Tragic Details About Smallville Star Tom Welling

Look in the sky! It's a bird ... it's a plane ... it's former CW heartthrob Tom Welling! Welling dominated the 2000s by starring as the Man of Steel in the hit series "Smallville." With his dreamy looks, great physique, and impressive acting skills, Welling became one of the chosen few who got the opportunity to play Superman. Fans were impressed with his take on the iconic DC universe superhero and his duality to believably play Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent (and plenty of other iterations like Bizarro, red Kryptonite Clark, etc.). Beginning in 2001 on the network The WB (which later became The CW), "Smallville" balanced action and romance during its 10-season run.

But since "Smallville" went off the air, Welling seemed to step out of the spotlight. He has had occasional acting roles here and there, but none that captured his former glory as the famous superhero. And 2025 started badly for Welling, as the former star got into some trouble with the law.

On January 28, 2025, TMZ reported that Tom Welling had been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI). TMZ obtained police reports that said Welling was arrested in the parking lot of an Arby's located in Yreka, California. The incident occurred just after midnight on Sunday, January 26. While his exact blood alcohol level was unknown, it was reportedly at or above the legal limit for driving. According to USA Today, Welling was released the following morning. He has an arraignment date scheduled for March 11, USA Today added.

In Welling's booking sheet that was obtained by the New York Post, the actor's speech was clear at the time of arrest. His appearance was noted as short hair and a clear complexion with facial stubble. The report noted the actor weighing in at 240 pounds. According to the New York Post, the town in which the arrest took place is where Welling and his wife reside on a ranch with their two children.

Since Tom Welling has rarely appeared on screen for the last few years (his only credits in 2024 were two films that each received less than 4 out of 10 stars on IMDb), the public was shocked to see how the former sexy superhero had transformed. And many took to social media to share their shock upon seeing Welling's mugshot. The actor can be seen donning graying hair, far from the dark, luscious locks he had on "Smallville." (And he's not the only cast member of "Smallville" that looks totally different today!)

One fan posted to X, "He aged ... he used to be so handsome." Another posted their stunned response, saying, "That's Tom Welling? Damn he aged a lot." But nearly 25 years after Welling rose to fame for his role in "Smallville," some fans were quick to express their loyalty to the actor. One user showed their love by saying Welling was "still my Superman." Some wanted to express their disappointment with Welling and wished for him to find healing in the future. "Hope he recovers and learns from his mistake. Nobody is perfect and thank God no one was hurt," one user wrote on X.

Just hours prior to his arrest, Welling posted a tribute on Instagram in celebration of his wife's birthday. He said in the post to his partner Jessica Rose Lee Welling, "Happy Birthday to our Angel who makes our dreams come true and inspires us even more! We love you to the moon and back!" He posted a carousel of photos including one of him and his wife riding horseback and other photos of Jessica smiling happily. But it's doubtful she was smiling when her husband was busted not even one day later.

This comes two months after the couple celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary. The couple began dating in 2014 before tying the knot on November 30, 2019. According to Us Weekly, their wedding ceremony was held at Sunstone Vineyards & Winery in San Ynez, California. The couple share two sons together: their first, Thomson, born in January 2019, and their second, Rocklin, born in 2021.

After a victorious 10-season run on "Smallville" and with appearances in movies such as "Cheaper By The Dozen" and "The Fog," Tom Welling has yet to make a comeback with his career. He has appeared in a handful of movies and TV series over the years, but none that have turned into lucrative opportunities for the actor. He did join the cast of the show "Lucifer" in 2017 as Lt. Marcus Pierce/Cain. However, the role only lasted for one season. After Welling completed his time on "Lucifer," the show transferred to Netflix where it continued to air for three more seasons. In 2023, he appeared in three episodes of "The Winchesters" before the series was canceled after 13 episodes. He starred in the series "Professionals" which was acquired by The CW for airing, but the show has been unable to find a network to pick up the series for another season.

After serving as an executive producer on the final two seasons of "Smallville," Welling attempted to continue producing. He was named executive producer on The CW series "Hellcats" that premiered in the fall of 2010. Unfortunately, the series was canceled and only lasted for one season.

In the 2010s, The CW began creating more shows that took place in the DC Universe, known as the "Arrowverse." But as new shows were created, a new generation of actors was tasked with playing well known superheroes. While Tom Welling had been the network's Superman throughout the 2000s, he was replaced by Tyler Hoechlin, who started raking in the bucks on "Superman & Lois." Hoechlin played Superman in the CW series "Supergirl" and crossed over to other CW shows in the "Arrowverse" before getting his own series in 2021.

In 2019, Welling was given one more chance to play the iconic superhero. He returned to the role of Clark Kent for The CW's sixth "Arrowverse" crossover event, called "Crisis On Infinite Earths." And Welling continues to keep the role of Superman close to his heart by appearing at multiple fan conventions to meet fans of "Smallville." He and his "Smallville" co-star Michael Rosenbaum even host a "Smallville" rewatch podcast, called the "TalkVille Podcast."