There's no doubt she made the right choice.
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New Idea
With three Academy Awards to her name, it’s no surprise Meryl Streep has been able to fool the world about the state of her marriage – for more than six years!
The 74-year-old has confirmed she and her husband, sculptor Don Gummer, quietly separated in 2017 after 45 years together.
News of the split stunned many, and we’re told Meryl had mixed feelings about announcing it publicly.
WATCH NOW: Meryl Streep's daughter Grace Gummer stars in new comedy Standing Up, Falling Down. Article continues after video.
“This is a huge deal for her,” shares a close source.
“On the one hand, she feels like she has been set free now that the divorce is out and she doesn’t have to keep up appearances in public anymore. But on the other, she does feel vulnerable.”
Meryl and Don, 76, met in 1978, having been introduced by her brother Harry. They wed that same year and share four grown-up children: musician son Henry and actress daughters Mamie, Grace and Louisa.
Meryl and Don's last public appearance was in 2018.
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“I think we have a good marriage,” Meryl once said of their union.
“And weirdly, we do seem to agree on most of the big things like money and the kids.”
Sadly, however, they started growing apart in recent years. In their statement the pair confirmed they’d chosen “lives apart” but stated they “will always care for each other”.
With Meryl “glowing” while at an event in Spain last week, our source says everyone is “buzzing” that she might have a new man in her life, who she could even be ready to go public with.
“There’s definitely the shine of new romance about Meryl – and good for her!” adds the source.
"I didn't get over it, I didn't want to get over it," Meryl once said of John's death.
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Sources wonder if Meryl never truly recovered from the tragic death of her first love, actor John Cazale.
Meryl dated John, who played Fredo in The Godfather, for two years until his death in March 1978 from lung cancer.
Meryl put her career on hold to care for him, and was at his side when he died aged 42. That September, while grieving John, Meryl met Don and they wed six months later.