The Rumored Reason Danny DeVito And Rhea Perlman Really Split
As a couple, Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman were a Hollywood institution. DeVito and Perlman initially got together in 1971, long before he gained fame on "Taxi" and she on "Cheers." To movie and TV buffs all around, there had never been a DeVito without Perlman. News of their split in October 2012 caught everyone by surprise. They had already been together for more than 40 years and married for 30. Despite confirming their separation, the celebrity couple didn't immediately file for divorce.
DeVito and Perlman, who share three children, also didn't give a reason for the breakup, declining to comment on the matter to the press. In December 2012, DeVito refused to call himself a single man when Extra asked how the actor was adjusting to his new relationship status. "Rhea and I are really close. Actually, still together, just separate, but together," the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star stutteringly replied. DeVito also didn't dismiss chances of a reconciliation, noting, "We're working on it."
The comedic star's answer suggested the split hadn't been caused by a simple case of growing apart. Indeed, DeVito and Perlman were back on a few months later. "They love each other," a friend informed People in March 2013. "Always have and always will." Things were right in the world again. Until they weren't. In 2017, Perlman and DeVito broke up, and this time it stuck. But the split was amicable and they've remained close. Whatever happened between them couldn't have been that bad, surely. Or could it?
Danny DeVito was reportedly a flirt (and potentially a cheater)
Danny DeVito is known for many things, but being a heartthrob isn't one of them. However, good looks aren't the only attribute people are attracted to. "He may not appear to be a ladies' man, but Danny certainly gets a lot of female attention," a source told Radar Online in 2012. The problem is that the "Batman Returns" star reportedly acted on the attention. "Danny can be quite the flirt and because of his powerful status in Hollywood, he's not ashamed to abuse his position and chat-up young, aspiring woman looking to make it in the industry," they contended.
Rhea Perlman apparently tried to accept DeVito's womanizing ways at first, but it eventually got to her. "After years of turning a blind eye to it, Rhea finally snapped," the source claimed. A few days later, an unnamed crew member, who worked with DeVito on the 1992 film "Hoffa," revealed to Radar Online that DeVito did more than just flirt; he reportedly cheated with one of the extras. "It was kind of pathetic because she was very young and beautiful and obviously just having sex with him in hopes that he'd make her a star," the source claimed.
DeVito declined to comment on claims made by an anonymous source. Perlman, for her part, has suggested there was no one cause for their split. "There were a lot of reasons that we separated, which I'm not gonna go into," Perlman said on Julia Louis-Dreyfus' "Wiser Than Me" podcast in 2023.
The beloved celebrity couple still has no intention of divorcing
They may live separately, but Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman are still married years after their split. They never got a divorce and have no plans to either. "We agree on enough things, so why [ruin] that with the yucky things that come with a divorce?" Perlman reasoned to the New York Post in 2018. In the former couple's eyes, they created a family when they brought Lucy, Gracie, and Jake into the world in the '80s, and their separation would change that. "Our family is still the most important thing to both of us," Perlman confirmed on "Wiser Than Me."
The way the "Matilda" star sees it, what she has now with DeVito is streets ahead of when they were trying to make it work the traditional way. "It's much better because all the tense stuff is gone," she argued on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in 2019. "I'm not in his face, he's not in mine." They walked the red carpet together at the 2024 Emmy Awards, and DeVito even name-dropped her during his onstage appearance with the rest of the "It's Always Sunny" cast, reminding everyone that "even Rhea won four [Emmys] for 'Cheers,'" (via USA Today).
They don't just come together for big events, either. In March 2020, Perlman and DeVito looked very much at ease as they enjoyed a vegan meal in L.A. Whatever happened during their marriage, these two sure knew how to put it behind them and move forward with love.