Ford and wife separate

Nov 08, 2000 by Ian Evans

In a joint statement, Harrison Ford and his wife of 17 years, screenwriter Melissa Mathison, have announced their separation.

“We have been living apart for the past month. We sincerely hope we can work out our differences. We would appreciate it if the media and the public would respect this as a very painful time for both of us and consider this a private matter henceforth.”

Publicists say the couple made the separation public as a way to combat rumours that Ford was having an affair with Lara Flynn Boyle. The publicists added that Boyle and Ford were photographed talking at an NYC party and the tabs decided to take it from there.

Mathison met Ford while working as an assistant on Apocalypse Now. She earned an Oscar® nomination for 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Other writing credits include The Black Stallion__and __Kundun.