For more than 40 years, Meryl Streep [1] and her husband, Don Gummer, had one of the longest relationships in Hollywood history. But on Oct. 20, Page Six [2] broke the news that the couple have been living separate lives for several years now. In a statement to People [3], a representative for Streep said, "Don Gummer and Meryl Streep have been separated for more than 6 years, and while they will always care for each other, they have chosen lives apart." Reps for Streep did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR's request for comment, and Gummer's reps could not be reached.
Streep and Gummer tied the knot back in 1978, and for much of their relationship, Gummer was right by the Oscar-winning actor [4]'s side at a number of industry events and award shows. The estranged pair first met in the late '70s through Streep's brother, who came to New York City with his friend, Gummer, to help the actor move out of her apartment following the death of her partner, actor John Cazale [5].
At the time, Streep's acting career was just kicking off, and after she moved out of the loft she'd shared with Cazale, Gummer invited her to stay in his vacant apartment while he traveled abroad. The two kept in touch, and when he returned to the city, they struck up a romance and got married about six months later. They now have four kids [6] together: son Henry and daughters Mamie, Grace, and Louisa.
Back in 2002, years before their separation, Streep told Vogue [7] that the secret to her marriage with Gummer was "goodwill and willingness to bend — and to shut up every once in a while." She added: "There's no road map on how to raise a family: It's always an enormous negotiation. But I have a holistic need to work and to have huge ties of love in my life. I can't imagine eschewing one for the other."
Streep and Gummer's last public appearance together was at the 2018 Oscars. Keep reading for a look back at some of their couple moments through the years — including, of course, many nights out at the Academy Awards [8].