Meryl Streep and husband Don Gummer secretly split six years ago after 45 years of marriage

Streep and Gummer tied the knot in 1978 and later welcomed four children

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Reese Witherspoon's character, Madeline, on Big Little Lies has met her match in Meryl Streep.

Meryl Streep dropped a bombshell regarding her relationship with husband Don Gummer. 

The Oscar winner and famous sculptor has secretly called it quits for more than six years after being married for nearly five decades. 

"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," Streep's rep confirmed with Fox News Digital.

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meryl streep and husband don gummer secretly split six years ago after 45 years of marriage

Oscar winner Meryl Streep and famous sculptor Don Gummer have been separated for more than 6 years after the couple have been married for 45 years. (Getty Images)

Despite the separation, Streep was spotted wearing her wedding ring at the "Princesa De Asturias" Awards 2023 Ceremony, on Friday.

meryl streep and husband don gummer secretly split six years ago after 45 years of marriage

Streep was spotted wearing her wedding ring at the "Princesa De Asturias" Awards 2023 Ceremony, Friday. (Getty Images)

The couple’s last public appearance together was at the Oscars in 2018.

meryl streep and husband don gummer secretly split six years ago after 45 years of marriage

The couple’s last public appearance together was at the Oscars in 2018. (Getty Images)

"The Devil Wears Prada" actress additionally honored Gummer at the 84th Academy Awards, when she won Best Actress for her performance in "The Iron Lady."

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"First, I'm going to thank Don," she began at the time. " . . . because when you thank your husband at the end of the speech, they play him out with the music, and I want him to know that everything I value most in our lives, you've given me."

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Streep and Gummer met while she was mourning the loss of her late boyfriend, "Deer Hunter" co-star John Cazale. He died of lung cancer while they were dating. 

Later she tied the knot with Gummer in 1978 and they later welcomed four children together -- Henry, 43, Mamie, 40, Grace, 37 and Louisa, 32.

meryl streep and husband don gummer secretly split six years ago after 45 years of marriage

Meryl Streep and husband Don Gummer circa 1980 in New York City.  (Getty Images)

The couple additionally have five grandchildren, as their daughter Grace recently welcomed a baby girl with Grammy-winning British musician Mark Ronson. 

Streep and Gummer’s kids have all followed in their mother’s talented footsteps. 

Grace has been featured in "Mr. Robot," "The Newsroom" and "American Horror Story," while their daughter Louisa stars in "The Gilded Age."

Their son Henry pursued a music career with the stage name Henry Wolfe.

meryl streep and husband don gummer secretly split six years ago after 45 years of marriage

Streep tied the knot with Gummer in 1978, and they later welcomed four children together. (Getty Images)

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When Streep was previously asked whether being a mother or acting was more difficult, she immediately responded with motherhood.

"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,'" she told The Washington Post. 

"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."

Stephanie Giang-Paunon is an Entertainment Writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @SGiangPaunon.

Authored by Stephanie Giang-Paunon via FoxNews October 21st 2023