Actor Meg Ryan has split from her rocker boyfriend, John Mellencamp, after three years of dating. The couple reportedly called it quits earlier this month, said a friend of Mellencamp’s to Closer Weekly. Sources close to the couple claim that it was the long distance between them that contributed to the end of the relationship.
Ryan, 52, is based in New York, while Mellencamp, 62, lives in Indiana. While one source claims that it was the distance that “ultimately was the cause,” another friend close to Mellencamp revealed that another cause for the breakup could be the fact that he didn’t like the attention that came with dating Ryan, a Hollywood actress. “I bet he’ll stay away from dating another famous person for a while,” said the source to Closer Weekly.
Ryan’s ex-boyfriend has been candid before about his distaste for city life and his desire to stay in Indiana. He told Rolling Stone in 2013 that he was too sensitive to live in the city and see things such as trash on the streets. He said he would never leave Indiana. “I’m going to die here,” he said. His determination to stay in Indiana may not have left much room in the relationship for Ryan’s bustling life in New York.
The couple began dating in 2010 after Mellencamp split from his wife of 18 years, Elaine Irwin. Ryan and Mellencamp kept a low profile as a couple during their relationship, but were previously seen together on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard and running errands in SoHo in New York. People Magazine reported that they were last seen together in May.
Sad news: Meg Ryan and John Mellencamp have reportedly split – http://t.co/RlXFPQjYp1 pic.twitter.com/SPtAz4RA9Y
— PopCrush (@PopCrush) August 21, 2014
E! News reported that Ryan and Mellencamp are focused on their respective projects now that their relationship has ended. Ryan is directing a film called Ithaca, a World War II drama that stars her former Sleepless In Seattle co-star Tom Hanks. Meanwhile, Mellencamp is releasing his 22nd album Plain Spoken in November.