Why Dennis Quaid Has No Regrets About His Marriage to Meg Ryan

More than 20 years after Dennis Quaid’s split from Meg Ryan, the actor has nothing but praise for his ex-wife, with whom he shares son Jack Quaid, 32.

Dennis Quaid’s feelings about his ex aren’t so far from heaven.

Over 20 years after his split from ex-wife Meg Ryan, the actor gave rare insight into their nine-year marriage and how fame contributed to their divorce.

“When I met Meg, I was here as far as career thing, and she was here, and then it just went whew like that,” Quaid told Chris Wallace on the Sept. 6 episode of Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, using hand gestures to show how her level of stardom eventually surpassed his. “I tried to be a big person and tell myself that didn’t bother me, but, you know, people are human. She was ascending as I went into rehab.”

Despite their marriage ending, the Parent Trap star looked back fondly on the relationship, saying, “Meg is really such a great, sweet person, and really talented, and deserved all of her success. I don’t regret anything about my marriage to Meg.

In fact, there’s one heartwarming aspect of the union he’s particularly proud of: their son, now 32 years old. “We got Jack Quaid out of it,” he beamed, who is really going on to maybe I think eclipse both of us.”

Quaid and Ryan co-starred in two films together—1987’s Innerspace and 1998’s D.O.A.—before tying the knot in 1991 and welcoming Jack the following year. The pair shared the screen once more in 1993’s Flesh and Bone, before announcing their separation in 2000.

Following their divorce, Quaid wed Kimberly Buffington in 2004, and the pair welcomed twins Thomas and Zoe, now 16, before calling it quits in 2018. He married his current wife, Lauren Savoie, in 2020. As for Ryan, the You’ve Got Mail actress was engaged to John Mellencamp from 2018 to 2019

Jack has since taken up the family business, with big screen roles in Scream and Oppenheimer. He’s also garnered praise for his starring role in the TV superhero comedy, The Boys, which was renewed for a fifth and final season in May.

But perhaps no one is prouder than his mom, who has fiercely defended Jack from the “nepo baby” label.

“Jack is really talented,” Meg told Glamour in November. “He’s more of a natural than I’ll ever be. That nepo stuff is so dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege.” 

Read on for a closer look at more celebrity exes who have no hard feelings.