Martha Plimpton Shares Fond Memories of River Phoenix in Podcast

LOS ANGELES, CA — Martha Plimpton reminisced fondly about her relationship with the late actor River Phoenix during a recent episode of Jesse Tyler Ferguson‘s podcast, “Dinner’s On Me.” The two stars dated for four years in the late ’80s before remaining friends until Phoenix’s tragic death in 1993 at the age of 23.

On the July 17 episode, Plimpton described Phoenix as her “first love,” stating, “That relationship never really goes away. You can’t ever let something like that go. It’s just too important and too altering.” The actress, known for her roles in films like “The Mosquito Coast” and “Running on Empty,” expressed how significant their bond was, sharing, “It’s a huge part of who I am. So yeah, of course we stayed friends.”

Plimpton shed light on the challenges Phoenix faced due to his rising fame. “Fame was really hard on River,” she said. “He really didn’t know what to do with all of that. He wanted to do good, but the contradictions of [Hollywood] were too difficult.” She added that as he grew more famous, it became harder for him to handle the pressures.

Despite his struggles with addiction, Plimpton highlighted the support Phoenix had from her, his family, and his brother, Joaquin Phoenix. “He was lucky to have me and his family. His illness was incredibly difficult for him to manage on his own and he never really got the help that I think he would have done amazingly well with,” she said.

Martha reflected on the impact they could have made had Phoenix received the support he needed, stating, “If he had gotten that help, I think he would have been an incredible advocate for sobriety and for people struggling with addiction. Unfortunately, it got him before he had a chance to do that.” With tears in her eyes, she added, “I miss him every single day. Every single day.”