The Real Reason Thomas Middleditch's Marriage Is Over

Silicon Valley star Thomas Middleditch and his wife, Mollie Gates, called it quits after almost five years of marriage in May 2020. According to court documents obtained by People — which were filed on May 28, 2020 — Gates cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for filing and asked for spousal support.

Despite the fact that they're going their separate ways, it seems like Middleditch and Gates are trying to keep things cordial. "They still care deeply for each other and will move forward as friends," a source close to the pair divulged to People.

Middleditch and Gates got engaged in June 2015. According to the Daily Mail, just two months after Middleditch popped the question, the couple tied the knot in Canada, where the actor is from. 

Unfortunately, it's not exactly a surprise that Middleditch and Gates decided to split since the Hollywood star wasn't afraid to talk about his marital issues in interviews. But what exactly happened between them? Let's take a look at their rather interesting relationship.

In September 2019, Thomas Middleditch revealed the secret to his marriage — swinging. "I don't know how much I can say, because I don't want my wife to be mad at me," he told Playboy. The actor added, "Only after I got married was I like, 'Mollie, I'm sorry, but we have to get nontraditional here.' To her credit, instead of saying, 'F**k you, I'm out,' she was like, 'Let's figure this out.'"

At the time of the interview, the HBO star went so far as to say that swinging "saved [the couple's] marriage." That being said, it wasn't always smooth sailing. In fact, Middleditch admitted that they would "argue over it constantly."

He continued, "We have different speeds ... but it's better than feeling unheard and alone and that you have to scurry in the shadows. By the way, it's now being called 'part of the lifestyle.' The term swinging is old."

Thomas Middleditch and his wife, Mollie Gates, "created [their] own rules" when it came to their unique lifestyle, the actor told Playboy. "... [C]ompared to most of the people we've met who do this kind of s**t, our rules are strict," he added. "We're not off on our own; we're together, a unit. It's a perpetual state of management and communication, to the point where it's like, 'All right, we've got to stop. Chill.' I'm gas, and she's [the] brakes."

It's no surprise Middleditch wanted to spice up his marriage, since he called himself "sexual." However, Middleditch had a different idea of what relationships were like before he tied the knot. "I'd always thought I was a romantic and that when I fall in love, that stuff fades away," he divulged. "It does for some years — enough to be like, 'I should get married, and I'll be different.' But it's part of me. If that's part of your being and it feels important to you, find a way to explore it, because repression sucks."

Ultimately, Middleditch — who also talked to Playboy about making his escapades a premise for a television show — wanted to make sure his wife was comfortable with their arrangement. "My first concern is Mollie," he said. "Anything that happens has to be run by the queen." 

Thomas Middleditch made it clear in an interview with Playboy that he didn't mind discussing his interesting lifestyle, but noted his wife, Mollie Gates, is "more private."

Now, the Canada native regrets his former comments about his relationship, and it may have even been the reason things didn't work out between him and Gates. "To be honest, it's a thing I wish I could take back," he said on the Daily Beast's "The Last Laugh" podcast in April 2020. "It was poor execution. But I've learned to keep things a little more close to the chest. It was a painful [learning experience], to be honest."

"So, I think the best thing I can do is just move on," he continued. "I wasn't expecting it. It's disheartening. It's embarrassing. And it's changed my relationship with the media and what I think about it."

Of course, we're wishing Middleditch and Gates all the best moving forward.