Inside Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber’s ‘Modern Family’
Celebrity relationships are usually complicated. Some have lasted longer than we can remember while others that began intensely end on a sour note. Seeing as Hollywood is a small place, many of these stars have had to share spotlights with their exes, making for awkward encounters.
However, when children are involved, some former couples put their differences aside and work toward what’s best for their kids. Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber may not be together anymore, but their kids come first. Here’s an inside look at the couple’s modern family.
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber never got married
In 2005, Watts and Schreiber met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s costume ball, known as the Met Gala. They instantly took to one another. The Ray Donovan actor once called her a “ray of light.”
According to People, Watts made the first move by inviting Schreiber to dance after the party. However, when he got to the club, he saw Watts surrounded by other A-listers like Sean Penn, and his confidence tanked. As he walked out of the club, Watts chased him down and gave him his number.
Schreiber said he and Watts went out for cupcakes the following day and shared a kiss. “Not a big kiss, but it was a kiss that was like, ‘Ooh.'” When Watts returned to LA, they kept in touch through emails, “lots of emails.”
The pair dated for seven months. Watts decided to visit her native Australia with Schreiber for Christmas in 2006. The couple also starred in their first film together: The Painted Veil. The following year, Watts and Schreiber announced they were expecting their first child.
Watts gave birth to a boy, Alexander “Sasha” Pete Schreiber, in 2007. They welcomed their second child, Samuel Kai Schreiber, a year later in 2008. Engagement rumors persisted. But the couple maintained that marriage wasn’t in the cards for them; they didn’t need a certificate to define their relationship.
Where do Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber stand today?
After 11 years of dating, news broke that Watts and Schreiber were separating in September of 2016. They released a joint statement that read in part, “Over the past few months, we’ve come to the conclusion that the best way forward for us as a family is to separate as a couple.”
The pair maintained that their relationship would remain amicable. Schreiber noted that he valued his friendship with the British actor. Then, in 2018, Schreiber and Watts moved back in together to make co-parenting their children easier.
The living arrangement worked. Schreiber quarantined with his family and his girlfriend throughout 2020, posting videos of many stay-at-home activities. Watts and Schreiber even worked together on Chuck in 2017 and had to pretend they were in love with each other in the movie.
Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts have a ‘modern family’
Schreiber and Watts seem to have the co-parenting thing down pat. The pair have been seen together numerously in the company of their children and partners. Watts has been dating actor Billy Crudup since 2017 after meeting on the set of Gypsy.
She recently posted a photo on Instagram posing with Crudup, Schreiber, and Schreiber’s partner Taylor Neisen, alongside their kids Kai and Sasha. The exes had celebrated their second child Kai’s graduation as Watts posted the snap with the captions, “Congratulations to Kai ⚡🎉. Class of 2022 #modernfamily ❤️ #graduation.”
Schreiber, on his end, kept it simple, posting a photo of Kai and Watts, writing, “Congratulations!!!”
