Sarah Jessica Parker has been dominating the headlines this month, with the second series of HBO’s Sex and the City spin-off, And Just Like That, landing last week.
A lot of the talk has surrounded the love life of SJP’s iconic character Carrie Bradshaw, with the new instalment seeing the return of Aidan Shaw – Carrie’s old flame turned new love interest.
This week however, it was SJP’s love life off the screen that made headlines.
The 58-year-old has been married to fellow actor Matthew Broderick for almost 30 years, with the couple sharing three children, James, Tabitha and Marion.
And while the couple are famously tight-lipped about their marriage, SJP did open up about her past relationship with a different A-lister before Broderick.
The A-lister in question – Robert Downey Jr., with the former couple dating from 1984 to 1991.
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Opening up about their tumultuous relationship in an interview with The New Yorker this month, SJP recalled how their difference in lifestyles made her feel “like a parent at the age of 22”.
“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,” she recalled in the interview. “That made me angry and embarrassed me.”
This is not the first time SJP has spoken about the former relationship, telling People in 2020: “Maybe it taught me a little bit about being a parent too, because the things that I ended up caring about, and the way I cared for Downey, were things that might be more suitable for a parent at a certain point.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Robert Downey Jr. has also spoken about their relationship in the past, telling Parade magazine in 2008: “I was so selfish. I liked to drink, and I had a drug problem, and that didn’t jibe with Sarah Jessica, because it is the furthest thing from what she is.
“She provided me a home and understanding. She tried to help me. She was so miffed when I didn’t get my act together. Private stuff aside, we were able to spend some time together and it was really cool.”
He also spoke about SJP in an interview with Howard Stern in 2015, opening up about a recent reunion the two had shared.
“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 Matthew live, and I respect both of them so much.”
We will continue to update this story.