Ethan Hawke reveals why he never talks about ex-wife Uma Thurman even though they have been divorced for 20 years

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Ethan Hawke is generally very private, but he recently opened up about the difficult time he experienced after his 2005 divorce from Uma Thurman.

Honestly, when Denzel talked to The Times, he nailed it. He said all the attention he got back then, all the public just watching him, it wasn’t just pressure, it was like pouring gasoline on a fire! It was so intense, and he explained it perfectly – it was like everything was ready to explode. I totally get what he means, it must have been awful.

He explained that public attention can be intense, like fuel on a fire. But he emphasized that the real difficulties of divorce aren’t unique to celebrities – they stem from the challenges of navigating family dynamics and supporting children through a tough time.

Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, both 55, married in 1998 and have two children: Maya, age 27, and Levon, 23.

Their relationship ended, and they separated in 2003, with their divorce finalized in 2005.

It was a difficult time for Hawke, who admitted he wished his breakup had been more friendly, saying, ‘I really envy people who can separate without drama.’

A famous actor asked his children years ago to keep the details of his divorce private, wanting to shield them from public attention.

He explained he couldn’t discuss the divorce, as he’d promised his children repeatedly he wouldn’t talk about it publicly.

Traveling the world really opens your eyes to the fact that marriage is hard for people everywhere.

Ethan Hawke told GQ in 2018 that he struggled with serious depression after his split from Uma Thurman.

He became suspicious around some people and questioned their intensions.

Ethan Hawke shared that his divorce and the breakdown of his personal life led to a period of depression. He explained that when you’re feeling down, it’s easy to become aware of what feels inauthentic in the world, and he began to see through the superficiality of celebrity and life in general.

But the love of his children and work in film and theater rescued Hawke from the abyss.

He explained that the beauty of having children is their constant need for you, which adds balance to life and prevents it from being entirely self-focused.

In October 2005, just two months after her divorce was completed, Uma Thurman described the experience to Oprah Winfrey as deeply painful and said it had significantly damaged her confidence.

The actress, originally from Boston, explained that she was getting through things by focusing on moving forward, embracing opportunities as they came, and taking life one day at a time.

She added sadly that having two children with someone is a significant life event, yet sometimes it can lead to a breakdown in communication.

A year later, Thurman expressed that she wanted to ‘keep peace.’

In a 2006 interview with Parade, she explained that she refuses to say anything negative about her children’s father, prioritizing family harmony. She emphasized she’s always avoided making unkind remarks and has no intention of starting now, believing it would be damaging to her family.

Hawke has been married to second wife Ryan Shawhughes since 2008.

‘When I split up I was hellbent on not having any more kids and I wanted to be single for the rest of my life. But then I made a best friend and I liked kissing her,’ he told The Times.

They met when she was the nanny for his kids with Thurman but reconnected after the divorce.

People often picture a romantic, ‘Sound of Music’-style connection, but actually, by the time Ryan and I fell in love, I hadn’t worked with her for quite some time,” Ethan Hawke explained to The Guardian in 2006.

The actor and Ryan share two daughters, Clementine, 17, and Indiana, 14.

Uma Thurman and financier Arpad Busson were engaged and have a 13-year-old daughter, Luna, but they ended their relationship in 2014.

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2025-11-21 23:50