which songs are going to work or even if the album is going to work as a whole so there is a little bit of nervousness around predicting what the numbers will be and if it’s going to be well- received. Once I’m on tour there are much less nerves. With “Love in the Future” I feel really comfortable with the songs and the music, especially now that it’s been out for awhile. We had a huge hit with “All of Me” and everywhere we went it was selling out immediately. Now it’s just a celebration. Now I just want to go out there and have a good time!

A decade after your first hit, “All of Me” is still going strong at 34 weeks on the charts. With Chrissy as your muse, is it ever used to your advantage to get out of the dog house?

JOHN: [Laughs] No, it wouldn’t work! Believe me. You just need time.

CHRISSY: Trust me, it wouldn’t work! Nothing works — dog house is dog house. Honestly, I will say that “All of Me” has been a bit of a curse because now none of my friends want to hear me complain about John. All because of this song!

But to have someone sing to the world about “all of your perfect imperfections” has to feel good.

JOHN: She can’t complain about anything, I agree!

CHRISSY: Don’t even get me started. It’s the worst because every time I try to complain about him my friends are like, “Yeah, but he did that song.” I’m like, “Who cares!?” I know it’s a nice song, it’s a great song and I love it, it’s beautiful and I cried but trust me at the end of the day he’s still a man and he’s still going to anger you.

Last thing you argued about?

CHRISSY: You mean like 15 minutes ago? [Laughs] We’re such nerds that we literally just got in a fight about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

JOHN: She was not happy that I didn’t set it aside in our schedule to go to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. I have a show that night so we can’t go. What was I thinking? I guess I wasn’t thinking necessarily! We only fight about the little things, just day-to-day life things.

Why do you think so many high-profile couples can’t make it last?

JOHN: I think a lot of it is because when you’re in our position you’re used to having everything you want right away and not having to compromise. I think some people don’t want to put in the work during the hard times to make it work. ​W​e’re so used to having everything we want at our fingertips so I think that when things get tough it’s ​difficult ​for people to persist through that. That’s my theory.​ B​ut I’ve only been married ​for ​six months​, ​so what do I know​?​

CHRISSY: The short marriages thing is just insane to me. I mean, I can’t even imagine ever not being with you now. It’s crazy. Plus it’s almost like, “Jeez, I’ve got to stick it out now that we’ve done this much!” I also think that a lot of people are always striving for bigger and better. People are always wondering if the grass is greener and then they’ll​ start hearing things or meeting other people [and the relationship unravels]. But for me personally I don’t know what could be greener than John, he is perfect for me. Except I do want to go to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner!

JOHN: Right, I can’t imagine my life without you either. I have reached the pinnacle ​of the perfect girl for me.​ But see, if you dated other guys they probably couldn’t get you to the White House as often as I have, right? [Laughs] You really just have to decide that you’re not going to get divorced and then make it work.​

When you first met on the set of your “Stereo” video, were there any games in the beginning or did you know right away?

JOHN: No, we didn’t play any games. When we first met w​e were​ both​ seeing other people at the time so ​for a little while in ​the beginning​​ ​we weren’t really committed to each other.​ ​After we met I left to go on tour in Europe. At first​ we just texted a lot and saw each other rarely, but when we did see one another the sparks flew.

What is the longest you will go without seeing one another now?

JOHN: Usually only a few days, no more than that. The longest amount of time we’ve spent apart I think was three weeks while I was on tour in Australia and New Zealand and she couldn’t fly out because she was working. Mostly it’s no more than five or six days.

CHRISSY: That was when I was filming “Snack Off”. I’m not used to a set schedule like that and I love it, but that was difficult being away from each other for that long. Luckily I was so busy that I didn’t really have time to think about it that much.

As this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Cosmopolitan cover girl, you’re used to being in front of the camera. Was foraying into TV to host MTV’s “Snack Off” an easy transition?

CHRISSY: We were just talking about this actually. Three years ago I would have been terrified to go on a show like “The Chew” or “The View”. I would have been shaking and sweating. There was actually a pill that I used to take to stop me from sweating because I would get so nervous that I would be covered in sweat, under my nose and all over my arms. I would be so scared! Now that kind of stuff is nothing to me. I do still get very nervous to interview people though, so I could never do what you guys do. There are certain environments like “The Chew” that I love to be in because it’s such a fun dynamic, they all really love each other and make you feel so comfortable. I think when you feel like an outsider that’s when it’s nerve-wracking … I love doing television but there is so much that goes along with it, it’s definitely a process. You don’t want to miss an opportunity, but also it’s hard because there are so many people out there competing for the same thing. It’s a bit daunting.

You’ve made headlines for being unfiltered and fearless in sharing aspects of your life that many people can relate to. It’s a breath of fresh air!

JOHN: [Smiles] I agree.

CHRISSY: Oh, shush! He just wants me to make my own money so I splurge less! But thank you for saying that, you really can’t win sometimes though because there are always certain people who will think that me posting something like [a picture of my stretch marks] is “trying” like, “Ugh, you’re just trying to relate so badly,” or, “You just want to be so cool.” It’s almost like the Anne Hathaway or Jennifer Lawrence thing where people love them but also they think that they’re trying too hard all of the time. You just can’t win.

Where do you keep your cover issues, by the way? This year they’re piling up.

CHRISSY: I have so many different sizes, it’s so weird! They keep sending me giant versions and it’s like, what am I supposed to do with that stuff? So those are in the studio with his platinum records.

JOHN: And we have the magazine versions on the coffee table.

CHRISSY: But they are creatives too, so it’s the same brain. I have a core group of girls that are just amazing, especially in New York. I have a few in L.A. but they all have kids now. We love making new friends and getting to know new couples. We’re pretty open to double dating and meeting new people, but I am definitely very aware of the people who try to come into my life now.

With houses in New York and L.A., where do you call home?

CHRISSY: Oh, I love New York. New York definitely feels more like home.

JOHN: We have more friends in New York, more restaurants we love and just more of a life that we love there. We were living in the East Village but recently moved to a new place in the Little Italy area.

Can you get away with going unnoticed more often in a city like New York?​

JOHN: No, it’s the same.

CHRISSY: Well, I think people know where to go in L.A. to get bugged. If you’re going to go to Robertson Boulevard and have a meal at The Ivy, you’re going to get bothered. We don’t really leave the house that often. When we go to Barneys in L.A. that’s really the only time we get bothered and at the airport.

When Oprah is coming to your home for “Oprah’s Next Chapter“, what goes on before you open the doors to the cameras that the viewers don’t get to see?

CHRISSY: I flew in for that so everything was already being done before I got there. I pulled up, I was so tired and I did not expect to walk in and have my home be a sound stage! My parents were living with us at the time and I went into their room and it was like pitch black and they were huddled together. They were too scared to go out! They had never seen anything like that before and were so nervous to meet Oprah. Our couch was raised a foot higher, there were studio lights up on the ceiling. It looked like “Late Show with David Letterman”. We have a tiny three-bedroom house, it’s not very big at all. I think there were really probably 60 people at the house.

JOHN: All that to make it look natural!

If you could have a drink with anyone, who would it be?

CHRISSY: Oh gosh, that’s so hard. It’s hard because anyone I respect enough I would be very nervous to have drinks with so I wouldn’t be myself. On my perfect day, best mood and not nervous?

Exactly. Or having the opportunity to get personal with someone like Angelina Jolie.

JOHN: Ooh, now that sounds fun!

CHRISSY: Who are you thinking, John?

JOHN: I don’t know. The thing is, I think we could have drinks with just about anybody who’s alive so I feel like we should pick somebody who is dead. I would love to meet Marvin Gaye.

CHRISSY: I am really leaning towards comedians. Amy Poehler, Tina Fey or Jerry Seinfeld would be amazing to talk to. Actually, you know what? We probably already did do this but Dave Chappelle would be so great to have a drink with.

JOHN: We already have had drinks with Dave! But, I would really want to have a one-on-one and know what’s going on in his head because everybody’s wondering what’s up with Dave and why he’s not out there working as much anymore. We were actually just talking about how “Chappelle’s Show” was one of the greatest comedy shows ever and it only lasted three years so you just wonder what’s going on.

What continues to motivate you? 

JOHN: I’m so lucky that I get to have people cheer for me almost everyday. It’s very exciting to know that you make people happy and that you give people excitement when they come to your shows, you really get to please them and get that feedback from them. It really still is so motivating and inspiring to know that I have audiences that love what I do and that I get to do it almost everyday. It’s pretty cool.

CHRISSY: We’ve had this talk before and I actually want to try to capitalize on things more. I am so lucky that I have every outlet to make everything I want to do possible, so you just try to make the most of it, have fun and try to do what you love doing. John gets to do what he loves doing. I want to do what I love doing, but I’m also still trying to figure that out, so he’s a few steps ahead of me on that end. I just want to do the best I can for this life. We’re too lucky to not enjoy it.

JOHN: YOLO!

PHOTOGRAPHY / KIRSTEN MICCOLI