Sarah Jessica Parker 7 Difficult Years with Robert Downey Jr.: Romance Rewind

Long before her marriage Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker counting Robert Downey Jr Like her great love – but it is not surprising that their relationship was not easy. Two child stars move in together at 18 after a few weeks of dating – what could go wrong? Let's find out…

How did you start?

Both just 18 years old — they're now 59, with their birthdays 10 days apart — Parker and Downey Jr. met on the set of a teen movie The firstborn Back in 1984. A childhood actor and well-known faces in the Brat Pack scene of that era, things quickly got serious: they moved in together in Los Angeles after just a few weeks of dating.

How long did it last?

Parker was basically a saint: she stayed with Downey Jr., through his well-documented drug abuse issues, for seven full years. While the romance included iconic '80s fashions, great movie roles and glamorous parties, it was also seven years of heartache, addiction, fear and stress, with clean living. Sex and the City Najma says The New Yorker in 2023 that the relationship made her “feel like a 22-year-old mother.”

How did it end?

The couple divorced in 1991, and Parker realized she couldn't help her charming, charismatic but deeply troubled love anymore. She returned to New York where she continued dating as of late John F. Kennedy Jr before settling down with Broadrick a few years later, in 1997. That was around the time Downey Jr., who said he had been addicted to drugs since his father gave them to him when he was eight, hit rock bottom. He eventually served 12 months in prison after repeatedly missing court-ordered drug tests, but has now been sober since 2003 and married to Susan Downey since 2005.

What did they say about each other?

Both parties are probably grateful that their relationship existed before social media and the internet explosion in general, as we can only imagine the amount of discussion it would generate now, but when they were together, they regularly stepped out at red carpet events. Many years after their split, Downey Jr. continues to maintain a sober life and enjoy significant critical and commercial success in films such as Iron man and Oppenheimer – She has spoken about their relationship in a number of interviews, and it is clear that it was a very difficult time for them.

What do they say now?

Until 2023, Parker opened up for The New Yorker About the relationship between a couple that defined its era but was doomed to failure. “People around him would reject me, but I gave him stability and tried to create a steady heartbeat that would allow him to show up on time,” she said. “It made me angry and embarrassed.”

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She said in 2020 the people that she believed the relationship actually affected her upbringing (she and Broderick have twin daughters Tabitha and Loretta and a son, James). “It probably taught me a little bit about being a mother, too, because the things that I ended up taking care of, and the way Downey took care of her, were things that might be more appropriate for parents at a certain point,” she said. .

Going back further, in a podcast interview in 2016, Parker revealed that she was constantly afraid that Downey Jr. would die if she left him. Speaking on “WTF with Marc Maron,” she said: “You love this person, and you're afraid he'll die if you're not there to support his base every day. … I just don't want him to die. The biggest and most difficult choice about this type of relationship is to feel… Brave enough to leave, even if you think they're going to die.

Meanwhile, Downey Jr. said procession magazine in 2008 that he had happy memories of the time they spent together, despite everything they had been through. “I liked to drink, and I had a drug problem, and that didn't sit well with Sarah Jessica, because it's so far from who she is,” he said. You have given me a home and understanding. You tried to help me. She was very upset when I couldn't organize my work. Private stuff aside, we were able to spend some time together and it was really nice. “I was in love with Sarah Jessica, and obviously love wasn't enough.”

Fast food key relationship

The former couple actually met in 2015 to end their tumultuous relationship — and by all accounts, things went well.

Speaking during his appearance on The Howard Stern Show In 2016, Downey Jr. said: “The funny thing too is that you always have a perception of someone you've spent a large part of your life with and I think that's normal… The more you move away from that in your new relationship, you unintentionally distort your perception of the person.” When I saw her I was like, 'She's so wonderful and so wonderful and so funny and so in control. I've met her kids and seen the way she and Matthew live and I respect them so much.'

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Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have welcomed three children since they got married in 1997. The couple welcomed their son, James, five years after their marriage, followed by twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha, in 2009. While the duo tends to maintain their marriage, Private family life Parker spoke exclusively about her children's interests with (…)

Parker also spoke to Stern about their reunion in 2016. “It was really cool. It wasn't surprisingly strange. “Basically, we're kind of the same,” she said. “The difference is that he has a family and a wife, and obviously his career is a huge thing. But I think his true nature was quite familiar. I always felt very tender towards him, and I thought it ended well in a way. I never cared for his well-being and I never felt resentment or Bitterness.

Yes, despite everything they've been through together, these two are now as mature and thoughtful as can be, with amazing careers to be proud of as well. What a trip.