Oscar-nominated actor and screenwriter Ethan Hawke and Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill star Uma Thurman initially began a glamorous relationship in the 90s that ended up in a tumultuous marriage in the 2000s. Resenting $45M rich Thurman, Hawke claimed how he turned into a babysitter after his wife began focusing on her career way more than their kids.
Suffering miserably in his career as well as at home, Ethan Hawke admitted contemplating his marriage to Uma Thurman. Going from a critically acclaimed actor to a full-time babysitter, Hawke eventually divorced Thurman and went on to marry his kids’ former nanny.
Ethan Hawke Suffered a Tumultuous Marriage to Uma Thurman
Meeting on the set of the sci-fi thriller Gattaca, which debuted in 1997, Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman soon became the talk of Tinseltown. Dating for a year, the two Oscar-nominated actors tied the knot in 1998 and welcomed daughter Maya Hawke that very year. But soon after becoming parents, their marriage began taking a rough turn.
However, continuing their romance and maintaining a stable relationship, the couple welcomed their second child, a son named Levon Roan, after four years. Thereafter, having two young kids at home and a high-profile career ahead of them, Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman struggled in their marriage and career.
Also read: The Star Wars Role That’s Tailor-Made for Ethan Hawke: “I’ll be a bad guy”
Soon, Ethan Hawke went from a critically acclaimed actor to a full-time babysitter after having two kids. Since Uma Thurman went on to focus on her career without compromise, Hawke had to focus on being a responsible parent. And certainly, the actor struggled with the babysitting responsibilities single-handedly, while trying to maintain his career.
Ethan Hawke Divorced His Ex-Wife to Marry His Kids’ Nanny
Trying to balance his professional career, alongside parenthood, and his marriage to Uma Thurman, Ethan Hawke almost admitted contemplating his marriage to the actress. Speaking with ABC News in 2004, the actor noted his struggles as a full-time babysitter while simultaneously maintaining his acting career, and also admitted how he was finding it hard to keep up with Thurman.
“I’m living in a hotel room taking care of my kids while you’re off on a film set six hours a day doing what you love. Do that for nine months and see what a good mood you’re in… I don’t know if it’s just too hard to be married to a woman that wants to be a movie star. I know that she has that right to want that.”
Suffering in their marriage for a few years, the couple finalized their divorce in 2005, and tabloids were quick to blame the split on Ethan Hawke’s alleged infidelity. Although both the stars confirmed that the issues in their marriage were a result of their respective stardom, the infidelity rumors almost turned into reality when Hawke married his kids’ former nanny after his divorce.
Splitting with his $45M rich ex-wife, Ethan Hawke ironically solved his babysitting issues by eventually marrying Ryan Shawhughes in 2008, who was the former nanny to the couple’s kids, Maya and Levon. The very same year, Hawke and Shawhughes welcomed their first daughter Clementine Jane, and three years later they had their second daughter Indiana Hawke.
