Meg Ryan’s return to the world of rom-com has sent her fans into a frenzy who are more than excited to see their favorite rom-com queen appear on the big screen. Ryan will be starring opposite Californication star, David Duchovny, in the forthcoming film, What Happens Later, which is scheduled to release on Oct. 13, 2023.
While the casting choice and the plot that revolves around a retrospective reflection on the past relationships of two middle-aged people have reinforced popular enthusiasm and shifted all public focus to Ryan, many people have expressed their interest in revisiting the actress’s past life which includes her marriage and relationships. Let’s shed some light on it.
Ryan’s marriage and divorce with Dennis Quaid (1991-2001)
The When Harry Met Sally star met Dennis Quaid on the set of the 1987 movie, Innerspace, and after four years of dating, they tied the knot in 1991. The pair separated after nine years in 2000 and were officially divorced in 2001.
At that time, it was speculated Ryan’s affair with her Proof of Life co-star, Russel Crowe, was instrumental in the end of their relationship. The former couple announced their separation when the movie was being filmed. In the same year, intimate photos of both Crowe and Ryan began to circulate in tabloids, sparking rumors and gossip.
It’s true that the Sleepless in Seattle star had to bear the massive burden of the end of their marriage, but according to her, infidelity was not a new development in their marriage. Ryan told InStyle about how Dennis was responsible for their breakup as throughout their marriage, he remained unfaithful to her. Speaking further, she said on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2006 that her marriage was toxic, and Crowe had absolutely no role in their breakup.
“My marriage was a … very unhealthy marriage. I probably should have left it much earlier. I was very sad that it came apart in the way it seemed to have. It was never about another man. It was just about what my and Dennis’ relationship couldn’t sustain. I think once the tabloids get a hold of three celebrity names you’re just really in trouble … I didn’t leave my marriage for Russell Crowe. I left my marriage.”
Later, Quaid opened up and took accountability for the divorce, saying that he found it difficult to cope with Ryan’s immense stardom in the mid-90s. Her success bothered him and adversely impacted their marriage. Speaking on the subject, he said:
“When we started, I was very much on top. She was just starting out. Then she had When Harry Met Sally and I took time out and the roles were suddenly reversed in terms of where we were at, in our careers. I’m too big of a person to really let that bother me and it wasn’t her fault. I was glad for her, but at the same time it really made it hit home where I was at myself, the direction things were headed.”
All these serious issues aside, the duo seems to have carried on with their respective lives. They share a son, Jack Quaid, who is the leading star of the cult hit Prime series, The Boys.
Meg Ryan’s relationship with John Mellencamp (2010-2019)
Ryan and Mellencamp were romantically linked in 2010 — until the duo called off their relationship in 2014 before rekindling their romance two years later. They announced their engagement in 2018.
Throughout their relationship, they publicly applauded each other. Speaking to NBC’s Today after their engagement, Mellencamp called Ryan the “funniest woman” he had ever met. Later, Ryan in an interview with The New York Times shared that the relationship felt ‘alien’ to her. Speaking of which, she said:
“What’s great about now is that John and I are so free to have fun. Maybe that freedom is about being a million years old. But I sometimes think relationships are for aliens. Who does it? Who can do it? I don’t know how any of us ever do.”
The pair called off their engagement in 2019, and as per Us Weekly, the When Harry Met Sally star had ‘no regrets’ about the end of their relationship. Even though the cause of their breakup was unknown, Mellencamp opened up to Esquire four years later and gave a glimpse into the reason for their break which, according to him, was a lack of love from Ryan’s side.
As of now, there’s no evidence of her dating anyone — at least in public.