Meg Ryan And Russell Crowe: Meg Ryan is the reigning queen of rom-coms, a reality that is essentially uncontested. Her prominent roles in When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Kate & Leopold, among many others, cemented her status as the queen of romantic comedies (via IMDb). Her roles were typically wholesome and lovable, but her real-life persona was occasionally a bit different.
In 2000, Ryan, who at the time was married to fellow actor Dennis Quaid, filmed Proof of Life alongside Hollywood icon Russell Crowe. When scandalous photos of the couple kissing on set surfaced, tabloids went berserk (according to Entertainment Weekly). After a fleeting affair with Crowe, Ryan eventually moved on from him as well. The public was quite scandalized by the actions of their beloved girl-next-door at the time. Many believe that her career never fully recovered from the scandal reported in the tabloids. However, what transpired between Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe? Here is the complete account of their fleeting but highly publicized romance.
On set, Meg Ryan met Russell Crowe
The drama began on the set of the 2000 thriller Proof of Life, which starred Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe. Crowe played Terry, a rescuer of kidnapped individuals, and Ryan played Alice, a woman who discovers her spouse has been abducted. As Terry and Alice collaborate to save Alice’s spouse, sparks between them begin to fly. Apparently, flames were also flying in real life.
The New York Post reported in July of 2000 that Ryan and Crowe made their relationship public after being photographed departing a party hosted by Tom Cruise. During the filming of Proof of Life, they were “seen kissing and nuzzling in restaurants and nightclubs throughout London,” as the publication noted. No wonder tabloids were captivated! Entertainment Weekly reported at the time that the news of Ryan’s relationship with Crowe arrived almost simultaneously with the news that Ryan’s husband, Dennis Quaid, had filed for divorce.
Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid marriage was already tumultuous at the time
Prior to meeting Russell Crowe on the set, Meg Ryan was married to actor Dennis Quaid. Evidently, the couple’s nine-year marriage was already quite troubled. In an interview with InStyle (via Today), Ryan discussed the current state of her marriage. “Dennis was unfaithful to me for a long time,” she explained, “and that was very painful.” She went on to say that she did not learn the extent of his alleged infidelity until after the divorce was finalized.
After the divorce was finalized in 2000, Quaid was reportedly seen with women such as model Mar Saura, according to Cinema.com. Nonetheless, infidelity was not the only issue within the marriage. Quaid admitted to ET Canada in 2018 that Ryan’s prominence contributed to their marital difficulties. “I must admit, I did feel as though I had vanished,” he disclosed. It is not surprising that Russell Crowe was a welcome distraction during her faltering marriage.
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The divorce of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid was widely reported… Russell Crowe was not to fault, however.
Many believe that Meg Ryan’s relationship with Russell Crowe was the final straw for Dennis Quaid, but it comes out that Crowe wasn’t to blame. During an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Ryan discussed her public divorce. After divulging that the public nature of her divorce was incredibly distressing, she discussed Crowe’s role in the split. “My marriage was… a very unhealthy marriage,” she clarified, adding, “I probably should have left it much earlier.” She then clarified, “It was never about another man,” referring to Crowe. She summed it up by joking, “I think once the tabloids get their hands on three celebrity names, you’re in serious trouble.” It appears that the tabloids did indeed distort the truth!
In an interview with InStyle, Ryan discussed Crowe’s involvement in the narrative of her divorce. “I believe he took a significant blow,” she said (via Today). “However, Russell did not end the marriage; he was present at the end, but it was not his fault.”
Meg Ryan disregarded the widespread tabloid coverage of her relationship with Russell Crowe.
So, what was it like for Meg Ryan to see herself and her new companion, Russell Crowe, plastered all over the tabloids? As Ryan explained to The Guardian, everything was quite dramatic! She remembered a time when she entered a hotel lobby. “It was in the One Aldwych Hotel,” she stated. “This thing happened [her affair], and I was all over the tabloids. When I walked through the lobby, everyone stopped talking and stared at me.” Fortunately, Ryan was able to handle the public’s judgment because she “knew herself.”
She elaborated on this sensation of letting go for Today. “I felt the effect, like I was the bad guy or whatever the story was,” she said. “But I remember letting go of the need to correct anybody.” We’re impressed that she was able to laugh off so much public scrutiny and attention.
Did Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe proceed too quickly in their relationship?
Russell Crowe appeared to be the ideal remedy for Meg Ryan following her failed marriage to Dennis Quaid. As a friend told People at the time, “They seemed crazy about each other,” noting, “They had great talks, they’re-mailed each other a lot. He called her all the time.” As the publication went on to report, Ryan and Crowe were seen together all over the world, first in Santa Monica and then in Australia, where Crowe owned a sprawling property. The new couple, according to Ryan’s friend, even feigned to be house-hunting. A companion remarked, “It was sweet.” He would point and ask, “How about that?”
Another acquaintance characterized Ryan as “extremely infatuated” with Crowe. Carrie Fisher, a close friend of the actress, sympathized, stating, “He’s hard to resist.” Apparently, Crowe felt the same way about Ryan. One friend suggested that Russell desired to marry Ryan and establish a family. Nevertheless, according to a friend, his enthusiasm may have been “too much, too soon,” and the relationship did not last.
Meg Ryan found being a scarlet woman to be a liberating experience
Meg Ryan’s entire career was founded on her image as “America’s sweetheart” or the “girl next door.” For many of her admirers, an affair with Russell Crowe did not fit with this image of the actress. Suddenly, she became known as the “scarlet woman,” as Ryan herself explained to W magazine (via E! News).
In a second interview with InStyle (via The Sydney Morning Herald), Ryan reflected on her time as a tabloid superstar. She confessed, “My time as a scarlet woman was very intriguing.” “As painful as it was, it was also incredibly liberating.” As she went on to explain, shedding her perfect persona and becoming the “scarlet woman” meant that she could be “utterly free.” As she summed up, “I didn’t have to care about what people thought.” It sounds like for Ryan, the publicity came with both good and bad sides — at the very least, it gave her the freedom to be herself.
Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe did not even discuss their relationship with their acquaintances
Despite the fact that a few anonymous acquaintances spoke to the press about Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe’s relationship at the time, it appears that the couple was extremely secretive about their relationship with both the press and their own friends. Carrie Fisher, a friend and co-actor of Ryan, told People that she hoped to learn more about Russell Crowe from Ryan “when she’s willing to talk.”
In fact, neither Ryan nor Crowe spoke publicly about their affair until a significant amount of time had passed after its conclusion. According to the Daily Mail, Ryan eventually broke her silence nearly eight years after the affair occurred. It is simple to understand why the couple wished to remain as discreet as possible. Ryan explained to The New York Times, “You can’t ever really manage an image or a story.” It appears the couple realized it would be impossible to ever get the true story out there!
Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe skipped their film’s press conferences
Unfortunately for the producers of Proof of Life, Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe’s extremely public affair became inextricably linked to the film itself. As a result of the tabloids’ discovery of the new couple while they were filming, the public was well aware of the scandal surrounding the film. “I had no interest in this film until I heard about all of this,” the relationship expert Dr. Drew told Entertainment Weekly at the time. He added, “People will want to see if they can detect her falling in love with him on screen.”
Ryan and Crowe were likely aware that their relationship was the gossip of the town. In fact, they decided not to participate in the majority of interviews for the film, presumably to avoid discussing what was now the most talked-about topic: their adultery. Unfortunately, this did not set well with the film’s director, Taylor Hackford. According to his statement to the Calgary Sun (via The Guardian), he was “deeply hurt” by their decision.
The director of Proof of Life attributed the film’s failure on the relationship between Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe
Although some predicted that the scandalous, well-publicized liaison between Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe would increase the profitability of their film, Proof of Life, the exact opposite occurred. At the London premiere of the film, director Taylor Hackford admitted that he held Ryan and Crowe responsible for its failure. “It had an indelible and very destructive effect on the release of the film in the United States,” he said bluntly (via The Guardian), because the real-life incident overshadowed the film. It sounds as though he wishes his idols had maintained a professional demeanor!
It turns out that Crowe did not agree with his director. Apparently, when he heard about the remark, he responded, “He said that? He’s a f***ing idiot. No, seriously — what a jerk.” Wow, Ryan and Crowe did not depart Hackford on a particularly positive note!
The relationship endured only a few months before Meg ended it
The entirety of Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe’s relationship was heavily publicized, so it came as no surprise that their split was also a major story. While rumors circulated that Crowe had decided to terminate their relationship, Ryan has since claimed that she was the one who broke their hearts. Ryan explained in a 2008 interview with InStyle that the relationship was simply too near to her marriage. “I was a mess, and I ended up hurting him as well,” she recalled. “I couldn’t be in another long relationship. It wasn’t the time for that. So I got out,” she went on.
Ryan’s friends disclosed to People at the time that the press confusion regarding who dumped whom was difficult for him. One friend explained, “Nobody corrected the misperception. He [Crowe] never came to her aid. It still works to humiliate her.” Although Crowe never openly admitted to being the dumpee, he did admit in an interview that the affair had given him “a lot of light, mate.” He also stated, “I’m an expert at unrequited love.”
Many people attribute Meg Ryan’s career demise to her liaison with Russell Crowe
You may have observed that Meg Ryan no longer enjoys the same level of extraordinary stardom as she did in the 1990s. People stated that Ryan’s career would survive the Russell Crowe affair, writing, “One thing is certain: She won’t disappear.” However, since the scandal, her career has never been the same. The scandal surrounding her liaison with Crowe appeared to have harmed her image as a good girl. Apparently, producers began searching elsewhere for romantic comedy leading women.
Obviously, there are additional causes for Ryan’s career transition. According to Ryan, the culprit was a provocative role. She told The New York Times Magazine that her role in In The Cut prompted a “vicious” public response. According to appearances, the transition in Ryan’s career was caused by both her relationship with Crowe and her work on In the Cut. One thing is clear, however: Ryan’s diminished fame is not inherently a bad thing. As she told The New York Times, “I believe Hollywood felt the same way; I was finished when they were finished.”
Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe were never resentful of one another and remained companions
Even though Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe ended their relationship relatively early on, it is evident that neither party harbored any bitterness. As Crowe told the Herald Sun shortly after his breakup with Ryan (via The Sun), “Meg is a beautiful and courageous woman. I grieve the loss of her companionship, but I haven’t lost her friendship.”
In 2002, Crowe discussed the unsuccessful relationship with ABC’s Primetime (via Irish Examiner). “She is a very important person to me,” he declared. As the actor explained, the duo began as friends and have remained so since their breakup. He even disclosed that they had a two-hour phone conversation the night before. Despite the heartbreak, it is evident that Ryan and Crowe maintained an immensely strong relationship.
Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe moved on to new relationships after ending their marriageilliers
Even though they remained friends, both Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan went on to have more successful relationships with other individuals. Ryan began intermittently courting John Mellencamp and was briefly engaged to him. However, Ryan reportedly terminated the relationship in 2019 after eight years. According to a source for Us Weekly, “She’d had enough and ended [their engagement].”
Regarding Crowe, he married singer Danielle Spencer in 2003. However, the couple separated in 2012, and their divorce was formalized in 2017. In 2018, Crowe even held an auction with the infamous title “The Art of Divorce” (according to The New York Times).
In 2020, rumors began to circulate about Ryan and Crowe rekindling their romance, with a source claiming, as reported by New Idea, “They had this white-hot relationship, but the timing was terrible.” The source added, “She’s given up on things working out with John and would love nothing more than to give things with Russell another try.” Ryan and Crowe had a unique bond at the time, and they will likely remain lifelong companions.
