Ethan Hawke Reflects on Breakup with Uma Thurman After Two Decades

NEW YORK, NY — Ethan Hawke is opening up about his breakup with Uma Thurman. In a recent interview, the 54-year-old actor discussed the public fallout of their split, which occurred more than 20 years ago. Hawke and Thurman were married from 1998 until their divorce in 2005. They have two children, Maya, 27, and Levon, 23.

Hawke, who typically keeps his personal life private, shared his feelings about the media coverage surrounding their divorce, calling it ‘humiliating.’ He stated, ‘It’s almost humiliating even when they’re saying positive things,’ reflecting on the intense scrutiny they faced during their breakup in 2004.

The couple met while filming the 1997 movie ‘Gattaca.’ Hawke likened the experience of falling for co-stars to a game of Spin the Bottle. He described the intimacy involved in acting, stating, ‘It’s such a high. It feels dangerous and thrilling,’ noting that these feelings can create a surreal experience separate from daily life.

After their marriage ended, Hawke went on to marry Ryan Shawhughes in 2008, with whom he has two daughters, Clementine, 17, and Indiana, 14. Thurman filed for divorce from Hawke in 2004, amid speculation about his alleged infidelity with their nanny. He denied the allegations but began dating Shawhughes shortly after their marriage ended.

Despite the split, Hawke expressed feelings of depression following the breakup, stating that after receiving an Oscar nomination for ‘Training Day‘ in 2001, his personal life fell apart. ‘It’s really easy to see everything that is fake about other people and life,’ he said, reflecting on his state of mind at the time.

Thurman, 55, has maintained a more reserved stance when discussing their split. In a 2006 interview with Parade magazine, she emphasized the importance of maintaining peace for their children’s sake, stating, ‘I cannot participate in anything critical about my children’s father.’ Throughout her career, she has focused on keeping her comments about Hawke respectful, saying, ‘I think it’s fair to say that I haven’t said one mean thing, and I’m not going to start now.’