Meg Ryan Chose Kids over Acting after Painful Divorce — Becoming Mom to Adopted Daughter Was 'Inevitable'

Hollywood veteran Meg Ryan got blamed for her and her former husband's divorce for years. Yet, it turns out that things were not as they seemed.

Actress Meg Ryan was married to actor Dennis Quaid for ten years. The former couple tied the knot in 1991 before calling it quits in 2001 in a messy divorce.

The pair first separated in 2000 amid Ryan's alleged high-profile affair with actor Russell Crowe. Per Today via In Style, she got candid about the downfall of her marriage to Quaid several years later and revealed that it was not entirely her doing that they parted ways.

Ryan shared the public was not aware of the happenings of her failed marriage and that her affair with Crowe overshadowed what she went through in her relationship with Quaid:

"It was a great story. But what wasn't in the story was the reality of my marriage for nine years. Dennis was not faithful to me for a long time, and that was very painful. I found out more about that once I was divorced."

The Connecticut native said that Crowe "took a big hit" before explaining that he was not the reason behind the breakup of her union:

"Russell didn't break up the marriage. He was definitely there in the end, but it wasn't his fault."

After her divorce, Ryan divulged that she was "a mess" and ended up hurting Crowe. She could not pursue another committed relationship after that: "I couldn't be in another long relationship; it wasn't the time for that. So, I got out," she explained.

The starlet once revealed to Oprah Winfrey on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that her marriage with Quaid was "unhealthy" and that they were both unhappy at the time.

Ryan said it does not mean that she was also a "victim" in the scandal, adding her divorce was "painful" yet "liberating' at the same time. She emphasized that she "did not leave" her marriage for Crowe, but she left because "it was not working."

The "You've Got Mail" star shares a child with Quaid. The former couple welcomed their one and only son, Jack, in April 1992.

Ryan Adopted a Child in China

Years following the divorce, Ryan decided to adopt a then 2-year-old baby girl named Daisy from China in 2006. Per People, the mom of two, opened up about the adoption process in the foreign country during an interview with Redbook magazine in April 2007.

Ryan revealed the process includes a lottery system, as her daughter was randomly assigned to her. However, she believes there was nothing of that kind when speaking about how she ended up with Daisy:

"I am convinced, completely convinced, that there was nothing random about it. She is the daughter I should have."

Ryan explained that she was "not on a mission" to get a child but only "wanted a baby." Her main goal was to "connect" with someone, and that was how she and Daisy met. "We are so compatible," she said.

The "Rich and Famous" alum said she does not feel any different about how she welcomed her son and got her daughter because their love for them is the same.

In fact, Ryan believes kids are their own people; as such, how she welcomed Jack into the world is more like the lottery because he is different from her, his dad, and Daisy. "It's just as much of a lottery with your own biological children as it is with an adopted child half the world away," she said.

In September 2008, Ryan appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and stated that it was "inevitable" that she would be Daisy's mom one day because of how things transpired before she adopted her.

Ryan planned on visiting India at the time, and while she was on her way there, she received a photo of her future child with a message that read: "Here's your daughter!" At that moment, she became overwhelmed with emotions and figured it was destiny.

The award-winning star was meant to depart India on the 16th and was told that she could meet Daisy on the 18th. Ryan only had to fly there for "six hours" to meet her daughter; hence she said it was meant to be.

After becoming a mom of two, Ryan took a hiatus from acting and focused on raising her kids. She opened up about raising a toddler at the time and said bringing up Daisy was a walk in the park:

"Daisy doesn't feel hard. There's no sweat on it. She's a good hang, and she's easy."

Ryan praised her daughter, saying she was "smart" and "very generous," adding she loved her sense of humor. The proud mom shared she could not imagine life without Daisy, which is "good with her in it." Ryan's son and daughter "get along well" and they all blend as a family of three.

Although Ryan became a single mother, she said it was not a train smash raising her brood alone. Still, she explained that Jack does have a relationship with his father, and they are "close," something he would always have.

Ryan said because she was the only parent in the household, she was "the one in charge, making the rules," adding, "there's no stress because you and some other adult don't agree on how you want to raise your kids."

Ryan's Son Followed in Her Footsteps

Ryan's son grew up to be an actor. Jack told Women's Wear Daily in March 2017 that he caught the "performing bug" at a young age when he used to perform "magic shows" for his family.

However, it was his role as Bottom in a school play production of "Midsummer's Night Dream" that he knew he wanted to do acting for a living.

Jack also revealed that he is a "mama's boy," saying his mother knows him better than anyone else. He played a role in his parent's directorial debut, "Ithaca," a melodrama about war. "Our shorthand is incredible," said "The Hunger Games" star, who added that he tried to be as "professional" as possible.

Jack, who has appeared in films such as "Rampage" and "Logan Lucky," shared his mom and dad are beyond "supportive" and that when they realized that he "was passionate" about acting, they did not deter him.

Meanwhile, his mom and sister spend their mother-and-daughter time shopping. In November 2020, HollywoodLife reported that Ryan and Daisy made a trip to Trader Joe's in Santa Monica, California.

The outlet revealed the pair were seen leaving the grocery store while pushing their cart full of groceries to the car. The trip came after the duo was spotted running errands in Los Angeles in September 2020.