What Sarah Shahi Thinks Caused Her Divorce From Steve Howey

On the outside, it seemed like Steve Howey and Sarah Shahi had the perfect marriage. They had met in 2004, got married, and welcomed three children into their lives. It seemed picture-perfect, but in reality, the couple was struggling. In July 2019, Shahi told "Access Hollywood" that the couple had "been to hell" because of their relationship. She said, "It's a partnership, you know? Especially when you have kids, and you have to be able to rely on the other person." Although it seemed like the couple got through whatever bump in the road they were facing, that wasn't the case.

One year after Shahi's interview, the couple called it quits. They released a joint statement, saying, "After much thought and consideration, we have decided to end our marriage. We are so grateful for the past 10 years together and proud of our children that we've raised." The couple voiced that their "priority" following their split will be focused on their three children and co-parenting to the best of their abilities. They continued, "And though our relationship is changing, we are committed to continuing our lives as a loving family." While it was evident the couple had difficulties in their marriage, it was still shocking as they had been together for several years. In a divorce, there are always two sides to every story, but Shahi has shared why she thinks her and Howey's relationship deteriorated.

Being in a relationship takes a lot of work, and it only gets more difficult after you welcome kids. Unfortunately, Sarah Shahi and Steve Howey's relationship worsened after they gave birth to their first child. On the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast, Shahi shared, "From the time that our first child was born, our relationship suffered, and it was hard to get back on track."

The couple had underlying issues that they never got to resolve before having a kid, and it only put more distance between the two. She shared, "Any flaws you have in the relationship before you have kids if you don't settle those things — that was my experience of, 'It gets worse. It only gets worse.'" As a parent, the majority of your attention goes to your child, and that can strain any relationship if you're not spending time with your partner. In the past, Howey has even shared that having children can be "overwhelming," per People.

While the "Shameless" star hasn't said much about his divorce, he alluded to the couple's split when he compared himself to his "True Lies" character. He told US Weekly, "I'm a father ... I know the marriage route. Harry is a protector. I feel like I'm a protector, especially when I'm with my kids." It seems like both actors are dealing with the split in their own way, but one of them has actually moved on.

Because Sarah Shahi was with Steve Howey for a decade, it was difficult for her to come to terms with the fact that she wasn't happy. She told the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast, "As a wife and as a mom, you get told, 'Well, but you have it good. You have it good.' I just felt so unseen. ... It gave me the courage to say, 'I'm not happy..." Shahi knew she had to split from Howey to rediscover that happiness.

She delved into her work after her split and began filming Netflix's new series, "Sex/Life." While she thought it was just another project, Shahi happened to find love with her co-star, Adam Demos. People questioned the timeline of her and Demos' relationship as she had just split from Howey. But, the actor reassured that they didn't begin dating until some time after they first met. She said, "We met each other, and it was not instant. It was over time. it was getting to know him as a person and seeing how aligned our values were." And it ended up being his relationship with his mom and his respect for women that sold Shahi on Demos. She explained, "There was just so much that I started seeing over time that made me go, 'Oh, you're kind of everything I've ever wanted.' And that's when we started being together." So, despite her recent divorce, the "Black Adam" star has found happiness and love.