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Elisabeth Moss' 'traumatic' real-life marriage in her own words

The actress was candid about her struggles

Hannah Hargrave
US Deputy Editor
July 8, 2021
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Elisabeth Moss' character on her hit TV show, The Handmaid's Tale, has had more than her fair share of struggles, but in real life the star has also navigated some seriously rocky road.

The actress is notoriously private about her life away from the cameras but there is one area she has opened up about with surprising detail.

MORE: Elisabeth Moss' cozy home breaks all the Gilead rules 

Elisabeth, 38, was married to Saturday Night Live alum, Fred Armisen, who she met in 2009 after her Mad Men co-star, Jon Hamm, met him while hosting SNL.

WATCH: The Handmaid's Tale season five trailer 

They had a whirlwind romance and got married the year after they got together. Sadly, they were divorced eight months later and Elisabeth says the nuptials were a disaster.

"Looking back, I feel like I was really young, and at the time I didn’t think that I was that young," she said in an interview with Vulture magazine. "It was extremely traumatic and awful and horrible.

MORE: The Handmaid’s Tale spin-off The Testaments is in the works - details

RELATED: The Handmaid's Tale star Samira Wiley confuses fans with photo

"At the same time, it turned out for the best. I'm glad that I'm not there. I'm glad that it didn't happen when I was 50. I'm glad I didn’t have kids. And I got that out of the way. Hopefully. That's probably not going to happen again."

elisabeth moss fred armisen© Photo: Getty Images

Elisabeth says her marriage to Fred Armisen was traumatic 

Fred - who left SNL to work on Portlandia - has admitted he was a terrible husband but hasn't elaborated on exactly what happened between them. 

Elisabeth spoke again about their relationship in 2012 when she told Page Six how painful it was to even think about. 

MORE: 11 heartbreaking The Handmaid's Tale moments, ranked 

"It's so hard to talk about," she said. "One of the greatest things I heard someone say about him is, 'He's so great at doing impersonations. But the greatest impersonation he does is that of a normal person.' To me, that sums it up. And I think that's it. I've never told anyone that. And I don’t want to waste any more of my life talking about it."

elisabeth moss red dress© Photo: Getty Images

Elisabeth is very private when it comes to her personal life 

Fred addressed his marriage with a thinly veiled apology when he chatted to Howard Stern in 2013.

"I think I was a terrible husband," he said. "I think I'm a terrible boyfriend. I want it all fast. I want to be married. The amount of girls I've lived with right away and then somewhere around a year, two years, I get freaked out... I feel bad for everyone I've gone out with."

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