Meet Jim Carrey’s forgotten first wife — the waitress who supported him before he was famous

Jim Carrey met his first wife Melissa Womer in 1985 when she was working as a cocktail waitress at The Comedy Store. The Dumb and Dumber star was a regular performer and they soon started dating. In 1987, the pair tied the knot, welcoming a daughter later in the year. 

At the time, Jim was still finding his feet in the acting world but, once he rose to fame on In Living Colour and earned a lead casting in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, his career started to affect his marriage. The couple filed for divorce in 1993 and officially separated in 1995.

Jim welcomed one daughter, Jane Erin Carrey, who was born on September 6 1987, with his first wife. She attended public school and went on to purse a career in music, fronting The Jane Carrey Band which released their debut album in 2009.

She has also appeared on American Idol, auditioning in 2012 during the show's eleventh season with a performance of 'Something to Talk About' by Bonnie Raitt. Jane contributed her talents to Dumb and Dumber To, penning two songs for the soundtrack. The singer is a mother of three, welcoming one child with ex husband Alex Santana and two with her husband Chase Bordelon.

After he separated from Melissa, Jim wed Dumb and Dumber actress Lauren Holly in September 1996. The relationship didn't last long, however, and the pair divorced in June 1997.

Lauren told the Work in Progress podcast: “We definitely sort of highlighted each other in a lot of ways. If you look back at what we were both doing in our relationship, it’s really cool because we were both, you know, growing exponentially, and I think we helped each other."

While The Mask actor once said he'd likely never marry again, it seems love has found a way. Jim officially appeared in public for the first time with his then-girlfriend Min Ah at the César Awards in February, calling her his "sublime companion" while accepting his honorary award.

The couple recently tied the knot, marking the actor's third marriage. In-keeping with much of their relationship, the pair have kept the details private and are yet to share any photographs from the ceremony.

Jim Carrey has been busy as the star of Sonic the Hedgehog on screen, with the fourth film instalment set to release in 2027. He also appeared in a leading role on Kidding, a dark comedy about a children's TV icon whose off-screen family life takes a turn for the worse.

He's also set to star in live-action feature The Jetsons and is in talks to reprise his role in a sequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with Ron Howard expected to return as director.