What Happened to Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid?

In the 1990s, Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid were the picture of Hollywood success: beautiful, in-demand, and seemingly inseparable. But behind the glamour of red carpets and romantic comedies was a marriage quietly unraveling under the weight of fame, distance, and unspoken betrayals.

Today, people are asking again: What happened to Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid? As their son Jack Quaid makes waves in Hollywood, interest in his famous parents is surging. Here’s a look back at their love story, the reasons behind their divorce, and where they are now.

A Romance Born in the Spotlight

Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid met on the set of the 1987 film Innerspace and began dating soon after. They married on Valentine’s Day in 1991 — a symbolic start to what fans hoped would be a lasting love story.

At the time, both actors were riding high. Ryan had just delivered a career-defining role in When Harry Met Sally..., while Quaid was celebrated for his performances in The Right Stuff and Great Balls of Fire!. In 1992, they welcomed their son, Jack Quaid.

But by the late '90s, cracks began to show.

Fame, Friction, and a Quiet Split

On paper, their marriage lasted nearly a decade. In reality, the couple drifted apart as their careers pulled them in different directions. Ryan’s fame skyrocketed with romantic hits like You’ve Got Mail and City of Angels, while Quaid entered a career lull.

In 2000, the pair announced their separation, and their divorce was finalized in July 2001. At the time, the tabloids zeroed in on Meg Ryan’s on-set connection with Proof of Life co-star Russell Crowe, sparking rumors of infidelity.

But Ryan would later set the record straight.

Meg Ryan Speaks Out: "It Was Already Over"

In a 2008 interview, Meg Ryan explained that her relationship with Russell Crowe didn’t cause the breakup — it happened after her marriage with Quaid had already “collapsed.” She also revealed something she had kept private for years: that Dennis Quaid had been unfaithful to her during their marriage.

“It was very painful,” she said. “Dennis was not faithful to me for a long time, and that was very hard to handle.”

Quaid, for his part, later admitted that Ryan’s booming career made him feel overshadowed. “I felt like I disappeared,” he told Independent in 2018. “It was my issue — I couldn’t handle it.”

Life After the Headlines

Both actors rebuilt their lives away from the spotlight.

Meg Ryan stepped back from acting in the mid-2000s, adopted a daughter from China in 2006, and later became engaged to musician John Mellencamp. Though the engagement ended in 2019, Ryan has stayed largely private, occasionally directing and producing behind the scenes.

Dennis Quaid has been married three times since and welcomed twins during his third marriage. He’s now married to Laura Savoie, a doctoral student nearly four decades his junior. Quaid has continued acting steadily in both films and TV, often playing fatherly or veteran roles.

The One Thing That Endures: Jack Quaid

Despite the painful breakup, both Ryan and Quaid remain united in their pride for their son, Jack Quaid. Now a star in his own right, Jack has earned acclaim for roles in The Boys, Scream (2022), and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

Dennis Quaid has said he has no regrets about his marriage to Meg Ryan, noting, “We have Jack — and that makes everything worth it.”

So, What Really Happened to Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid?

Their relationship wasn’t a Hollywood fairytale — but it wasn’t a total disaster either. It was a love story shaped by early success, complicated by fame, and ultimately undone by private pain. Today, both actors live quieter lives, far from the tabloid glare that once followed them.

And in a way, that may be the most honest kind of Hollywood ending.