Duration: 6 months
Ages: 39 and 37
Previous pairings: Ryan was married to Dennis Quaid for nine years before their particularly nasty split last year, also dated Anthony Edwards; Crowe has a reputation for being a playboy.
Love story: Well, “love scandal” is more like it. When Ryan and Quaid announced their separation last June, reports of her cuddle sessions with the Aussie hunk surfaced and Ryan found herself going from America’s sweetheart to, as she described, “the scarlet woman.” She soon was seen kissing him in Santa Monica, Calif.; visiting his ranch in Australia and attending the Michael Douglas–Catherine Zeta-Jones wedding together. Meanwhile, the scandal overshadowed the film that brought them together, Proof of Life, which fizzled at the box office (director Taylor Hackford blamed it on the romance).
What went wrong? Early reports said that the fling was Ryan’s midlife crisis that ended with her getting
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| Meg Ryan |
dumped (Crowe reportedly blamed his desire to stay in Australia). But a People magazine report claimed it was Crowe who was moving too fast. “Russell wanted to marry Meg and have kids with her,” a friend of hers said. “[But it was] too much too soon. It was overwhelming.” Ryan turned down Crowe’s invitation to go to the Golden Globes, and he arrived stag. She also reportedly fumed over the fact that he didn’t deny the false reports of their breakup. However, the two were seen lunching last month–as friends–over sushi with Gwyneth Paltrow.
Post-split romance: Ryan’s been hangin’ with galpals Laura Dern and Melissa Etheridge. Crowe, who was famously razzed by Steve Martin on the Oscars for hitting on anything that moved, has kept a low profile.
What they’ve said: “She’s got an incredibly inquisitive mind, so it was very easy for us to be together for hours, just talking,” Crowe reportedly told Melbourne tab The Herald Sun. “[She’s a] beautiful, courageous woman. [But] I can’t sustain myself without filling up on home. And Meg needs the same.”
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