Hank Azaria Admitted He Was ‘Jealous’ of Ex-Wife Helen Hunt and Her Success
Friends fans remember actor Hank Azaria for his recurring role in the hit sitcom. He played Phoebe’s love interest in a storyline that saw his character place his career before their romance. In real life, Azaria’s celebrity relationship with a fellow actor also failed. After years of dating, he married Twister star Helen Hunt in 1999. But they soon divorced, perplexing fans. Azaria later revealed he had grown jealous of his wife’s success.
Hank Azaria and Helen Hunt were together for several years
In the early ’90s, Hank Azaria was in a relationship with Julie Warner before he dated Hunt. Meanwhile, Hunt reportedly had romantic ties to celebrities like Matthew Broderick. According to Hollywood, Hunt and Azaria began dating soon after meeting in 1994.
The pair had a solid relationship for about five years before Azaria proposed. In 1999, they held a quiet ceremony at their home in Los Angeles. They seemed happy, but their marriage wouldn’t last long.
After a year, the couple appeared to be having trouble and began living apart. News of their separation arrived in August 2000 when Hunt filed divorce paperwork. They finalized their split later that year. The news shocked fans who thought the pair’s romance was solid.
After all, Hunt had called Azaria “my beloved” a year before they married when she won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the rom-com As Good as It Gets. Despite their long dating history, they called it quits. Afterward, the two busied themselves with acting projects but reflected on their relationship.
Hank Azaria said he envied Helen Hunt and her career
Azaria and Hunt were together for six years, including 17 months of marriage. According to The Things, Hunt’s publicist said the couple’s choice to divorce was mutual. The actors agreed it was for the best and moved on. Meanwhile, Azaria opened up about the divorce.
During a 2017 Radio Andy interview, the Godzilla actor admitted his jealousy was part of the problem. Hunt enjoyed increasing success during their union, and he couldn’t help but feel envious.
“It makes the degree of difficulty in the relationship, and in your own career, go way up,” Azaria revealed.
The divorce was a regrettable moment in the Simpsons actor’s life. However, the media coverage made the process more annoying for him.
Meanwhile, observers have wondered what Hunt thinks about their failed romance.
The Twister actor has remained private regarding her personal life and hasn’t said much about the divorce. However, Azaria revealed that he and his ex-wife are on friendly terms. They have since had other romantic relationships.
Who have the actors dated since their divorce?
A couple of years after Hank Azaria and Helen Hunt split, the Mad About You star began dating Matthew Carnahan. They had a daughter in 2004 and remained together for over a decade until their breakup in 2017. It’s unknown if Hunt is seeing anyone now.
Azaria, too, found love again. He reportedly had a brief romance with singer Sheryl Crow in 2006. However, the following year, he married former actor Katie Wright. The pair had a son a couple of years later. And today, Azaria and Wright remain married.
