Jennifer Meyer has opened up about transforming her 'difficult' split from actor Tobey Maguire into an exceptionally warm and supportive post-divorce friendship. The jewellery designer described her former husband as her 'best friend' in a candid new podcast interview.
A Conscious Uncoupling Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow
Speaking on the December 1 episode of The Inside Edit podcast with Maeve Reilly, Meyer, 48, detailed how the pair navigated their separation. She credited close friend Gwyneth Paltrow as a major inspiration. Paltrow famously coined the term 'conscious uncoupling' during her own split from Chris Martin in 2014.
'I knew and Tobey knew [that we] didn’t want to say, "Which Christmas is yours, which Thanksgiving is mine,"' Meyer shared, adding her heart would 'shatter' at the thought of dividing holidays. Witnessing the partnership between Paltrow and Martin showed her a new model was possible. 'Everyone is one big happy family, and I’m, like, "This is possible, this is a world I want. I’m going to make this happen."''
Overcoming Hurdles to Build a New Normal
Meyer and the Spider-Man star, 50, were together for 14 years, marrying on September 3, 2007 after getting engaged in April 2006. They share two children: daughter Ruby, 19, and son Otis, 15. After a decade of marriage, they decided to separate in 2017, finalising their divorce in 2020.
The entrepreneur revealed the initial period was challenging. 'Tobey and I had broken up, we were still living together,' she explained. 'We didn’t tell anybody because we didn’t want the kids to know. It was this weird time.' She emphasised the split was mutual and 'nothing bad happened,' but admitted, 'When two people are breaking up, you kind of hate each other for a minute.'
She praised Maguire as a 'wonderful' co-parent but was honest about the journey. 'We definitely had to overcome some big hurdles,' Meyer stated. 'My life was not easy every day, and I’m sure he would say the same thing.'
Lessons in Patience and an Open-Door Policy
Meyer now views the experience as one of her 'greatest teachers.' 'It teaches you patience, and you’re also raising [kids together],' she reflected. 'Our daughter was 10 or something, so those are some intense times that you need to stay connected.'
The fruits of their efforts are a remarkably close modern family dynamic. 'I now have an ex-husband who is my best friend and would do anything for me, and I would do anything for him, anything in the world,' Meyer declared. She described Maguire as 'the best dad, the best ex-husband, the best friend [and] the most generous.'
Their new normal includes an open-door policy, with Maguire remaining a constant presence. 'The jeweler conceded that her ex is at the house all the time and present at every birthday,' she shared, highlighting their successful commitment to putting family first.
