Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey opened up about Ritter’s past struggle with alcoholism and how it affected their relationship on the Drew Barrymore Show.
Ritter, the Emmy-nominated actor, said that when he first started dating Lynskey, he was still struggling with his alcoholism. He knew how amazing she was, but didn’t feel like he was the right person for her. It took him about a year of not drinking before he started to think that maybe he could be the one for her.
“I knew she was incredible. It was working on myself enough to feel like maybe I can be the one for her, too,” Ritter said
Lynskey, the actress who is known for her roles in the Yellowjackets and The Big Ask, said she was incredibly proud of Ritter and the work he put into himself.
Both Ritter and Lynskey have experienced the same issues with alcohol, and Barrymore, the host of the show, also opened up about her struggles with alcohol. She said that she hasn’t had a drink for almost four years and was looking forward to having a different narrative around her.
“At a point, I knew how amazing she was, and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her, basically,” he said, choking up. (Lynskey, 45, quietly uttered “aw” and reached for his hand.)
“And I didn’t feel like I was that person. I thought [I was] a little bit too crazy,” he shared. “So it was only after like maybe a year into not drinking where I started to go, ‘Oh, maybe I can promise some things to someone else. Maybe I can be this person.’ It’s been like a slow burn.”
Ritter and Lynskey are now married, and they welcomed a daughter in 2018. They are very supportive of each other’s respective careers, and they often praise one another on social media.
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Ritter said that watching Lynskey’s successes is “so satisfying, it’s so incredible,” and that she always put her work first, which he admires.
Thank you @DrewBarrymoreTV for having us!! And for the space to talk about things like this! And thank you @melanielynskey for having me in the first place ???? https://t.co/NUBuQGvRCe
— Jason Ritter ???? (@JasonRitter) March 29, 2023
