Forty-five years of marriage is a lifetime of shared memories. And even when life changed, Meryl Streep and Don Gummer chose respect over resentment. ❤️
Meryl Streep and sculptor Don Gummer were married on September 30, 1978. Their marriage lasted 45 years before their separation was confirmed in October 2023, though they had actually been living apart for more than six years. Together, they raised four children.
Their story began during one of the most difficult times in Streep’s life. After the death of her boyfriend, actor John Cazale, she moved into Gummer’s home. He was a friend of her brothers, and over time, their friendship grew into a lifelong partnership.
Although they now live separate lives, they have never divorced and have remained on good terms. Rather than letting bitterness define their relationship, they have continued to treat each other with respect.
When asked about the secret to their long marriage, Streep once said it came down to “goodwill and willingness to bend and to shut up every once in a while.”
Don Gummer is also an accomplished artist in his own right. An internationally recognized sculptor, he earned his MFA from Yale University and has exhibited his large-scale abstract works around the world since the early 1970s.
Sometimes, love isn’t measured only by how long two people stay together. It’s also reflected in the grace, kindness, and respect they choose to show each other along the way.