Jason Ritters didn’t think he “deserved” his wife, Melanie Lynskey, at the start of their relationship due to her struggle with alcoholism.
The 43-year-old revealed on Wednesday’s episode of ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ that despite knowing how ‘incredible’ Lynskey was ‘precocious’, it took him a while to realize that she was “The One”.
“It’s not as cute a story as you’d like to think,” the “Parenthood” alum said. “It was messy and interesting and weird. But mixed with [with] the mix was that I was dealing with alcoholism issues.
“At one point I knew how amazing she was and I thought she would be amazing for someone who deserved her, basically,” Ritters continued, fighting back tears. “And I didn’t feel like that person. I felt a little too crazy.
The actor eventually gave up the booze the same year he met the “Yellow Vests” actress, but he waited to make sure it stuck before getting too serious with her.
“It wasn’t until after maybe a year without drinking that I started thinking to myself, ‘Oh, maybe I can promise someone else some things. Maybe I can be that person,” he said, blinking back tears.
“I knew she was amazing. It worked on me enough to feel like maybe I could be the right one for her too.
Lynskey, who also became emotional, noted that her husband “works so hard” before shaking his hand to tell him how proud she was.
The emotional story surprised Barrymore, 48, and prompted her to open up about her own problems with alcohol.
“I haven’t had a drink in almost four years,” the ’50 First Dates’ star said, noting that alcohol was her “poison.”
Ritters’ story struck a chord with Barrymore, who says she often feels the same when it comes to dating.
“The narrative you create is, ‘I can’t be with somebody.’ And I haven’t been in a relationship since I quit drinking, and I’m really looking forward to not having that bad girl narrative anymore, the instability, the “I’m not someone who has the right to be with someone for their good”.’ [feeling].”
Ritters and Lynskey, 45, married in 2020 and welcomed their first child a year earlier.
The pair have since become the internet’s ‘couple goals’, with Ritter recently shutting down trolls for shaming his bride.
After the actress called out critics for commenting on her weight, Ritter urged haters to “swan dive” in the sun.
“If anyone has any other unsolicited comments about *someone* else’s body, they can feel free to write them in permanent ink on their own forehead and dive straight into the sun” , Ritter tweeted last year.
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