Melanie Lynskey and Ex-Husband Jimmi Simpson Remain ‘Dear Friends’ a Decade Later
Melanie Lynskey and Jimmi Simpson were once one of Hollywood’s cutest celebrity relationships. After meeting while they worked on the same set, they became an inseparable couple — or so it seemed. They dated for a long time, then they got married. Despite what seemed like a strong relationship, after over a decade together, the couple divorced.
But Lynskey and Simpson haven’t let this make them bitter toward each other. To this day, they have managed to keep a close and respectful relationship. They may be divorced, but they remain an example of how former spouses can truly stay friends.
Jimmi Simpson and Melanie Lynskey’s relationship
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the couple met in 2001 on the set of Red Rose. The Stephen King miniseries was full of dark twists and turns, but for the two actors, it was the start of something beautiful.
They started dating, and after six years together, they tied the knot. Their marriage took place in Lynskey’s home country, New Zealand, on April 5, 2007.
Yet in 2012, after five years of marriage, Lynskey filed for divorce, claiming irreconcilable differences. As grim as that may sound, the proceedings were very cooperative. Because they didn’t have kids together, and neither of them asked for spousal support, there really wasn’t anything to argue about. The divorce was finalized by May 2014.
They still call each other ‘wonderful’ and ‘dear friend’
While many couples, both famous and not, struggle to be kind to each other after a divorce, Simpson and Lynskey had no such problems. As Simpson explained in an interview with the Observer about landing the part of Gavin Orsay in House of Cards, “That job was so perfect, in terms of where I was in my life. I had just gone through a divorce [from Lynskey]. It was as amicable as a divorce could be.”
Their friendship continues to be strong to this day. They say positive things about each other in interviews as well as on social media. One example is in Simpson’s Instagram post from 2017, where he referred to Lynskey as, “My dear friend and ex-wife #melanielynskey.” And in May of this year, Lynskey tweeted sharing a story from, “When I was married to the wonderful @jimmisimpson.”
People often talk about how social media is a breeding ground for divisive rhetoric and attacks. But for The Westworld actor and the Yellowjackets star, it’s just another opportunity for them to treat each other like old friends. The former spouses seem to have managed to hold onto their fondness for each other, even though they were ready to move on to other relationships.
Their other relationships since the divorce
Lynskey met her next husband on a movie set as well. In 2013, when she was already separated from Simpson, she co-starred in the drama/comedy The Big Ask with Jason Ritter. They hit it off immediately, and they’ve been together ever since. They had a daughter together in 2018, and they got married two years later.
So far, Simpson hasn’t been quite as lucky in love. He married fellow actor Sophia Del Pizzo on April 5, 2019. However, the marriage only lasted 19 months, and they separated in November 2020. Their divorce was final in 2021.
Lynskey and Simpson may not have stayed married, but they appear to have kept their friendship strong. The way they treat each other could be an example for exes everywhere about how to treat a former partner with kindness and respect.
