John Stamos says divorce from Rebecca Romijn ‘broke my heart’

'It took me a long time to get over it,' the 'Full House' star reveals how the split shattered him and took years to recover from

Published Jun 17, 2026  •  3 minute read

Actress Rebecca Romijn and then-husband John Stamos attend the 2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Mortons Restaurant, Feb. 29, 2004, in Hollywood, Calif. Photo by Mark Mainz /Getty Images

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source

Article content

John Stamos is taking another look back at one of the most painful chapters of his life: His divorce from ex-wife Rebecca Romjin.

Article content

Article content

During the June 10 episode of Bobbi Althoff’s The Really Good Podcast, the Full House star opened up about the end of his marriage to Romijn and admitted the breakup left a lasting mark.

‘I didn’t want to get divorced’

“It broke my heart,” Stamos, 62, said. “I didn’t want to get divorced. She wanted to. It took me a long time to get over it.” Still, he acknowledged that things ultimately worked out for both of them, adding that Romijn has “a nice life,” is happily remarried and “doing great.”

Stamos and Romijn, 53, were once one of Hollywood’s most-talked about couples. According to Entertainment Weekly, the pair first met at the 1994 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Stamos attended the event as a guest, while Romijn was working as a model.

They dated for four years before tying the knot in 1998. But after seven years of marriage, the relationship came to an end with their divorce in 2005.

Article content

Article content

‘She was the devil’

The actor has spoken before about how deeply the split affected him. While promoting his 2023 memoir, If You Would Have Told Me, he told People that writing about the marriage was one of the hardest parts of the book.

“In my mind back then, she was the devil and I just hated her,” Stamos said.

“I couldn’t believe how much I hated her, and it ruined my life,” he admitted, adding that he eventually recognized he played “some part” in the breakdown of the marriage.

Memoir also stirred up controversy

Last year, Romijn’s husband, actor Jerry O’Connell, revealed on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM radio show that he had no interest in reading the book after learning Stamos accused him of cheating during his relationship with Romijn.

O’Connell said the situation became even more awkward because his and Romijn’s twin daughters, Charlie and Dolly, now see the headlines themselves.

“There’s no hiding,” O’Connell said. “…Your kids come out for breakfast and go, ‘Hey mom, your ex has a book out and called you the devil. What are your thoughts?’ ”

Article content

Romijn later told Entertainment Tonight that she was caught off guard by the attention surrounding the memoir.

“I was very surprised by all of that, incredibly shocked actually,” she said in January 2024, adding that she didn’t want to help sell books by commenting further on the headlines.

Jerry O’Connell, left, recently posted an Instagram selfie with John Stamos and Stamos’ current wife Caitlin McHugh at Howie Mandel’s 70th birthday party. O’Connell captioned it, “Gorgeous fam and gorgeous people.” Photo by Jerry O'Connell /Instagram

Time appears to have healed old wounds

Romijn married O’Connell in 2007, and the couple share 17-year-old twin daughters. Stamos also moved on, marrying actress Caitlin McHugh in 2018. The same year, the couple welcomed their son.

More recently, the former rivals had an unexpectedly friendly reunion at Howie Mandel’s 70th birthday party. O’Connell even posted an Instagram selfie with Stamos and McHugh, captioning it, “Gorgeous fam and gorgeous people.”

‘He was very sweet’

Stamos recalled the encounter on the podcast and had nothing but positive things to say.

“He was very sweet. He was very nice,” Stamos said of O’Connell. “He couldn’t have been sweeter.”

He added that O’Connell was “very funny and very charming,” noting that although they had met decades ago, they had rarely crossed paths since.

As for Romijn, Stamos revealed he still hasn’t seen her since their divorce.

Article content