Does Minnie Driver Have a Husband? The Star's Complicated Relationship History and Broken Engagements
Minnie Driver rose to fame following her role in the romance film "Circle of Friends." Her long career as an actress has seen her get several recognitions, but it has also exposed her love life. Despite being linked to famous Hollywood stars, fans still want to know who Minnie Driver's husband is.
Minnie Driver is an English actress born in 1970 in London to Charles Ronald Driver and Gaynor Churchward. Her mother worked as a designer and a culture model while her father was a businessman.
Although Minnie was born in London, she grew up in Barbados until she turned seven. The 53-year-old discovered her passion for acting at a young age after being inspired by Meryl Streep.
Minnie Driver at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
She had a breakthrough after playing Bennie in "Circle of Friends." Since then, Minnie has starred in several movies, but her most notable performance was in the 1997 romance film "Good Will Hunting," for which she got an Oscar nomination.
As the actress' star continued to rise, Minnie Driver's dating life got exposed to the spotlight. She has been romantically linked to famous names, including dating some of her co-stars.
Minnie Driver Used to Date Many Famous Men - From John Cusack to Harrison Ford and Matt Damon
Even though Minnie now keeps her love life away from the public eye she has been romantically linked to several celebrities in the past. The "Big Night" actress once dated Hollywood star John Cusack; however, the duration of their relationship is unclear.
Veteran actor Harrison Ford was once Minnie Driver's boyfriend. Their relationship made headlines mainly because of their age difference—Minnie was 28 years younger than Ford.
Their relationship was short-lived, and the two went their separate ways. Still, Ford didn't give up on love; he said he found true love with actress Calista Flockhart. The pair have been married since 2010.
Other celebrities Minnie has been romantically linked to include the late musician and singer-songwriter Elliot Smith and English actor Rufus Sewell.
Matt Damon and Minnie Driver at the Mann Bruin Theatre in Westwood, California on December 02, 1997. | Source: Getty Images
Minnie also dated musician Taylor Hawkins who passed on in 2022. Hawkins was best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters. It's unclear how long the two dated, but Minnie once shared a throwback photo of her with Hawkins having fun moments together.
Minnie driver dating her co-star Matt Damon was one of her most famous relationships. But the two became the talk of the town following their breakup shortly after the release of "Good Will Hunting." The breakup deeply affected Minnie, and she revealed she felt awful.
The actress still remembers the good times she shared with Damon many years after their breakup. In 2022, she revealed to Entertainment Tonight that her love affair with Damon was sweet, but her family had predicted it wouldn't last.
Minnie Driver and Matt Damon during 1997 Cartier International Polo in Windsor, United Kingdom on July 01.1997. | Source: Getty Images
While she admitted her family loved Damon, Minnie said they saw his career rocketing fast, and with the fame, it would have been difficult for both of them to be in a committed relationship at such a young age.
When they broke up, the news was all over the tabloids, and it only got worse when she and her fellow cast members prepared to promote the film. The actress is forever grateful to her father, who stood with her during that time.
Despite being together for almost four years, Minnie and O'Dea have different opinions about marriage.
Minnie said she was able to get through that difficult period because of her father's support, and he gave her a shoulder to lean on when all the drama unfolded during the Academy Awards. She revealed:
"He was just squeezing my hand, and so he was doing what a dad does, which is protecting their kid."
While that might have been one of Minnie's painful breakups—after she reportedly learned of it following Damon's revelation to Oprah Winfrey that he was single—Minnie stated even though her experience was brutal, she liked to narrate the story with love.
Even though both Minnie and Damon moved on, she admitted that her relationship with the actor was a sweet romance but had an explosive ending.
Minnie Driver Was Engaged Twice but Never Got Married
Despite Minnie's successful career, her love life has been quite the opposite. In 2001, the actress broke off her five-and-a-half-month-old engagement to actor Josh Brolin.
According to her publicist, Minnie and Brolin decided to cancel their wedding plans following a mutual agreement. Based on reports, Brolin became Minnie Driver's boyfriend when the two began dating in 1998 while on the set of the thriller film "Slow Burn."
Minnie Driver and Josh Brolin at Anthony Edwards Indy 500 party for Cure Autism Now(CAN) in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. | Source: Getty Images
Minnie suffered another heartbreak in 2007 after learning that her then-fiancé, magician Criss Angel was going out with actress Cameron Diaz while they were still engaged. Angel reportedly proposed to Minnie in Mexico while they were on a romantic holiday.
A few months later, the magician was spotted with Diaz having a romantic dinner in Las Vegas. After the dinner, the two went to the Mirage hotel to attend the Beatles-inspired Cirque de Soleil show. The pair were spotted enjoying a great date while getting cozy.
While Angel was having a great time with Diaz, Minnie was reportedly devastated after being rejected for the third time. Her close friends were concerned about her and felt their pal didn't deserve to be unlucky in love.
One friend revealed that the actress was excited about her engagement with Angel and was ready to settle down and have a family. However, after the heartbreak, Minnie's friends were worried that the actress would give up on men.
Minnie Driver Kept the Identity of Her Son's Father Secret for Several Years
A year after Minnie broke up with Angel, she welcomed her son Henry Story Driver in September 2008. Before her son's arrival, the actress announced during an interview with talk show host Jay Leno she was expecting and revealed she had come up with names for both genders.
Even after her son's arrival, Minnie kept her baby's father's identity a secret for four years. According to the actress, she and the father of her son were not together, and since he was not famous, she chose to protect him from the public. She said:
"We weren't together, and he wasn't directly in the business. So I chose to protect him and not have a rain of publicity."
She later revealed his identity and said he was a producer who wrote an episode of the drama TV "The Riches" in which Minnie co-starred with Eddie Izzard.
Later on, the tabloids revealed Henry's father as Timothy J. Lea, a television producer with credits on IMDb. He is known for hits shows like "CSI New York" and "Law and Order," among others.
Henry has grown, and he is now a teenager. Per Minnie's social media post, he seems interested in music and has already begun booking shows. Minnie and her son have a strong bond, and she occasionally shares cute photos of her with Henry hanging out together.
Minnie Driver Seems to Have Found Love Again, but Her Boyfriend Doesn't Believe in Marriage
Even though Minnie went through painful heartbreaks, she found love again. Minnie Driver's boyfriend, Addison O'Dea, is a filmmaker born and raised in New York City. The two confirmed their romance in 2019 after attending Amazon Emmy Awards afterparty.
Despite being together for almost four years, Minnie and O'Dea have different opinions about marriage. While Minnie believes in marriage, O'Dea is not interested in exchanging vows. In a podcast interview, the actress said:
"I don't need to be formally married, but I would like a celebration of the ritual. I like that."
Even though they are not married, they seem happy together, and O'Dea has a great relationship with Minnie's son.