John Stamos Opens Up About Painful Divorce from Rebecca Romijn
John Stamos, best known for his role in the hit sitcom “Full House,” has candidly discussed the emotional toll of his divorce from actress Rebecca Romijn, revealing that it took him years to recover from the breakup.
During a recent appearance on Bobbi Althoff’s “The Really Good” podcast, the 62-year-old actor admitted that the end of his marriage left a lasting impact on his life. “It broke my heart,” Stamos said. “I didn’t want a divorce. She did. It took me a long time to get over it.”
A Hollywood Love Story
Stamos and Romijn, 53, were once one of Hollywood’s most prominent couples. According to Entertainment Weekly, the two first met at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 1994, where Stamos was a guest and Romijn was working as a model. After four years of dating, they married in 1998. However, after seven years of marriage, the couple divorced in 2005.
Despite the painful split, Stamos acknowledged that things ultimately worked out for both of them. He noted that Romijn has “a nice life,” is happily remarried to actor Jerry O’Connell, and is “doing well.”
Writing Through the Pain
The actor has previously spoken about how deeply the breakup affected him. While promoting his 2023 memoir “If You Would Have Told Me,” he told People that writing about his marriage was one of the hardest parts of the book.
“In my mind at the time, she was the devil and I just hated her,” Stamos revealed. “I couldn’t believe how much I hated her and it ruined my life.” He added that he eventually came to realize he had played “some role” in the breakdown of the marriage.
Memoir Sparks Controversy
Stamos’ memoir also stirred controversy when he accused Jerry O’Connell of cheating during his relationship with Romijn. O’Connell, who married Romijn in 2007, revealed on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM radio show that he had no interest in reading the book after learning about the allegations.
O’Connell expressed embarrassment over the situation, particularly because his and Romijn’s twin daughters, Charlie and Dolly, are now old enough to see the headlines. “There’s no hiding,” O’Connell said. “Your kids come out to breakfast and say, ‘Hey Mom, your ex published a book and called you the devil. What do you think?'”
Romijn later told Entertainment Tonight that she was surprised by the attention surrounding the memoir. “I was very surprised, even incredibly shocked, by all of this,” she said in January 2024, adding that she did not want to contribute to book sales by commenting further.
Time Heals Old Wounds
Despite the past tensions, it appears that time has healed old wounds. Romijn and O’Connell have been married since 2007 and share 17-year-old twin daughters. Stamos also moved on, marrying actress Caitlin McHugh in 2018. The couple welcomed their son that same year.
In a surprising turn of events, the former rivals recently had an unexpectedly friendly reunion at Howie Mandel’s 70th birthday party. O’Connell even posted an Instagram selfie with Stamos and McHugh, captioning it, “Beautiful family and great people.”
Stamos recalled the encounter on the podcast and only had positive things to say about O’Connell. “He was very sweet. He was very nice,” Stamos said. “He couldn’t have been sweeter.” He added that O’Connell was “very funny and very charming” and noted that although they met decades ago, their paths have rarely crossed since.
As for Romijn, Stamos revealed that he still hasn’t seen her since their divorce over 20 years ago.
