How Meryl Streep, 76, Went From the Tragic Loss of Her ’70s Love and a Husband of 40 Years to a Rumored Costar Romance

Meryl Streep has given countless unforgettable performances over the course of her long and incredibly acclaimed career, and she’ll soon be reprising one of her most beloved characters in The Devil Wears Prada 2. The veteran actress first brought the stylish and snooty fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly to vivid life 20 years ago, and a lot has changed since then, as Streep, now 76 and elegant as ever, separated from her longtime husband, sculptor Don Gummer, around 2018, and has been linked to her Only Murders in the Building costar Martin Short in recent years.

Here’s a closer look at Streep’s most meaningful relationships, from the heartbreaking loss she experienced as a rising star in the ’70s to her long and low-key marriage to the current rumored romance that’s filled her with laughter.

Entertainment

Meet Meryl Streep’s 4 Kids—and What They Think About Having a Famous Mom

Meryl Streep is known as one of the finest actresses of her generation, and over the course a busy career that’s spanned nearly 50 years, including 100 credits and a record-breaking collection of awards and nominations, she’s somehow found time to raise four children with her former husband of 39 years, sculptor Don Gummer—and they’ve […]

Meryl Streep and John Cazale: A ’70s costar romance that ended in tragedy

Meryl Streep began dating fellow actor John Cazale in 1976, while they were costarring in a production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. In 1977, Cazale was diagnosed with lung cancer, and Streep became a devoted caregiver to her partner, sitting by his side through every treatment he underwent. Tragically, the actor died in 1978 at just 42, and his premature passing had a major impact on Streep, who was still early in her career.

Cazale, who was 14 years Streep’s senior and the more famous actor at the time, appeared in just five films: The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter. Remarkably, all five were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, and three won. While Cazale’s career was far too short, its impact was undeniable, and all of his films are considered classics. Streep and Cazale shared the screen in The Deer Hunter, but his health was rapidly declining during the production and by the time it was released, he had already passed away.

Streep’s costars and directors were deeply moved by the dedication the young actress showed to her partner during his darkest hour, and she said, “He wasn’t like anybody I’d ever met. It was the specificity of him, and his sort of humanity and his curiosity about people, his compassion.” A year after Cazale passed, she told People, “The death is still very much with me. It has forced me to confront my own mortality, and once you do that, you look at things differently.”

Meryl Streep and Don Gummer: A low-key marriage built on ‘goodwill and willingness to bend’

Just months after John Cazale’s death, Meryl Streep met her brother’s friend Don Gummer. They began dating as she was filming Kramer vs. Kramer, the movie that would earn her her first Oscar, and they married in 1978. Streep’s friends and family initially worried that she was rushing into marriage following the trauma of losing Cazale. Those concerns turned out to be unnecessary, as the couple stayed married for nearly 40 years before separating sometime around 2018.

The couple had a son, Henry Wolfe, now a musician, and three daughters, Mamie Gummer, Grace Gummer and Louisa Jacobson, all of whom have followed in their mom’s footsteps to become accomplished actresses.

Streep and Gummer were a dynamic creative duo, given her movie stardom and his accomplishments as a sculptor, but they had a refreshingly down-to-earth life together, choosing to raise their four children in Connecticut and New York rather than Hollywood. True to their private nature, they’d already been separated for over six years by the time Streep’s representative put out a statement confirming their marriage had ended.

Streep rarely spoke about her husband publicly, preferring to keep the focus on her work, but when she won her Oscar for The Iron Lady in 2012, she thanked him in her acceptance speech, saying, “I want him to know that everything I value most in our lives, you’ve given me.” In 2002, she shared her advice for a long marriage with Vogue: “Goodwill and willingness to bend—and to shut up every once in a while”—and even if Streep and Gummer are no longer together, the advice still had an impact, as their marriage lasted far longer than the Hollywood average.

Meryl Streep and Martin Short: An unconfirmed partnership with a comedy legend

Meryl Streep and comedian Martin Short have known each other for over a decade. Romance rumors first began swirling when they played love interests on Only Murders in the Building, and they’ve frequently been spotted going out to dinner and Broadway plays and holding hands on the red carpet over the past couple of years.

Deal of the Day

This Deep Conditioning Collagen Hair Mask for Has 4.9 Stars and Is 80% Off — Get It for $20! View Deal

Streep and Short might seem like an unexpected pairing at first glance, given the mix of Short’s goofy humor and Streep’s gravitas as a serious actress, but they’re certainly charming together both onscreen and off. Short was married to actress Nancy Dolman from 1980 until her passing in 2010, and the rumored relationship with Streep would be a sweet second chance at romance for both stars.

While the actors haven’t publicly confirmed their relationship—and Short has playfully insisted they’re just friends, saying, “She’s fabulous. There’s no one who doesn’t adore her”—Streep looks genuinely happy in every photo taken with him. We can’t wait to enjoy her fabulousness in The Devil Wears Prada 2—and maybe Streep and Short will even show up together at the film’s premiere!

Ready for more? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.