John Stamos Says 2005 Divorce Broke His Heart, Took Years to Heal

Q: How did a painful divorce and sobriety lead John Stamos to write a new book on modern fatherhood?

John Stamos has said the book grew out of a hard personal arc: a divorce that left him devastated, a period of unhealthy drinking, and then a later-life reset through sobriety, marriage and fatherhood. Stamos described his 2005 split from Rebecca Romijn as heartbreaking and not his choice, saying it took him a long time to recover. By his own account, that pain fed an unhealthy period in which alcohol became part of how he coped. He has since said getting sober about a decade ago was a turning point, because it helped him rebuild his life and become emotionally present. That change led directly to the family life he now credits with his happiness. Stamos has said sobriety made it possible for him to meet and build a life with his wife, Caitlin McHugh, and to embrace being a father to their son, Billy. He has called fatherhood transformative and one of the greatest joys of his life. The new book follows from that experience. Stamos says it will focus on fatherhood and modern masculinity, using personal and often humorous reflections to explore what it means to raise boys with kindness, respect and courage. Rather than writing as someone with all the answers, he has framed it as a conversation from “a dad who’s still learning,” shaped by the lessons he drew from heartbreak, recovery and becoming a parent later in life.

Q: Stamos found happiness in sobriety, but what are his ex-wife's surprising secrets to her own lasting marriage?

Rebecca Romijn has said the keys to her lasting marriage with Jerry O’Connell are separate finances and a strict tag-team approach to parenting. Romijn has described their money arrangement as “completely separate,” with both contributing on a quarterly basis to a shared household fund. She has said the setup helps balance periods when one spouse is working more than the other, allowing the partner not working to get a break while the working partner contributes more. She has also said they built their family life around always having one parent at home with their twin daughters, Dolly and Charlie. Romijn explained that she and O’Connell decided early on that they would raise the children themselves rather than rely heavily on others, and they coordinate their work schedules accordingly. That combination of financial independence, shared responsibility and hands-on parenting is what Romijn has pointed to as the “surprising” formula behind her long marriage to O’Connell, whom she married in 2007.

3 articles · Updated · FemaleFirst · Jun 16

John Stamos said on the Really Good Podcast that his 2005 divorce from Rebecca Romijn "broke" his heart and took him a long time to get over because he did not want the marriage to end.
The 62-year-old actor married Romijn in 1998 after four years of dating, and said the split was driven by her decision to divorce.
Stamos also said he recently met Romijn's husband Jerry O'Connell at a party and described him as sweet, funny and "very charming."
The remarks add personal context to Stamos' recent comments that 10 years of sobriety, marriage to Caitlin McHugh and their 8-year-old son Billy have helped him feel young and stay alive.