Simon Baker's Colourful Romantic History Unveiled
Simon Baker, the celebrated actor and director renowned for his leading role as Patrick Jane on the CBS drama series The Mentalist, has a personal life that rivals the intrigue of his on-screen characters. Away from the camera, his love life has been marked by twists and turns, from dating women younger than his daughter to being linked with a Real Housewives of Sydney star. Earlier this month, the 56-year-old actor sparked romance rumours with his Scarpetta co-star Nicole Kidman, 58, after they were seen holding hands at the show's New York premiere. This development has reportedly left his ex-wife Rebecca Rigg, who has been close friends with Nicole for over four decades, feeling "shocked and confused."
A Marriage That Lasted Decades
Simon Baker and Rebecca Rigg first crossed paths on a blind date in 1991, later bringing their romance to the screen as co-stars in the 1990s soap E Street. After seven years together, they tied the knot in 1998 and remained married for 22 years before quietly splitting in 2020. They publicly confirmed their divorce in January 2021, stating to People magazine: "We remain close as friends and our three children will always be the most important focus of our lives." However, according to Fox News, they actually separated nine months earlier. The couple shares three children: Stella, 32, Claude, 27, and Harry, 24. In a 2018 interview with People, Simon opened up about their marriage, explaining why they never celebrated their wedding anniversary: "We've never really been big on it. Anniversaries, they're an odd thing, aren't they? Most of the time, 99 per cent of the time, we're really great friends."
Early Romances and Career Connections
In 2017, The Real Housewives of Sydney star Melissa Tkautz revealed she had an on-and-off relationship with Simon in 1991. Speaking to Nova FM's Fitzy and Wippa, the Read My Lips singer claimed she gave Simon his big acting break by introducing him to the creator of E Street, who later gave him a small part on the soap series. The two met on the set of Melissa's video clip for Read My Lips in 1991, where Simon appears as a greased-up boxer. Melissa described their relationship, saying, "I dated Simon. I was infatuated with him, he was gorgeous." She added that they saw each other romantically "on and off for a year and a half."
Post-Divorce Relationships
Following his split from Rebecca, Simon quickly moved on to date active-wear designer Laura Gibbs, 41. They first sparked relationship rumours when spotted frolicking in the waves of Australia's Byron Bay together in March 2021. The pair are said to have met in Byron, where Laura's sustainable fashion design studio is based near his farm in Nashua. However, their relationship ended after Laura attended an anti-vaxx protest in November 2021, with a spokesperson for Simon confirming they quietly parted ways. In 2022, Simon was revealed to be dating a much younger woman, girlfriend Bridgette Clark, who is 25 years his junior. The north Bondi local, a few months younger than Simon's daughter Stella, is a fashion and lifestyle photographer and co-founder of the resort-wear label Terry. The pair dated on and off and were last seen together in June 2024, moving furniture into Simon's van at his home in Tamarama in Sydney's east.
Nicole Kidman Rumours and Fallout
Romance rumours began to swirl between Simon and Nicole Kidman after they were seen holding hands and beaming together at the Scarpetta premiere in New York earlier this month. At the event, Nicole admitted that their chemistry "just vibrates," while Simon cheekily added: "I don't kiss and tell." On Wednesday, the pair fuelled dating rumours further by sharing a flirty video online with their Scarpetta co-stars Jamie-Lee Curtis and Bobby Cannavale. In the clip, Nicole stood very close to Simon, with her hand flirtatiously resting on his shoulder, and he responded with a cheeky smile and a sly raised eyebrow. Now, it has been reported that Simon's ex-wife Rebecca, who is a childhood friend of Nicole's after growing up in the same area of Sydney, is "shocked and confused" about the rumours. An insider told New Idea: "She loves Nicole like a sister, they've been through so much over the years so it's extremely shocking for her to get her head round this." The source added that Rebecca was unhappy that neither Nicole nor Simon had reached out to her regarding the speculation, noting that Nicole is also the godmother of one of Rebecca and Simon's daughters, Stella.
Impact on Others
Meanwhile, Nicole's ex-husband Keith Urban is said to be devastated by her rumoured romance, given how quickly she appears to be moving on from their separation last year. An insider told Woman's Day magazine: "Seeing Nicole and Simon holding hands was the equivalent of seeing his best mate with his missus, and it did a number on him. He knew it was natural for her to lean on Simon – he was also there for Naomi Watts after her split from Liev [Schreiber]." The source added that Keith is hoping Nicole and Simon are just having fun for the cameras, as a genuine romance would devastate him. Simon's family home in the leafy Californian enclave of Santa Monica was also put on the market for $6.3 million, adding another layer to his evolving personal narrative.
