Dennis Quaid has expressed admiration for his ex-wife Meg Ryan and their son Jack, but the actress is reportedly unimpressed. According to an exclusive source for In Touch, Meg has been confiding in friends about Dennis’s tendency to be an egotistical talker.
In 1988, Dennis, 70, met Meg, 62, while filming D.O.A., and they married in 1991. The couple welcomed their son, Jack Quaid, in 1992, but their marriage ended in June 2000, with their divorce finalized a year later.
A source remarked, “Anyone who knows Meg understands that she dedicated nearly a decade to nurturing Jack’s career, helping him become a sought-after actor and a genuine TV star.”
Despite Dennis’s praise for Jack’s achievements, the insider argued that Meg was the true architect of his success, handling networking and career pitches
According to the insider, “It’s still challenging for Meg and Dennis to engage in a polite conversation about anything.” During the latter part of her marriage to Dennis, Meg was linked to actor Russell Crowe, although she maintains that he didn’t cause the marriage to end.
“He was definitely there at the end, but it wasn’t his fault. I was a mess. I hurt him, too, at the end. I couldn’t be in another long relationship; it wasn’t the time for that. So I got out,” she reflected in a 2008 InStyle interview.
Almost 24 years after their split, Dennis shared insights about his marriage to Meg, affectionately known as “America’s Sweetheart,” during the September 6 episode of Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? on Max.
He spoke about how Meg’s rising fame overshadowed his own, admitting, “I tried to be a big person and tell myself that didn’t bother me, but people are human. She was ascending as I went into rehab.”
Continuing with his praise, the Reagan star remarked, “Meg is really such a great, sweet person, and really talented; she deserved all her success.” He added, “But I don’t regret anything about my marriage to Meg. We got Jack Quaid out of it, who is really going on to maybe eclipse both of us.”
Jack, now 32, has achieved huge success on HBO’s acclaimed show The Boys, following his acting debut in The Hunger Games, and has accumulated various supporting roles in films, including Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
Despite Dennis’s accolades for Jack’s achievements, the source contends that he played a minimal role in his son’s rise. “When nobody cared about this kid or even wanted to meet him, Meg was the one who picked up the phone and pitched Jack to her contacts, not Dennis,” the insider asserted.
“It’s absolutely absurd to see Dennis take any credit for Jack’s success when Meg was fully the architect of it and put her own interests aside to help Jack get on his feet in Hollywood, starting more than ten years ago.”
Although Dennis has spoken highly of his experiences with Meg, tensions still linger between them. “I know comments like the ones Dennis recently made absolutely drive Meg up the wall because of everything she has done for Jack over the years.”
