Renee Zellweger: The Final Great Romance of Jim Carrey Rewind
While some celebrity relationships from the past may seem like fortunate escapes, others leave Us feeling a touch melancholic. The romance between Renée Zellweger and Jim Carrey certainly falls into the latter category — back in the day, it appeared these two were genuinely in love and an eccentric match. So, what led to their separation? Let’s delve into the details…
How it Began
Of course, it all started as a romance on a movie set, or at least a crush — and in this instance, the film was 1999’s Me, Myself & Irene. The film’s producer, Bobby Farrelly, shared with People in 2000 that Carrey, then 37, “fell for her instantly,” while Zellweger, then 30, took a bit more time to come around.
“I liked him a lot, but you’re not going (to the set) for a love connection,” she revealed to CNN in 2000. “After the film wrapped, we had spoken a few times on the phone, and then all those rumors surfaced that I was dating him. I was so upset. I said, ‘No, that’s not true.’ Then I went home and thought, ‘Wow, I actually miss him.’”
How Long it Lasted
Their relationship was relatively brief, lasting just over a year before they parted ways in 2000. Still, it did span two millennia.
Here’s one of the most endearing stories from their romance: Zellweger was on the verge of filming the first Bridget Jones movie but was getting acquainted with her character by going undercover for an internship at a London publishing firm. She later shared at the Cannes Film Festival that her coworkers thought the new girl was peculiar for having a framed photo of Carrey on her desk, only realizing her identity months later.
How it Ended
In December 2000, publicists for both stars — before they had Instagram to handle such announcements — confirmed their breakup. “As of a couple of weeks ago, Jim Carrey and Renée Zellweger are no longer in a relationship,” stated Zellweger’s office, noting that the couple wanted different things (in fact, rumors circulated that he desired marriage, while she did not). Carrey’s representative added, “It’s a private matter.”
What They Said About Each Other
It appears these two had a positive influence on one another. “I feel like it’s become much more vital for me to have a life and form genuine human relationships and do my own laundry occasionally, engaging in the mundane activities I neglected when I first became a so-called star,” Carrey told Entertainment Weekly in 2000. “Renée has taught me a lot about that too. She’s a deeply connected individual. She believes that having fun is as simple as renting a U-Haul and ferrying furniture to Texas. I absolutely love that about her.”
Zellweger sounded equally enamored. “It was a completely unexpected, wonderful experience,” she said in that same interview. “It felt entirely natural to want to be around one another. After we finished the film, we didn’t see each other for several months — or really even communicate — and I genuinely felt his absence significantly.”
What They Say Now
Two decades after their breakup, it’s evident Zellweger still holds a significant place in Carrey’s vibrant mind. In his book, Memoirs and Misinformation, he referred to her as his “last great love” and elaborated on this in a 2020 discussion with Howard Stern on SiriusXM.
“She definitely meant a lot to me, very special; I think she’s lovely,” he stated. When Stern inquired whether Carrey regretted messing things up and if she had been “the one that slipped away,” Carrey reflected: “I don’t regret, I don’t possess those feelings, but I do appreciate those individuals who have entered my life for the good they contributed.”
Key Relationship Takeaways
Both individuals have experienced quite a bit since their romance at the start of the century, with Zellweger now starring in several Bridget Jones films and happily settled with presenter Ant Anstead after tumultuous relationships with Bradley Cooper and Jack White, plus a brief marriage to country singer Kenny Chesney.
Carrey, for his part, dated Jenny McCarthy for five years and tragically lost his on-and-off girlfriend Cathriona White to suicide in 2015. He remains single, and while his time with Zellweger was 25 years ago, it’s clear she left an indelible mark on him.
