In her 1980s-90s heyday, Meg Ryan was one of the most successful and beloved actresses in the world. Romantic-comedy hits like Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally launched the perky blonde to the top of Hollywood’s A-list, and earned her the mantle of America’s Sweetheart.
Broke & Dumped! Meg Ryan Breaks Down In Tears Over Latest Heartbreak—Why Her Life Is Ruined
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But in a dramatic reversal of fortune, Meg's current situation appears dismal. Her career has been sinking for more than a decade, and insiders say she's burned through most of the money that she earned in her glory days.
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Photo credit: FameFly
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"Meg hasn't been sensible with her finances over the years," explains a source close to the actress. "And now she's gotten to the point where she's reaching dire straits."
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To make matters worse, her longtime on-ff love and rumored fiance, rocker John Mellencamp, recently stepped out with a gorgeous new lady friend—supermodel Christie Brinkley—leaving 53-year-old Meg heartborken and alone with nowhere to turn for support. Star goes inside the agonizing downfall of the erstwhile rom-com queen.
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Despite her career slump, Meg found happiness with John back in 2010—and they managed to keep their relationship chugging along for almost four years, even though his busy touring schedule and their desire to live in different states often kept them apart. Their differences eventually proved too difficult for the couple, though, and in August 2014, Meg and John split.
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Photo credit: Splash News
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John, however, seemed to remain madly in love with the actress. "I'm very happy with the time I've spent with Meg Ryan. She's a beautiful girl, and I know that I will never, ever, ever be with a funnier girl than her," he said during their separation. "She's an angel sent to me," he added in another interview. "And, you know, nothing's over till it's over."
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Photo credit: Splash News
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His romantic persistence paid off. The couple reconciled not long after their breakup, and sources said they even talked about getting married. By spring 2015, though, the pair seemed to be drifting apart, and they reportedly split again in June. Meg, however, believed their relationship had just hit another rough patch, according to insiders—until she saw the photos of John, 63, and Christie, 61, out on a date Sept. 14.
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Photo credit: FameFly
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"Meg was shocked when she found out John was dating Christie Brinkley. She broke down and cried, 'I'm so humiliated! We were talking marriage,'" a source reveals. "The thing is, John never officially broke up with Meg. They hadn't talked for a while, but she just thought they were on a break and would work it out. She had no idea he was moving on!"
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Photo credit: Splash News
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The fact that John took Christie out just a few blocks from Meg's New York City apartment—after she'd spent years trying to convince him to relocate for her—was a slap in the face. She loves him so much, and it's really hurting her to know he would treat her like this," the insider adds. "Meg is furious and heartbroken."
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Photo credit: Splash News
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To make matters worse, Meg's career is at an all-time low. She's made only seven movies in the past decade—just one since 2009—and all of them have underperformed. Several were outfight flops, and two went straight to DVD. The last major film she starred in was the 2000 thriller Proof of Life, opposite Russell Crowe, with whom she had a fling that ultimately destroyed her marriage to Dennis Quaid.
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Photo credit: Splash News
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"Meg thought she and Russell would have a real relationship, which is why she was willing to jeopardize her life with Dennis for him. But she was sadly mistake," the insider explains. "He had no intentions of pursuing anything serious with her." That scandalous affair didn't just derail her marriage—it also caused the moviegoing public to see Meg in a new negative light. After all, a woman who cheats on her husband with an Australian "bad boy" can't be America's Sweetheart anymore.
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Photo credit: Splash News
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"Everything went downhill for Meg after the affair with Russell—especially after he dumped her. She was crushed," the insider says. "It damaged her public persona irreparably, and her career has not been the same since. It truly was the beginning of the end for Meg."
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Photo credit: INFPhoto.com
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Faced with few good job offers and about to turn 40—an age that often spells career death for actresses in Hollywood—Meg soon turned to plastic surgery to try and make herself appear more youthful. But it changed her looks so drastically, her fans could hardly recognize her... and her star power diminished. She began working less and less.
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Photo credit: Splash News
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WIth her roles drying up, Meg's financial situation has hit the skinds too. Once worth an estimated $45 million, the actress has poured her money into numerous megamansions, frequent high-end vacations and maintaining her lavish lifestyle. She's also raising her 10-year-old daughter, Daisy, whom she adopted from China in 2006, by herself.
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Photo credit: INFPhoto.com
INF - Meg Ryan Out With Daughter Daisy In NYC
Her biggest asset, at this point, is her 4,000-square-foot loft in New York City's upscale SoHo neighborhood, which she intended to share with John. "Meg just can't afford to live in that huge place anymore, since she's making almost no money," the insider says. "She is seriously thinking of selling it and moving into a cheap hotel until she can find a more affordable permanent home. She doesn't want to move, but she knows she can't keep up this lifestyle. It's embarrassing, but she has to think of her future."
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Photo credit: INFPhoto.com
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Indeed, Daisy is Meg's primary concern these days; sources say much of the actress' budget goes toward her daughter's education and other needs. She also takes great pains to spend time with her grown son from her marriage to Dennis, Jack 23, a budding actor.
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Photo credit: Splash News
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"Meg is completely focused on her kids right now because she feels like they are the only thing she has left to live for," the source says. "It's a hard fall for someone who used to have it all."
meg-ryan-broke-1
Photo credit: Getty Images
meg-ryan-broke-2
But in a dramatic reversal of fortune, Meg's current situation appears dismal. Her career has been sinking for more than a decade, and insiders say she's burned through most of the money that she earned in her glory days.
Photo credit: AKM-GSI
meg-ryan-broke-3
"Meg hasn't been sensible with her finances over the years," explains a source close to the actress. "And now she's gotten to the point where she's reaching dire straits."
Photo credit: FameFly
meg-ryan-broke-5
To make matters worse, her longtime on-ff love and rumored fiance, rocker John Mellencamp, recently stepped out with a gorgeous new lady friend—supermodel Christie Brinkley—leaving 53-year-old Meg heartborken and alone with nowhere to turn for support. Star goes inside the agonizing downfall of the erstwhile rom-com queen.
Photo credit: Getty Images
meg-ryan-broke-6
Despite her career slump, Meg found happiness with John back in 2010—and they managed to keep their relationship chugging along for almost four years, even though his busy touring schedule and their desire to live in different states often kept them apart. Their differences eventually proved too difficult for the couple, though, and in August 2014, Meg and John split.
Photo credit: Getty Images
meg-ryan-broke-1
John, however, seemed to remain madly in love with the actress. "I'm very happy with the time I've spent with Meg Ryan. She's a beautiful girl, and I know that I will never, ever, ever be with a funnier girl than her," he said during their separation. "She's an angel sent to me," he added in another interview. "And, you know, nothing's over till it's over."
Photo credit: Splash News
meg-ryan-broke-21
His romantic persistence paid off. The couple reconciled not long after their breakup, and sources said they even talked about getting married. By spring 2015, though, the pair seemed to be drifting apart, and they reportedly split again in June. Meg, however, believed their relationship had just hit another rough patch, according to insiders—until she saw the photos of John, 63, and Christie, 61, out on a date Sept. 14.
Photo credit: Splash News
john-mellencamp-christie-brinkley
"Meg was shocked when she found out John was dating Christie Brinkley. She broke down and cried, 'I'm so humiliated! We were talking marriage,'" a source reveals. "The thing is, John never officially broke up with Meg. They hadn't talked for a while, but she just thought they were on a break and would work it out. She had no idea he was moving on!"
Photo credit: FameFly
meg-ryan-broke-31
The fact that John took Christie out just a few blocks from Meg's New York City apartment—after she'd spent years trying to convince him to relocate for her—was a slap in the face. She loves him so much, and it's really hurting her to know he would treat her like this," the insider adds. "Meg is furious and heartbroken."
Photo credit: Splash News
meg-ryan-broke-dumped-5
To make matters worse, Meg's career is at an all-time low. She's made only seven movies in the past decade—just one since 2009—and all of them have underperformed. Several were outfight flops, and two went straight to DVD. The last major film she starred in was the 2000 thriller Proof of Life, opposite Russell Crowe, with whom she had a fling that ultimately destroyed her marriage to Dennis Quaid.
Photo credit: Splash News
meg-ryan-broke-dumped-4
"Meg thought she and Russell would have a real relationship, which is why she was willing to jeopardize her life with Dennis for him. But she was sadly mistake," the insider explains. "He had no intentions of pursuing anything serious with her." That scandalous affair didn't just derail her marriage—it also caused the moviegoing public to see Meg in a new negative light. After all, a woman who cheats on her husband with an Australian "bad boy" can't be America's Sweetheart anymore.
Photo credit: Splash News
meg-ryan-broke-dumped-6
"Everything went downhill for Meg after the affair with Russell—especially after he dumped her. She was crushed," the insider says. "It damaged her public persona irreparably, and her career has not been the same since. It truly was the beginning of the end for Meg."
Photo credit: Splash News
meg-ryan-broke-dumped-8
Faced with few good job offers and about to turn 40—an age that often spells career death for actresses in Hollywood—Meg soon turned to plastic surgery to try and make herself appear more youthful. But it changed her looks so drastically, her fans could hardly recognize her... and her star power diminished. She began working less and less.
Photo credit: INFPhoto.com
meg-ryan-broke-dumped-9
WIth her roles drying up, Meg's financial situation has hit the skinds too. Once worth an estimated $45 million, the actress has poured her money into numerous megamansions, frequent high-end vacations and maintaining her lavish lifestyle. She's also raising her 10-year-old daughter, Daisy, whom she adopted from China in 2006, by herself.
Photo credit: Splash News
INF - Meg Ryan Out With Daughter Daisy In NYC
Her biggest asset, at this point, is her 4,000-square-foot loft in New York City's upscale SoHo neighborhood, which she intended to share with John. "Meg just can't afford to live in that huge place anymore, since she's making almost no money," the insider says. "She is seriously thinking of selling it and moving into a cheap hotel until she can find a more affordable permanent home. She doesn't want to move, but she knows she can't keep up this lifestyle. It's embarrassing, but she has to think of her future."
Photo credit: INFPhoto.com
meg-ryan-broke-dumped-11
Indeed, Daisy is Meg's primary concern these days; sources say much of the actress' budget goes toward her daughter's education and other needs. She also takes great pains to spend time with her grown son from her marriage to Dennis, Jack 23, a budding actor.
Photo credit: INFPhoto.com
meg-ryan-broke-dumped-12
"Meg is completely focused on her kids right now because she feels like they are the only thing she has left to live for," the source says. "It's a hard fall for someone who used to have it all."
Photo credit: Splash News
