Everything We Know About Meryl Streep's Divorce From Don Gummer

In 2023, legendary actor Meryl Streep finally revealed a well-kept secret concerning her relationship with her husband, Don Gummer. A representative of the beloved "Death Becomes Her" star explained last year that the relationship between Streep and sculptor, Don Gummer, had come to an end. "Don Gummer and Meryl Streep have been separated for more than 6 years, and while they will always care for each other, they have chosen lives apart," Streep's rep told People. The two have revealed little to the public about their relationship over the years, so the big news came as some surprise.

They were last spotted together in 2018 at the 90th Annual Academy Awards, foreshadowing their marital strain years before the official announcement. That said, not many people could see it coming. The 75-year-old Streep and 77-year-old Gummer were together for 45 years, and they share four children together, including their son, Henry, and their three daughters — Mamie, Grace, and Louisa. On the surface, their decades-long union seemed unshakeable, but the pair's grief-tinged beginning might explain the sudden split.

Despite their 45 years, there were several key signs that indicated Meryl Streep and Don Gummer's marriage wasn't going to last. The major red flag revolves around the onset of their relationship, which was overshadowed by grief for Streep's then-boyfriend, actor John Cazale, who died of lung cancer. Streep's relationship with Cazale lasted two years, and the tragic end to their intense romance left Streep devastated.

The "Sophie's Choice" actor met Don Gummer shortly after Cazale's death in 1978, and they tied the knot the very same year. They were introduced by Streep's brother, Harry, who had brought the then-aspiring sculptor to Streep's home to help her move out from her apartment. Gummer allowed Streep to sublet his apartment, sparking the beginning of a relationship that resulted in their marriage just six months after Cazale's passing.

Although the pair publicly announced their separation, they remain legally married. Neither of them divulged the exact reason for their split, but folks have been all too eager to speculate about Streep's relationship with fellow "Only Murders in the Building" star, Martin Short. The co-stars have been friends since 2015, and they were seen laughing and holding hands at the series' season 4 premiere afterparty. Short's representative told People they are "just very good friends, nothing more," but fans of the show would love nothing more than to see the duo together — IRL.