Meet the forgotten first wives of Hollywood's biggest stars, from Tom Cruise to George Clooney

George Clooney and Talia Balsam

Before George fell for human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2013, he was Hollywood's most eligible bachelor.

Yet,he hadn't always been single and ready to mingle; in fact, George was married to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993, a marriage that was reportedly complicated for the pair.

George first met the actress, the daughter of Joyce Van Patten and Martin Balsam, in 1984 while starring in a local play. They split shortly after getting together in the same year – right person, wrong time – yet reconnected years down the track, and tied the knot in Vegas in 1989.

The Oscar winner later autopsied the end of their marriage, describing it as his failure. "I probably – definitely – wasn't someone who should have been married at that point. It was a very tough time. And in the middle of it all, I had a bleeding ulcer, and I was really sick," he told Vanity Fair.

"I just don't feel like I gave Talia a fair shot. I was responsible for the failure of that marriage." 

Not all hope was lost in the love department, though: Talia went on to marry Mad Men star John Slattery in 1998, and they welcomed a son, Harry, in 1999.

George later cemented himself as one half of America's favorite couples when he married Amal in 2014. The pair later welcomed twins Alexander and Ell in 2017.

Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are the gold standard for long-lasting love in the spotlight.  But before Tom and Rita became the golden couple, he was married to actress Samantha Lewes (real name Susan Dillingham) for almost ten years. 

The pair met while studying theatre at the California State University in Sacramento and said "I do" in 1978, a year after welcoming their son, Colin Hanks - who has followed his father's footsteps in Hollywood. 

As Tom struggled to find work in show business, they lived a quiet life in Los Angeles, providing for their son and welcoming their second child, Elizabeth, in 1982. 

Tom and Samantha decided to call it quits in 1985, and finalised their divorce in 1987, with Samantha becoming the kids’ primary caregiver. The Castaway actor went on to marry Rita, his Volunteers co-star, in 1988, and they welcomed sons Chet and Truman.

Unfortunately things turned sour as Colin and Elizabeth grew up, and their mother's mental health began to deteriorate. 

Elizabeth, who goes by the pen name E.A. Hanks, wrote in her 2025 memoir The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road about her difficult childhood living in Sacramento with Samantha.

"Eventually, a divorce agreement was settled, and I would visit my dad and stepmother (and soon enough my younger half-brothers) on the weekends and during summers, but from five to 14, years filled with confusion, violence, deprivation, and love, I was a Sacramento girl," Elizabeth explained.

She recalled that Samantha suddenly moved her and Colin from Los Angeles to Sacramento without informing Tom: "My dad came to pick us up from school, and we're not there. And it turns out we haven't been there for two weeks, and he has to track us down." 

Elizabeth detailed the neglect she experienced living with her mother in the memoir, sharing that she would miss meals and that Samantha struck her when she was 14, which prompted Elizabeth's decision to move in with Tom and Rita. 

Samantha passed away from lung cancer in 2002, aged 49. 

Will Smith and Sheree Zampino

Will and Sheree are the blueprint for friendly exes – which is not easy to achieve under the spotlight. The duo met on the set of A Different World in 1991, when Will visited with the intention of meeting Jada Pinkett. 

Instead, he became enamoured with Sheree, and they went on to marry in 1992.

Will and Sheree welcomed their son, Trey, the same year, yet split in 1995 when he was two-years-old, with Sheree later explaining that it ended because they were too young.

For her ex-husband, losing his family was one of the worst moments of his life. "With Sheree and with Trey, that was a really difficult time," the Men in Black actor said on Red Table Talk in 2020. "Divorce was the worst thing in my adult life; divorce was the ultimate failure for me."

"I've been hurt a lot in my adult life, but I don't think anything touches the failure of getting divorced from my two-year-old son's mother." 

They both found love again, with Will marrying Jada (the world does work in mysteriosu wasy!) and welcoming kids Jaden and Willow with the actress, and Sheree tying the knot with NFL star Terrell Fletcher in 2007 (whom she split from in 2014).

Credit where credit is due: the businesswoman and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum has worked hard to maintain a friendship with Will and Jada, for the sake of her son's happiness.

"We have developed a really nice sisterhood, but it hasn't been easy along the way," Jada explained on Red Table Talk. "Sometimes we did have to fake it to make it."

"Trying to have a blended family and not really having a blueprint of that. We really had to figure it out along the way. For me, it was really about maturity. Just not understanding the marital dynamic, like 'Okay, the divorce papers are sent, and people are over it, and this is done.' Oh, guess what – it ain't ever done. 

"So that was my biggest misconception, in that this woman is a part of this family. It's like not only taking on Trey, but Sheree was coming along too as part of the package." 

Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers

You might be shocked to know that Tom wasn't always Scientology's poster boy. He grew up in a Catholic household, yet converted after being introduced to the organization by his first wife, actress Mimi Rogers. 

They met through mutual friends at a party, and despite Mimi being six years his senior, they married in a small ceremony in 1987 when Tom's career was just beginning to take off. They seemed like the perfect couple, and often raved about each other in the press.

"I have a lot of happiness and security. I recommend [getting married]," the brunette beauty told the Chicago Tribune in 1988. Her A-list husband shared with Rolling Stone in 1990 that he had found the one.

"Since I've been with her, it's opened me up a lot. I think it's helped me be a better actor. We live a lot of life together. We share everything. That's the best thing about life. Otherwise, you go through it pretty sad and lonely and angry."

"I care about my wife more than anything in the world. She's my best friend. I just really like being with her, you know? I love her." 

But despite these glowing words, they announced their split soon after: "While there have been very positive aspects to our marriage, there were some issues which could not be resolved even after working on them for a period of time. Anyone who has been through this type of situation will understand that it is a complicated and difficult decision."

Tom went on to meet his future wife, Nicole Kidman, on the set of Days of Thunder in the same year, and Mimi married producer Chris Ciaffa in 2003, with whom she is happily married to this day. 

They share kids Lucy and Charlie, while Tom adopted kids Bella and Connor with Nicole.

Tom also welcomed daughter Suri with his third wife, Katie Holmes, in 2006.  They have since divorced.

Robert De Niro and Diahnne Abbott

Robert and Diahnne were drawn to each other on the set of 1976's Taxi Driver, where he was the lead, and she had a small part as a box office clerk in a movie theatre, a meet-cute ripped straight from the romance books.

They married in 1976, and she gave birth to their son, Raphael, in the same year. Robert also adopted Diahnne's daughter, Drena, whom she had welcomed in a previous relationship.

Together, they appeared in a number of films, like New York, New York and The King of Comedy. 

However, Robert and Diahnne's relationship eventually broke down, and they called it a day in 1988. Robert found love again with Grace Hightower, and they married in 1997.

Robert Downey Jr. and Deborah Falconer

Robert Downey Jr. wasn't always the fast-talking, hilarious Oscar winner that we know and love. 

After all, everyone has to hit rock bottom before they can begin their climb to the top. The Iron Man star wed actress/singer/model Deborah Falconer in 1992 following a whirlwind 42-day romance, and welcomed their son, Indio, a year later.

Their relationship took a turn amid Robert's battle with substance abuse and subsequent prison stint in 1999. They reportedly split in 1996, filed for divorce in 2001, and finalized it in 2004, a year after he met his second wife, Susan Levin.

Johnny Depp and Lori Allison

Johnny has had a litigious few years, with defamation cases against The Sun and ex-wife, Amber Heard, which wrapped up in 2020 and 2022, respectively. 

One person who always stood by his side was his first wife, Lori Allison, a makeup artist and the sister of the bassist in Johnny's band that he fronted in the '80s.

She was reportedly responsible for introducing him to Nicolas Cage, then an up-and-coming actor, who encouraged him to audition for what became his breakout role in A Nightmare on Elm Street. 

They said "I do" in 1983 but divorced two years later, citing irreconcilable differences. 

Johnny went on to date several high-profile stars, like Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss, before he met the mother of his children, French star Vanessa Paradis, in 1998. The couple were together for 14 years and welcomed Lily-Rose and Jack together.

Lori sang the Oscar nominee's praises in a Miami Herald interview in 2015, proving that time had healed all wounds for the former pair. 

"Well, we all know he’s a talented actor and can pull off the pirate thing like nobody’s business. But he’s also an extremely talented guitar player and started out in South Florida playing the local Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale club circuit," she said.

Harrison Ford and Mary Marquardt

It's a tale as old as time: college sweethearts who are happily married with a young family, until cracks begin to form when fame enters the picture. 

Such was the story of Harrison and Mary's marriage, which lasted from 1964 until their split in 1979. They welcomed kids Benjamin and Willard together, and worked hard to put food on the table for their family during this time.

Then came 1977's Star Wars, sparking a career explosion that would’ve put a strain on even the strongest of marriages.

To add fuel to the fire, Harrison was also embroiled in a brief yet intense affair with his co-star, Carrie Fisher, as she wrote in her 2016 memoir, The Princess Diarist. 

While they broke up in 1979, Harrison and Mary maintained a friendship for the sake of their children, and the Indiana Jones star has continued to support her amid her ongoing battle with Multiple Sclerosis.

"Harrison has been a true friend and a great love. He has stood by me quietly, asking for nothing in return, through my darkest days," she said in an interview. 

There's nothing better than exes being there for each other despite the hard feelings. Harrison was then married to Melissa Mathison from 1983 to 2004, before tying the knot with actress Calista Flockhart in 2010.

Kevin Costner and Cindy Silva

Kevin and Cindy were the picture of young love during their marriage from 1978 to 1994, and welcomed kids Annie, Lily, and Joe during that time. "She was beautiful. She was sweet. She was smarter than me…she represented everything about women that I like," Kevin told People about the actress. 

"I was just really proud that this girl would go out with me. I wanted to show my parents." 

Despite their connection, Kevin and Cindy went their separate ways in 1994, announcing the news via a joint statement. "After 16 years together, we are ending our marriage. We have amicably resolved all issues regarding our children and financial affairs, and a full marital settlement has been reached."

The Dances With Wolves star later reflected on his divorce from Cindy with The Hollywood Reporter: "My faith was shaken. No one wants their marriage to end, and it did. You are going to see the people you love most, your children, only half as much. That's a huge loss." 

Kevin would experience heartbreak again in 2023, when he split from his second wife, Christine Baumgartner, after 18 years of marriage.