Red Flags Meryl Streep And Don Gummer's Marriage Was Never Going To Last

Meryl Streep and her husband Don Gummer seemed to be in it for the long haul — we're talking 45 years of marriage. However, in October, People shared that Streep and the sculptor parted ways six years ago. A rep for the actor stated, "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." There were subtle signs they had been separated for some time, as their last public appearance together was at the 2018 Oscars. In spite of their split, however, Streep was recently spotted wearing her wedding ring.

As for Streep and Gummer's marriage, there were no rumors of infidelity or scandal that so often tear apart Hollywood couples. Throughout the years, the two have kept details about their longtime relationship largely under wraps. That said, there were a couple red flags that may have complicated their dynamic from the very beginning. While their marriage seemed secure and loving in many ways, it appears there may also have been some doubt that ultimately led to their separation.

Meryl Streep's relationship with Don Gummer began on an incredibly tough note, as she was mourning the loss of her late boyfriend, John Cazale, who died from cancer in 1978, per People. Cazale, who was also an actor, was romantically involved with Streep for two years. When Cazale's illness took over, Streep showed her unwavering support for her beau. Understandably, Cazale's deteriorating health took a massive toll on Streep. In a note to her former drama teacher (via The New York Post), she wrote, "He has very wonderful care and I try not to stand around wringing my hands, but I am worried all the time and pretending to be cheery all the time, which is more exhausting mentally physically emotionally than any work I've ever done."

Following Cazale's death, Streep's brother helped her pack up items from the apartment she shared with her beau. Her brother brought along his friend, Gummer, who then began a romantic relationship with Streep relatively quickly. Six months after Cazale's passing, Streep and Gummer tied the knot. While Streep seemed to have found new love with Gummer, she was still suffering from her late boyfriend's tragic death. A year after his passing, the actor told People, "The death is still very much with me. It has forced me to confront my own mortality, and once you do that, you look at things differently."

A successful and busy actor, Meryl Streep would often travel for filming while married to Don Gummer. Streep and Gummer's relationship was long distance at times, as she would leave her home for several months, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. While the responsibility of taking care of their kids fell on Gummer, she expressed her gratitude that he was "always happy to look after the children," which made her feel "not as guilty" for being absent at times. Still there was clearly sacrifice involved.

While Streep didn't talk in depth about the challenges of juggling work, marriage, and family, she once alluded to the compromise needed in a romantic relationship. Speaking to Vogue in 2002, she revealed the key to her long marriage, describing it as, "Goodwill and willingness to bend — and to shut up every once in a while." She added, "There's no road map on how to raise a family; it's always an enormous negotiation. But I have a holistic need to work and to have huge ties of love in my life. I can't imagine eschewing one for the other."