Ethan Hawke shares rare insight into 'humiliating' divorce from ex-wife Uma Thurman

Ethan Hawke has provided a rare insight into his high-profile divorce from his ex-wife, Uma Thurman.

The pair first met in 1996 on the set of the sci-fi film Gattaca and tied the knot two years later. However, the stars would go on to split in 2003 before Boston-born Thurman filed for divorce the following year - which was finalized in 2005.

Hawke and Thurman share two children together - 27-year-old Maya and 23-year-old Levon.

Speaking with GQ, the 54-year-old Austin-born star provided a rare insight into their separation, as well as why he believes Hollywood's elite often wed before ultimately ending in divorce.

"Have you ever played Spin the Bottle?" he replied to GQ's Alex Frank, who asked why actors frequently fall for each other on set.

Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman have tow children together (Fred Hayes/WireImage)

"There’s a certain intimacy to the work that we do. Imaginative intimacy. It’s such a high. It feels dangerous and thrilling. It turns the temperature up in your life. It can be like falling in love at summer camp. It doesn’t have any connection to the dailiness of real life. That’s the danger of it."

The Blue Moon star explained how he has tried to keep a low-profile but his split made headlines around the world.

He added: "It’s humiliating. It’s almost humiliating even when they’re saying positive things."

Three years after their divorce was finalized, Hawke wed Ryan Shawhughes - one of their family's nannies.

Speaking about Ryan to GQ, he said: "My wife is really funny. We’ll go out to dinner and I’ll go, ‘God, that waiter was rude.’ And she’ll say, ‘They weren’t rude. They [just] didn’t recognise you. They were normal. You’re just used to everybody smiling when they see you or offering you an extra thing or moving you up in line’.

Ethan and Ryan Hawke, née Shawhughes, attending the 2025 Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, on 29 August (Vivien Killilea/Getty Images)

"The problem with that kind of attention is that a normal temperature feels cold. When you get tickets to the game and you’re sitting 10 rows back and not the front, you feel like someone f**ked you over."

In an interview with The Guardian back in 2009, Hawke opened up further about their relationship.

"I was very cautious during that period of my life and desperately wanted to stay single," he said. "But sometimes life happens to you. Now, I love Ryan tremendously. The bottom line is we're incredibly compatible. We grew up in the same town, you know, all that old school s**t your grandma told you."

Hawke added: "She has always been an extremely sensible, no-bulls**t woman, and frankly I thought that might be good for a half-madman like me."

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