For years Jonathan Rhys Meyers was the man-about-town,
loving and leaving the woman he met.
The actor had become notorious for his excesses and "bad boy" behavior.
That is until he met the woman that would later become his true love,
his rock, and the reason he turned his whole life around.
But the change didn't come around easily,
from his struggle with addiction, trips to Rehab, and even time behind bars;
we're going to tell you everything we know about how Jonathan strove
to become a better man for his wife and child.
Despite Jonathan Rhys' brilliant work in series such as "Vikings,"
"Roots," "Dracula," and "The Tudors" he tended to get more attention for
his erratic behavior and drinking problem than his talent as an actor.
Meyers' mother, had also battled alcoholism before her she died in 2007.
From the outside, Meyers' life seemed dazzling and dream-worthy.
But as the years went by, the award-winning actor opened up about his complicated history
with addiction and how it has impacted his life.
Jonathan had previously been romantically involved with fellow actress Toni Collette
for about a year during the late 1990s.
Following their split, Rhys dated wellness entrepreneur Reena Hammer from 2004 to 2012.
Over their eight years together, their relationship was a huge source of scandal.
Jonathan had made an attempt to stop drinking, but it seemed that he wasn't able to overcome
his addiction while they were together.
Reena was the one who eventually dumped Jonathan and, following their nasty breakup, had nothing nice to say about her ex.
During an interview with a reporter, Hammer got candid about their time together,
and it seemed that she held a lot of resentment towards Jonathan.
She shared, "I paid for his flat and I paid to promote him. Johnny is the worst lover,
has homosexual tendencies, and he is a junkie. He has been locked up in Rehab over four times,
and anything that comes out of his mouth is absolute rubbish."
She also added that he had become "unstable and psychotic back in 2010 before one of his stays in Rehab.
There's no doubt that Jonathan felt betrayed by the comments that Reena had made to the public.
While he wanted to gain control of his addiction and live a sober life, the actor struggled to do so because of the lack of support he received.
After the bad reputation he had gained in the media, there was a moment he thought he wouldn't be able to find someone who loved him for who he was,
and he wouldn't be able to change his ways.
Then, Mara lane came into his life. The pair started dating around 2013, and three years later, they announced their engagement.
Jonathan and Mara got married in 2016 and welcomed their son, Wolf Rhys Meyers, in December of that same year.
Jonathan described becoming a father as a transformative experience and attributed his new-found happiness to his wife and son.
The actor chose to finally devote himself to a life of sobriety with his wife's full support.
Unfortunately, a tragic loss would quickly undo all of the
hard work he had put into turning his life around.
In 2017, Mara confessed that she had suffered a miscarriage of a baby they had named Willow.
She shared the heartbreaking news in an Instagram post,
adding a video of the moment they found out that the baby had no heartbeat.
In her post, she explained that she wanted to be transparent on their journey
so that they could help themselves and others who had suffered through the same experience.
She added in her caption, "We don't have to carry the weight
of the world ourselves. We can help lift one another up,' she wrote at the time."
The loss of their unborn child was devastating for both Jonathan and his wife, and sadly,
the pain resulted in Meyers relapsing into his addiction and quickly spiraling out of control.
Jonathan had been fighting the battle of sobriety for a long time. Since 2005, the actor has gone
through six stays at multiple rehabilitation centers. After he married Mara, he was able to
stay sober for eight months, and it wasn't until his wife's miscarriage that he fell off the rails.
His relapse resulted in yet another scandal when Jonathan got drunk onboard a flight to Vancouver,
where he was traveling with Mara and their son. Passengers on the flight described Jonathan as
out of control, inebriated, and extremely unpleasant to his wife, screaming at Lane
that he was going to divorce her. The actor was later arrested by police after the incident.
Lane later shared a comment on Instagram about the incident, writing, "8 months of sobriety and an
unfortunate day of airline travel. J IS extremely sorry for any inconvenience caused to anyone
traveling yesterday. Thank you for your compassion on this ongoing battle with addiction we are in."
Mara also expressed that "Depression is a real concern from past abuse as well as
alcoholism," which was something that Jonathan was born with.
She added, "He has been able to turn any ugliness
and hurt in his life into art and is the strongest person I know."
Meyers also apologized profusely, and he explained that after boarding,
he'd made an error in judgment. He confessed,
"I've let myself down by relapsing, and it's my responsibility. Nobody else is to blame…."
Although he had strayed from his sobriety, Jonathan never gave up
hope and continued to do his best to get his drinking under control again.
Throughout their six years of marriage, Mara has supported her husband on his journey of sobriety
by creating a stable and calm environment at home for both Jonathan and their son.
The actor is very aware of how much hard work his wife has put into making sure he stays on track,
and he credits her for being his rock and biggest support during his most difficult times.
In fact, he couldn't be more grateful for everything that she's done for him.
Jonathan shared, "My wife is a superior woman.
She's incredible. Yeah, incredible. I couldn't be luckier."
The actor also said that he knows that his marriage to Mara will last because
she's the only one who knows how to "handle" him. In fact, if things between him and his
wife were to never work out for whatever reason, he would never get married again.
Meyers confessed, "I promise you: I will only marry once. Actors can be moody
bastards and we have been through thick and thin together. She knows how to handle me."
When he was asked what the trick is to handling him, Meyers explained,
"She says, 'Go to the gym. Go for a swim. Whatever you do, get out of my sight because what you need,
I can't give you right now. I have a child to look after.'"
The actor also said that "everything good and beautiful" in his life comes from his wife and
son. Before he met Mara, he didn't think he would have any children. As an actor,
he never believed that he would be a good parent. He understood the selflessness that
was required in becoming a parent and didn't think he was capable of that.
He confessed, "I never thought I'd be a father. You have to be a pillar and I wanted to perform.
Being a father you have to face yourself quicker. There's no time for mistakes."
His son was also one of the main reasons he wanted to change the way he was living
his life. Becoming a father completely transformed his perspective on the world,
on his own life, and even on his career.
Jonathan has been a working actor and model since he was just sixteen years old, and after
the whirlwind of his career, he's not sure he'd recommend his son to follow in his footsteps.
The actor explained, "I wouldn't encourage my son to be an actor. Of course, I'd tell him
'do whatever you want to do', but I wouldn't push it,
even though he has been in a short film with me."
Now, he knows that being a father means he has to be the protector of his family,
and he's responsible for them. He wants nothing more than to
be a good role model for his son and a loving husband to his wife.
He's also grateful that his son has taken on more of Mara's traits than his own.
Adding, "But occasionally I see the temper and I think that's mine..."
Jonathan also opened up about the miscarriage of their daughter back in 2017 and the weight
of the loss that has impacted their lives. They were never able to understand why they
had lost their unborn child, and the grief was a difficult thing for them to process.
He shared, "You don't ever get over it. I think about it all the time.
Was it our age? Was it too soon after Wolf? Who knows? I'd love a
daughter. But bad things happen and sometimes they come in battalions."
After the widely publicized incident on the plane and his subsequent arrest,
Meyers explained that he now regularly sees a therapist that specializes in
actors who take on extreme roles and the toll that it takes on their personal lives.
His time in therapy has helped him come to terms with a lot of the trauma that
he's had to experience in his life and find a way to express himself
in a healthy and positive way rather than turn to destructive behavior.
Jonathan confessed, "Everyone's got memories,
events, losses they don't like. You have to deal with them."
There's no doubt that Jonathan has been through many ups and downs in his life,
from nasty breakups, his ongoing battle with addiction, and his wife's miscarriage.
His journey to sobriety has not been an easy one, but if it wasn't for his wife,
he might have never had the stability and support to turn his life around.
Becoming a husband and father was the one thing that made him realize that he wanted
to be the best husband and father to the ones he loved most. We're so glad to know
that Jonathan has found happiness in his life, and we wish him only the best for his future.