The Real Reason Why Meg Ryan Disappeared From Hollywood

Meg Ryan was once America’s sweetheart in the 1980s and 1990s. Born in 1961, she was the queen of romantic movies in the 90s, and ironically got famous off a 1981 film called Rich and Famous. She then went on to film classics like When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle. Romance wasn’t her only area of expertise — Ryan then went on to star Amityville III: The Demon in 1983, experimenting with new film genres, and eventually being cast in Top Gun. Her film experience impressed us all, but it seemed to many that this blond beauty disappeared from fame entirely and distanced herself from Hollywood.

With such success and a promising future, what on earth could have happened to one of Hollywood’s brightest young starlets?

People focused on her love life over her career

Unfortunately like many other women in Hollywood, her various romances and the drama that came with them were the focus rather than her acting chops. We all remember her romance with fellow actor Dennis Quaid in 2000. They met while filming the movie with Innerspace and the chemistry was instant. Their marriage began in 1991, and they had a daughter and son together. But in 2000, after nine happy years, the couple decided to divorce. Then she met Russell Crowe on Proof of Life and they started dating. Due to the timeline, people assumed Meg was cheating on Dennis and stopped seeing her as a good girl, the reputation she used to have. The scandal affected her greatly, and she then broke up with Crowe in 2000.