Meryl Streep and Don Gummer have separated after 45 years of marriage. It was confirmed by multiple news outlets that the pair ended their relationship six years ago and have been living separate lives since. “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,” a representative for Streep said in a statement. Streep and Gummer have not been seen together publicly since the 2018 Oscars. However, Streep has been seen wearing her wedding band as recently as last week at the 2023 Princesa de Austurias Awards in Spain.

Gummer, a sculptor, met Streep through her brother in 1978. At the time, Streep was mourning the loss of her boyfriend, John Cazale, who has recently passed from lung cancer. When Streep and Gummer met, they had an instant connection, tying the knot six months later at her parents house. Throughout their relationship, the pair remained private, only sharing glimpses into their relationship occasionally. In 2002, Streep spoke about her relationship with Gummer in an interview with Vogue. She shared that the secret to their long-lasting relationship was "goodwill and willingness to bend — and to shut up every once in a while.” She continued, "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."

They share four children together: Henry, 43, Mamie, 40, Grace, 37 and Louisa, 32. In 1998, Streep spoke with The Washington Post about motherhood, saying it is much harder than acting. "Mothering. Definitely. Acting — that's praise, money, fulfillment. Mothering — they don't even say, 'Thank you.' They don't even clear the table unless you say, 'Excuuuse me.' Real life, there's no comparison to acting. I can't really call acting work, since it's secretly so fun. Even the difficult things; it's satisfying to do the difficult things well."