Nichole Beattie Faced Many Challenges since Her Teenage Years - Facts about Michael Rapaport's First Wife

"Prison Break" actor Michael Rapaport has been married twice. His first wife, Nichole Beattie, is the mother of his two children. The writer and producer have faced many challenges throughout her life.

Michael Rapaport is known for his work in movies like "Hitch," and "Bamboozled," and TV series like "Atypical," and "Only Murders in the Building" he has been married twice.

His first wife, whom he divorced in 2007, is Nichole Beattie, a writer, and producer who has worked on one of the most successful TV series in recent years. Challenges and loss have complicated Nichole Beattie's personal life.

While Michael Rapaport is a household name from his work in series like "Prison Break" alongside actor Wentworth Miller and "Friends" with Jennifer Aniston. Nichole Beattie's presence in Hollywood is low-key but no less impactful. She started working in the early 2000s and quickly became known in the business for her work on several highly successful projects.

Nichole ended up having long dry spells and had to ask her mother, Melody, for financial help.

Nichole worked on the thriller series "Rubicon," the mini-series "The Bastard Executioner," the drama series "Sons of Anarchy," and "Prime Suspect," an adaptation of the BBC iconic detective series originally starring Helen Mirren.

Nichole Experienced a Traumatic Loss as a Child

On November 19, 1976, Nichole Beattie was born in Minneapolis to iconic writer Melody Beattie, known for her self-help books on addiction and recovery, and David Beattie, a counselor.

Melody had suffered trauma in her childhood and self-medicated with drugs and alcohol. She went into rehab, beat her addiction, and married a recovered alcoholic. The couple had two children, and Melody discovered that David was secretly drinking, and the marriage ended in a divorce.

The family struggled and was on welfare while Melody wrote "Codependent No More." The book was a bestseller, and it looked like the family had made it through the worse when Nichole's younger brother Shane passed away in 1991 at 12 from injuries sustained in a skiing accident.

Nichole Beattie Is Part of "The Walking Dead" Crew

Nichole's best-known work is in the cult series "The Walking Dead," starring Norman Reedus, Andrew Lincoln. She worked with the creator of the graphic novel the series is based on, Robert Kirkman. Contrary to what many might believe, "The Walking Dead" didn't make Nichole rich.

Because she had a contract that prevented her from writing for other projects, Nichole ended up having long dry spells and had to ask her mother, Melody, for financial help. Fortunately, Nichole's talent means she never lacks work.

In 2019 she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie as co-executive producer of the HBO film "Deadwood: The Movie." The movie was based on the acclaimed Western series "Deadwood," which ran from 2004 to 2006.

Michael Rapaport Met Nicole after a Failed Relationship

Nichole met Michael Rapaport in the late 90s when the actor was coming out of a complicated breakup with actress Lili Taylor with whom he'd costarred in "Kicked in the Head" and "Illtown."

Taylor asked a judge for an order of protection after Rapaport harassed her after the breakup, calling her constantly and showing up at her house in the middle of the night. Rapaport and Nichole started dating and married in 2000.

They welcomed two children together, Julian, born in 2000, and Maceo, born in 2002. In 2004, Nichole filed for a divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, requesting spousal and child support and joint custody of their sons.

Rapaport was photographed with his sons several times when they were children, out on walks and at red-carpet events, but since they are now grown up, little is known about their lives.

Nichole Beattie Suffered from Addiction from an Early Age

When her little brother Shane died, Nichole, who was 15, buried her pain in drugs and alcohol. It took her three years to come to terms with her loss and to ask her mother for help. A stint in rehab followed, and it was to be one of many.

Nichole became involved in an unfortunate romance while in rehab, and she and her friend spiraled deeper into addiction. The death by overdose of her friend's sister was a wake-up call for Nichole.

The writer admitted that her father's death in 2003 plunged her into depression and that she self-medicated with prescription drugs. She confessed:

"His death leads me to a bottom that lands me at a rehab center called Promises in Malibu, California."

Nichole Beattie Helped a Friend Find a Job

No matter what difficulties she might be facing, Nichole is a supportive friend, according to writer Lesley Arfin, best known for her work on the series "Girls," "Love," and "Betty." She had been unemployed for a while when she was hired to write "Girls." She explained:

"I got hired for the show when my writer friend, Nichole Beattie (she writes for The Walking Dead) told me about it."

Nichole Beattie's Life after Divorce

Since their 2007 divorce, Rapaport remarried actress Kebe Dunn in 2014, but Nichole remains single. She did have a romance with a man she met in rehab after her separation, but she ended the relationship when she returned to her normal life.

She has focused on her work, staying sober and raising her two sons, Julian and Maceo, who are now young men. Nichole Beattie has walked through grief and challenges and made a new life for herself.