How Cameron Diaz fell in love with ‘hot’ husband Benji Madden

Over a year after Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden surprised fans by tying the knot in an intimate ceremony at their home, the actress is opening up about their whirlwind romance.

During a SiriusXM Town Hall about her new health book Longevity, Diaz denied tabloid reports that the couple only had a 17-day engagement, though she admitted with a giggle that they were only betrothed for about three months before marrying.

“You really know you’re in love with someone if you’re like, yeah, no, this is it,” host Andy Cohen said.

“Yeah, it’s one of those things where everybody tells you you just know when you know, and I was always like, what does that mean? What does that mean?” she said. “And I was like oh, I get it, you just know when you know. You’re my husband.”

Diaz, 43, also recounted how the Good Charlotte rocker first caught her eye.

“I was like, he’s hot!” she told Cohen, 47.

The couple met when Nicole Richie’s husband Joel Madden brought his twin brother along to a barbecue at Diaz’s house.

“He walked in the door, and I was like, you!” she said, laughing.

Before settling down, Diaz was linked to A-listers including actor Matt Dillon, singer Justin Timberlake and baseball player Alex Rodriguez.

“I look back at the guys you’ve dated, and I’m like, good for her, she dated a lot of hot guys,” Cohen said.

“Nothing matters now that I have my husband,” Diaz replied. I don’t even remember any of that … and that’s how I know he’s my husband. No one compares. Everything else just kind of washes and slips away. You realize, oh right, this is what the real thing is. This is what real love is, this is what real commitment and devotion is. This is the person that you build your life with.”

The Longevity Book is on shelves now, and the Town Hall premieres on Radio Andy (Ch.102) Friday at 8 a.m. ET.