Sarah Jessica Parker recently opened up on her tumultuous relationship with Robert Downey Jr., revealing how she felt like a mother figure during their time together. The former couple dated from 1984-1991.
In an intimate interview with The New Yorker, the And Just Like That... star shared her feelings of assuming a parental role due to Robert's well-documented struggles with substance abuse during their years together.
Reflecting on the romance in their early 20s, Sarah expressed how her stability contrasted with his erratic lifestyle, causing her to feel undervalued by his inner circle and "like a parent at the age of 22."
She stated: "People around him would be dismissive of me, but I had given him stability and tried to create a steady heartbeat that allowed him to show up on time. That made me angry and embarrassed me."
© Jean-Paul AussenardWhile their relationship faced numerous obstacles, Robert’s career soared with noteworthy roles in films like Weird Science (1985), The Pickup Artist (1987), and Less Than Zero (1987).
Despite the challenges they encountered, Robert expressed "great respect" for Sarah in a statement provided by a representative.
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Speaking about their reunion during an interview with Howard Stern in 2015, Robert shared his admiration for Sarah, remarking: "Seeing her, I was like, 'She's so great and so cool and so funny and so in-command.' I got to meet her kids and I saw the way she and [Parker's husband, Matthew Broderick] live, and I respect both of them so much."
© Jean-Paul AussenardThese sentiments reflect the growth and maturity they both experienced since their earlier relationship.
When asked if he was in love with Sarah during their time together, Robert responded with a resounding "absolutely."
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© Barry KingHowever, he also acknowledged that the passage of time had influenced his perception of their past.
He explained: "You always have a perception of somebody that you spent a big chunk of your life with, and I think it's typical to the human thing that the further you get away from that in your new relationship, you taint your perception of the person."
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Sarah has been married to Matthew for 26 years. In a rare joint interview with The Hollywood Reporter, shared their philosophy of maintaining privacy around their marriage: “I’ve always said one of the reasons we’ve had success is because we don’t talk about our marriage.
“ I’m not flattering myself that anyone’s discussing my marriage, but we’re certainly not going to add to it by saying, ‘Well, this is why it works.’ Next thing you know, there’ll be a very public divorce. So we just try to respect each other.”
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