Believe it or not, Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr. were together for seven years before calling it quits. Their relationship wasn’t easy, though; Parker had to deal with a lot while being with someone who was really struggling with addiction.
The two stars met in 1984 at the age of 18 and quickly moved in together after just a few weeks of dating. However, Robert struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and both he and Sarah Jessica have since admitted that his substance abuse led to the breakdown of their relationship.
Robert Downey Jr. opened up about his relationship with Parker, revealing a sense of regret for the time they spent together. The Love & Distrust star admitted that despite their deep love for one another, it ultimately wasn't enough to sustain their relationship.Speaking with Parade(via HuffPost), RDJ, expressed,
“I liked to drink, and I had a drug problem, and that didn’t jibe with Sarah Jessica, because it is the furthest thing from what she is. She provided me a home and understanding. I was making money. I was mercurial and recklessly undisciplined and, for the most part, I was happily anesthetized, Sarah Jessica would pull me out of a hangover, and we’d go pick out furniture together. She is a force of nature! She provided me a home and understanding, She tried to help me. I was in love with Sarah Jessica, and love clearly was not enough.”
Parker has previously expressed that she often felt more like a parent than a partner during her relationship with Downey Jr. She mentioned that this experience has influenced her approach to parenting her children: twins Tabitha and Loretta, as well as her son James Wilkie, whom she shares with her husband, Matthew Broderick.
Speaking to People in 2020, the Hocus Pocus star said: “Maybe it taught me a little bit about being a parent too, because the things that I ended up caring about, and the way I cared for Downey, were things that might be more suitable for a parent at a certain point.”
In an interview with the New Yorker, Parker reflected on her attempts to be a steady support for Downey.
“People around him would be dismissive of me, but I had given him stability and tried to create a steady heartbeat that allowed him to show up on time,” she said.
In a 2009 episode of the podcast WTF with Marc Maron, Sarah Jessica revealed that she stayed with Robert out of fear that he wouldn't survive without her care.
In a 2018 cover interview with PEOPLE, she revealed that she learned a crucial lesson during the time she spent with Downey that profoundly impacted her perspective.
“I learned how to take care of myself,” she said. “There was a huge amount of time spent making sure he was okay. At a certain point, I had the courage to say, ‘I’m going to walk away and I’m just going to pray that you don’t die.’ ”
Downey Jr is currently married to Susan Downey. The couple wed in 2005 and share two children, Exton Elias and Avri Roel. He also has a son from his previous marriage to Deborah Falconer.