Michael Weatherly's 'Difficult' Divorce from 1st Wife Made Him a Better Man despite Its Impact on His Son

Michael Weatherly fell in love with his first wife while starring with her in a soap opera. Their son was severely affected when they went their separate ways, but Michael learned something valuable from that experience.

Michael Manning Weatherly was born in New York City before being raised in Fairfield, Connecticut. After leaving college, he started pursuing an acting career and got his first professional job in 1984 on "The Cosby Show."

Michael played in a band for extra money in the early days of his acting career. He's skilled in playing the piano and guitar, but he also delivered pizzas, sold shoes, and did some songwriting.

The future star also worked in ABC's videotape library, where he logged and carted around one-inch reels of videotape. His role in "The Cosby Show" led to him getting television guest spots.

In 1998 in Los Angeles. he was given a regular role in the series "Significant Others." The same year, which was a fruitful one, he was cast in "The Last Days of Disco" and got to star in the series "Jesse."

In 2000, Michael appeared in "The Specials" alongside Rob Lowe, then "Gun Shy," and the following year starred in "Venus and Mars." The same year he featured with Rosario Dawson in the independent movie "Trigger Happy."

One of Michael's major television roles was in the 1983 soap opera "Loving," where he starred in his early 20s. He also appeared in the show's spinoff, "The City," where he fell in love with his co-star, Amelia Heinle.

MICHAEL'S MARRIAGE TO HIS FIRST WIFE

Heinle moved from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York City immediately after high school to pursue a career in acting. At the age of 19, she got the role of Steffi Brewster in the daytime drama "Loving."

She's since had roles in "All My Children," "CSI: Miami," "Ghost Whisperer," "Monticello and Purgatory," and "Quicksilver Highway." Some people might also recognize her from "The Young and the Restless."

The actress and Michael tied the knot in 1995. However, "The City" was canceled in 1996, which led to Michael's struggles with the stress of supporting a wife and child, son August, born the same year.

Sadly, the couple's marriage failed to last, and they divorced in 1997. In 2017, Michael explained to People magazine the challenges he went through in his marriage at that point, stating:

“I was 27 and could barely take care of myself, but I had to feed people and put a roof over their heads.”

Before the divorce happened, the actor tried to find ways to pay the bills by taking any job he was offered. Even though this was a noble venture on his part, he was hardly at home, and the time apart led him and Heinle to divorce.

Michael also noted how the divorce took a toll on his young son, who struggled to adjust. He and his ex-wife lived on different sides of the country, making it even harder for August.

HOW MICHAEL'S FIRST MARRIAGE MADE HIM INTO A BETTER MAN

For his part, Michael admitted to People that the period of divorce was quite difficult for him too. Even though the experience was painful and challenging, the actor confessed that it changed him for the best, saying:

“When I got remarried, I wanted to do my very best to ensure that rupture wouldn’t happen again. My kids and my marriage are the things I’m proudest of.”

In 2017, Michael lived a happy life in Los Angeles and his second wife, Bojana Janković. The couple welcomed two children in their marriage, daughter Olivia and son Liam.

The "NCIS" actor admitted that his blissful marriage was due to the lessons he learned from his first marriage. One of the things Michael learned was how to put his children and family first, stating:

“I don’t bring my work home. I’m a single-track-mind person, so at work I do my work, but at home I’m devoted to my kids.”

The "Bull" actor credited his acting career for his personal growth. He said it gave him a way to understand himself and "made me a better person" and joked that his wife, an internist, saw him as a patient instead of her husband.

In 2017, the couple had been together for eight years, and Michael looked forward to them enjoying their older years together. He confessed that he was lucky to have a wonderful wife and was on his way to a happy retirement as soon as he got his children educated.

HOW MICHAEL AND BOJANA FELL IN LOVE

In 2010, Michael opened up to People about how he and his second wife met and fell in love. The meeting happened in 2007, at a Vancouver bar where they fell in love instantly after locking eyes.

Before the meeting happened, the actor's friend asked him if he wasn't lonely. Michael lied by saying he wasn't and was happy, plus it seemed to work for George Clooney; however, Janković had caught his eye, with him noting:

“I kept looking out of the corner of my eye and seeing this ravishing, gorgeous beauty," Janković added, "We made eye contact. And that was it.”

In 2014, during an appearance on "The Queen Latifah Show," Michael shared how he'd gone above and beyond to get a date with Janković after their first meeting. He once flew to Paris to meet with her.

The flight happened after Janković told him she would be busy with friends on a European trip. According to her website, Michael's wife is an award-winning physician who's a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

She is double board-certified in internal and integrative medicine. Janković also has certification in functional medicine and is trained in mindfulness with an evidence-based medicine approach that is personalized to each client.

Before Michael's wife got into the medical field, she touched on the television and film world. She previously worked as an assistant director and writer in 2007's short film "Do Not Leave Me with Strangers" and 2009's Serbian television series "TVWWW."

Janković eventually left the industry but still has regular appearances on television as a health consultant. She's appeared on MSNBC, "Today," and Rachael Ray, with her doing informational segments for the flu and cold season in the last two shows.

GROWING THEIR FAMILY

Michael and Janković welcomed their first child together, a daughter, in April 2012, after being married for two and a half years. The star revealed the news via a Twitter announcement where he shared his daughter's name.

He [Michael Weatherly] knew there would be no more flirting and sparring because of [Cote] de Pablo's departure and wondered if he'd stayed too long.

The couple welcomed their second child, a son, in October 2013. Once again, Michael, who already had August, announced the news on Twitter sharing how the boy, Liam, was 10 lbs at birth.

Before Liam was welcomed, Michael revealed that he and his wife discussed many names for their child. The star admitted that some were controversial, while others were Irish and others were Serbian.

His heritage is Irish, his wife is Serbian, and the pair thought a mixture might be fun. During the same year, Michael and Janković welcomed their first child; they bought their Hollywood Hills home for $3,505,000.

In January 2016, Michael announced his departure from "NCIS" at the end of the season after 13 years. He started thinking about leaving the show in season 11, after Cote de Pablo, his onscreen love interest, left two and a half years before.

He knew there would be no more flirting and sparring because of de Pablo's departure and wondered if he'd stayed too long. Michael noticed other actors were having fun and in sync, noting:

"The show was a huge success, but I just suddenly realized that I probably had other things that I should be doing... And I wanted to spend time with my family.”

His departure came after he directed a documentary and opened his production company. Michael now stars in "Bull" and focuses on being a great husband and an even better father.