Meryl Streep Was Homeless after Boyfriend's Death Yet Future Husband & Dad of Her 4 Kids Came to Her Rescue

Amid heartbreak and homelessness, Meryl Streep found everlasting love with the father of her four kids. The Hollywood starlet lost the love of her life, and within six months, she got married and started a family.

Per Honey.Nine.com., veteran actress Meryl Streep met her husband of forty years, Don Gummer, in early 1978, but their meeting was under unfortunate circumstances.

At the time, Streep had been at the bedside of her ailing boyfriend of two years, actor John Cazale who passed away during that period.

Streep met Cazale when she auditioned for Shakespeare in the Park. The pair also bagged roles in "Measure for Measure" opposite each other.

They quickly developed a romantic relationship off-stage, and soon Streep moved into her lover's apartment in Tribeca. She told biographer Michael Schulman that Cazale was different:

"He wasn't like anybody I'd ever met."

Things turned sour in May 1977 when the couple discovered that Cazale had terminal lung cancer, which had spread throughout his body.

Streep did everything she could to ensure she could care for her significant other. When he got cast in the movie "The Deer Hunter," the New Jersey native felt the need to be closer to him and agreed to star in the film.

Sadly, Cazale never lived to see the final product. His cancer ultimately metastasized to his bones despite months of treatment.

Streep admitted that despite her efforts to remain close to the Massachusetts native, she failed to see that his health had deteriorated.

Cazale tragically passed away on March 12, 1978, in New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital. Streep was 29 years old then and had not vacated his apartment since he got admitted to the facility.

READ: John Cazale and Meryl Streep Dated until His Death — All about the Actor's Life and Death

MORE: Inside Meryl Streep's Love Story with 'The Godfather' Star John Cazale

Schulman recounted the couple's last moments before Cazale took his last breath, revealing Streep did not want to believe that the love of her love was dying.

She wept while pounding on his chest, and for a split moment, he "opened his eyes" and told her that she would be okay, Schulman wrote in "Her Again - Becoming Meryl Streep."

Joe Papp, the director of Shakespeare in the Park, and Schulman revealed Streep and "The Godfather" star's chemistry was intense – physical and apparent on set.

When Cazale's health declined, his girlfriend stood by him for five months and accompanied him to chemotherapy treatments.

Michael Cimino, "The Deer Hunter" director, disclosed to People in 1995 that Streep remained devoted to Cazale even in his last days: "Meryl stayed by his side every single moment," adding "her devotion to John" showed that she was courageous.

When Cazale was stuck in bed, the Academy Award winner was beside him at his Manhattan apartment, performed comedic routines, and read the newspaper for him in faux voices.

Papp noted Streep cared for Cazale like no other and "gave him tremendous hope," although he knew he would die eventually.

A year after his passing, the "Mamma Mia!" star spoke candidly about Cazale's death in an interview with People, saying it had stuck with her and made her think about her own death. Streep said the daunting experience changed her perspective on certain things.

Shortly after her lover died, she traveled to Canada to stay with a pal, and upon her return to New York, Streep learned that she had to move out of the apartment she shared with him.

The "It's Complicated" star's brother helped her pack and brought along a friend named Don Gummer, a sculptor who lived near Streep and had occasionally met her.

Gummer had planned on leaving the country to travel and invited Streep to stay in his Soho loft while he was away. During that period, the pair kept in touch by writing, and their connection developed from there on.

According to E! Online, Streep was hesitant to pursue another relationship, but a widowed friend convinced her to try it out, only if she liked him.

READ: Meet Meryl Streep's Husband, Don Gummer, Who Plays a Big Part in the Actress's Life

MORE: The Tragedy That Led Meryl Streep to the Love of Her Life

Upon Gummer's return, Streep continued to live in his place. Six months later, the duo walked down the aisle on September 30, 1978.

The wedding occurred in the garden of Streep's parents' home on Mason's Island, Connecticut. However, her mother was not impressed with the speed of the newfound relationship.

Streep & Gummer Started a Family

Regardless, Streep and Gummer remained married and started a family together, and they welcomed three daughters and a son. The couple's eldest child, son Henry, was born in November 1979, and like his mother, he pursued a career in showbiz.

Henry is an actor with credits in films such as "The Wait and "Lying" and a musician. Following his graduation from Dartmouth College in 2002, he began a musical career and founded the indie group Bravo Silva, but the band has since broken up, and he went solo. He is married to Tamryn Stronm Hawker, and the couple has a daughter named Ida June Gummer.

Streep and Gummer's second child, Mary, arrived in August 1983 and goes by the stage name Mamie. She followed in her mom's footsteps by becoming an actress.

Mamie has starred in the drama series, "Emily Owens, M.D." as Emily Owens and in" The Good Wife" as Nancy Crozier. Mary studied theater and communications at Northwestern University and graduated in 2005. The TV star is married to Mehar Sethi, and they have a son together.

READ: Meryl Streep Is a Mom of 4 — Who Are Her Kids' Real-Life Partners and Exes?

MORE: Meryl Streep Has a Granddaughter Ida June Who Just Turned 1 — Check Henry Wolfe's Adorable Tribute

Gummer and Streep welcomed their third child, Grace, in May 1986. Like her siblings, Grace followed in her famous mother's footsteps and became an actress.

Before becoming a Hollywood star, she attended Vassar College and graduated in 2008 with degrees in Art History and Italian. Grace made her acting debut in "The House of the Spirits" and played a younger version of her mom's character in the film. The New York native is twice divorced, and both her marriages were short-lived.

The family's youngest member is Louisa, born in June 1991. Louisa works as a model and actress. Like her sister Grace and mom, she also attended Vassar College and graduated in 2013 with a degree in Psychology.

Louisa also graduated from the Yale School of Drama and obtained a Mast of Fine Arts in Acting. She has made several appearances in plays and made her TV debut in the HBO series, "The Gilded Age."

When reflecting on motherhood, Streep told The Guardian in January 2017 that going from acting gigs to acting gigs allowed her to spend more time with her brood which is something she could not have accomplished had she worked at a desk job.

She explained that the decisions she made concerning her career were never based on how close she would be to her family but found a balance. "I always tried to stay challenged and work hard but keep my hand in and stir the pot at home," said Streep.

Per Good Housekeeping, the mother of four is a hands-on parent. She admitted to the outlet in July 2008 that she lectures her kids instead of "listening" to them:

"Lecturing is what I do with my children, not listening. Lecturing and ordering out."

Streep explained that being a mom and a wife needs "balance," adding that it is "a challenge but the best kind of challenge." Per The Sidney Morning Herald, the film icon and her family lived in Connecticut for 25 years.

Despite her celebrity status, she could live her life privately and even attended luncheons with other moms, participating in school events. Streep described that period as one of "the happiest times" of her life.

When her youngest child with Gummer moved out of the nest several years ago, the couple relocated to New York City. Streep expressed that she has been fortunate to have a husband who was "always happy to look after the children" so that she could feel less "guilty" being away because of work all the time.

To date, the Golden Globe Award winner has no regrets about putting her career on a pedestal and strongly feels that she made informed decisions regarding work and family.

When "The Iron Lady" star won an Oscar Award in 2012 for Best Leading Actress in a role, she teared up when thanking her beloved husband in her speech.

"First, I want to thank Don. I want him to know that everything I value most in our lives, you've given me," Streep said during her speech.