Actor Tobey Maguire and jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer have transformed their relationship since ending their marriage, focusing on a committed, supportive friendship rooted in coparenting. Their approach exemplifies the Tobey Maguire post-divorce friendship, offering insight into how ex-spouses can maintain a close bond for the sake of their children and personal wellbeing.
Meyer, aged 48, shared on the December 1 episode of The Inside Edit podcast that her divorce from Maguire became a catalyst for personal growth.
“I actually think that my divorce has been one of my greatest teachers,”
Meyer said, explaining that navigating separation while raising children demanded patience and emotional resilience. She added,
“It teaches you patience, and you’re also raising [kids together]. Our daughter was 10 or something, so those are some intense times that you need to stay connected.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
Maguire, now 50, and Meyer were married from 2007 until their separation in 2017, with the divorce finalized in 2020. Despite their split, they prioritized fostering a positive relationship, mainly for daughter Ruby, 19, and son Otis, 15.
“He is wonderful and I got lucky for that,”
Meyer acknowledged.
“My life was not easy every day, and I’m sure he would say the same thing. We definitely had to overcome some big hurdles.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
Choosing Privacy After Separation
During the interview with host Maeve Reilly, Meyer discussed their initial choice to keep the breakup private and continue living together for some time.
“[After] Tobey and I had broken up, we were still living together,”
Meyer revealed.
“We didn’t tell anybody because we didn’t want the kids to know. It was this weird time, and everything happens all at the same time. It’s complicated when you’re breaking up after being together for 14 years and building your whole life. We were kids and built this whole life together and had two kids.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
Emphasizing the absence of betrayal or animosity that led to their split, Meyer said,
“It was just time to call it, and it was hard because we really loved each other and cared about each other.”
She continued,
“When two people are breaking up, you kind of hate each other for a minute. You want to hate each other because you’re, like, ‘This will make the breakup easier.’”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin
Meyer recounted a key moment early in her post-divorce period, visiting Gwyneth Paltrow’s home and witnessing firsthand a harmonious dynamic between Paltrow and her ex-husband, Chris Martin.
“One day [around] 10 years ago, I went over to Gwyneth Paltrow’s house … in the middle of a workday,”
she shared.
“I was in her kitchen, and her kids were in the kitchen. She was making quesadillas for them, and they were doing homework at the table. Her ex-husband, Chris, walks into the house [and] doesn’t ring a doorbell.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
Paltrow and Martin, who announced their “conscious uncoupling” in 2014 after more than a decade of marriage, provided Meyer with a vision for amicable coparenting.
“[Gwyneth] was like, ‘Oh, hey, I didn’t know you were coming over,’”
Meyer added.
“He was like, ‘Yeah, I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I would come over and do homework with Apple.’ She was like, ‘Oh my, God, great. I’m making quesadillas. Do you want one?’”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
This open atmosphere strongly contrasted with Meyer’s own childhood experience of parental divorce.
“My parents got divorced, and this never happened. It was like war,”
Meyer recalled.
“It wasn’t, like, ‘Come on over. Here’s a key.’ … Everyone is one big happy family, and I’m, like, ‘This is possible, this is a world I want. I’m going to make this happen.’”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
With encouragement from Paltrow, Meyer and Maguire worked with a couple’s therapist for several years, a step that deeply influenced their successful transition from partners to coparents and friends.
Transitioning to Best Friends
Through therapy and concerted effort, Meyer revealed the former couple’s extraordinary post-divorce relationship.
“I now have an ex-husband who is my best friend and would do anything for me, and I would do anything for him — anything in the world,”
Meyer noted.
“[He is] the best dad, the best ex-husband, the best friend [and] the most generous.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
Podcast host Maeve Reilly confirmed Meyer’s assessment, describing Maguire’s consistent presence:
“He’s at the house, he’s at every celebration [and] every birthday,”
Reilly said.
“Tobey’s there and he’s in the corner. He’s doing his own thing. He’s, like, ‘Jen’s the start of the show,’ and he’s just there. He’s just supportive and lovely.”
– Maeve Reilly, Podcast Host
Making Children the Top Priority
A pivotal aspect of their arrangement has been a shared dedication to their children’s needs.
“I knew and Tobey knew [that we] didn’t want to say, ‘Which Christmas is yours, which Thanksgiving is mine,’”
Meyer explained.
“My heart will shatter [if we split up holidays]. … I don’t want to miss a day with Ruby and Otis, I just don’t want to.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
Reflecting on their union’s origins, Meyer said understanding why they chose to marry and have children was vital for maintaining respect and collaboration.
“Why did you and this person get married? Why did you have children? Like, you loved each other once,”
she said.
“I was lucky [that] nobody did anything in the marriage that was disrespectful or shattered us, but in the end, you got to think, ‘Not only am I putting my kids first, I’m putting me first.’”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
Prioritizing Each Other’s Wellbeing
The emphasis on mutual respect extended beyond parenting into daily life and ongoing communication. According to Meyer, ongoing therapy helped solidify their strategies for successful coparenting:
“We worked really hard, and we still do,”
Meyer reported.
“I mean, we still keep each other in the loop [and] we still put each other first when it comes to the kids and asking opinions. Like, we [also] traveled together.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
Meyer also spoke about avoiding unnecessary conflict and choosing constructive communication:
“I learned whenever you’re sitting there on your phone and you’re about to send that [angry] text … [that] very few people are reading that long text thinking, ‘She’s right,’”
she said.
“Just don’t send the text; delete, delete, delete. Send it to your best friend [or] leave it in your Notes app. I do that a lot.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
The Role of Jennifer Meyer’s Fiancé in the Blended Family
In recent years, Meyer has become engaged to Geoffrey Ogunlesi. She described the warm relationship between Maguire and her fiancé, highlighting how critical mutual acceptance and harmony are to their extended family.
“The cutest part is Tobey and my fiancé, Geoff, love each other so much,”
Meyer said on the podcast.
“When the fires happened [in January], I thought we were going to be fine in Brentwood, so everyone was at my house. Tobey, at the time, was in West Hollywood because he’s redoing his house.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
As evacuation became necessary during the wildfires, Maguire extended an invitation to Meyer and her entire family to stay at his home.
“I was, like, ‘I think we’re going to have to evacuate.’ And he’s, like, ‘You better get over here.’ So me, my fiancé, our two kids, Tobey, we all went into Tobey’s house [and] we are all sleeping there,”
Meyer recounted.
“Then, Geoff and I went to stay with Tobey’s best friend next door [to have more space]. We’re all living on this compound. It was the greatest.”
– Jennifer Meyer, Designer
The Enduring Impact of Their Friendship
Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer’s evolving relationship offers a complex but hopeful perspective on post-divorce partnerships. Their path, influenced by guidance from therapists and observations of peers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, demonstrates that separation does not have to equate to estrangement, especially when children are involved. By putting their children, each other, and eventually new partners first, Meyer and Maguire have set an example for amicable, modern family arrangements. Their story may inspire other ex-partners to find new ways to prioritize respect, friendship, and family unity despite changes in marital status.
