I Went with Her for 10 Years'

Publish date: 2024-04-23

During an interview, John Mellencamp addressed his failed relationship with his former fiancée.
The musician and Meg Ryan dated on and off for several years before getting engaged and then calling things off.
Some social media fans weren't pleased with the singer's statements about the actress and called him out on his choice of words.

In June 2023, John Mellencamp, 71, was interviewed at his Indiana home by Esquire, where he addressed different topics like his music and personal life. The singer-songwriter also spoke about "Orpheus Descending," his latest album that was released on June 16, 2023.

Another thing he spoke about was his past on-again, off-again relationship with actress Meg Ryan. He revealed they'd both just come out of their shells when they began a romantic relationship and chose to do things for themselves instead of relying on others.

Meg Ryan at the 30th Anniversary Screening of "When Harry Met Sally" at the TCM Classic Film Festival on April 11, 2019, in Hollywood | Source: Getty Images

The musician admitted they were lost and needed to learn how to do things independently, like checking out of a hotel or grocery shopping. During a shopping trip, they were asked for a credit card, and when they finally produced it, the teller had to give them a step-by-step guide on how to swipe it!

The pair laughed at their stupidity so hard that they were in tears. He believed the actress had since learned how to do things while he knew nothing before noting how he'd loved Ryan but how she probably didn't feel the same about him.

Meg Ryan and her boyfriend John Mellencamp seen on February 14, 2011, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

The artist admitted that he hadn't been a good boyfriend to the actress, but she was a great woman. He also revealed how long they stayed in the tumultuous relationship by stating:

"I went with her for ten years."

Opening up about his past mistakes and how he treated the actress was probably helpful for him, but Ryan fans weren't pleased and slammed him. Below is a look at how the former couple's relationship began and ended in a heartbreaking breakup.

How John and Meg Ended Up Together for Ten Years

Mellencamp and Elaine Irwin, his wife of nearly twenty years, separated in December 2010. Not long afterward, speculations started that the singer might be dating Ryan after she divorced Dennis Quaid almost ten years before.

John Mellencamp and Meg Ryan seen walking in Manhattan on December 3, 2018, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

The actress and the musician allegedly started seeing one another around the time Mellencamp's marriage failed. The same month he separated from his wife, he and Ryan were seen at Martha's Vineyard looking quite close.

They were also spotted taking walks in the streets of New York City. A source who saw the pair grocery shopping in SoHo confessed that they thought the artist was the actress's husband because they were comfortable and familiar.

John Cougar Mellencamp and Meg Ryan seen on June 24, 2013, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

The insider even described them as looking like an old married couple. The following year, the duo kept their romance private, but there were moments when they proved they were still together by being seen holding hands in the streets.

That same year, Ryan sold her Bel Air home, leaving people speculating about her moving in with her boyfriend. However, by August 2014, it was revealed that the couple had quietly concluded their relationship after dating for over three years.

John Mellencamp, Meg Ryan, and Jack Quaid at a game at Madison Square Garden on December 25, 2017, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

A source claimed distance pushed them over the edge, with Ryan still living in New York and the rock star in Indiana. In December 2015, the actress revealed that she was taking a break from having a love life because she wanted to reserve the love she had to give to her two children and the happenings in her world.

The star confessed to loving being 54, her life, what she knew, and the person she'd evolved into and had become. She admitted to being "scrappy" before but that it came with age for things to start easing down.

Meg Ryan and John Mellencamp at Taormina Filmfest on June 20, 2013, in Taormina, Italy | Source: Getty Images

In March 2017, during his interview with Howard Stern on his SiriusXM radio show, Mellencamp addressed his past relationship with Ryan, noting how women hated him but that he'd loved the actress. However, in his June 2023 interview, he added:

"She hates me to death."

Months later that same year, the former couple rekindled their relationship, and on November 8, 2018, the rock singer surprised and thrilled his Instagram followers when he revealed they were engaged! However, Ryan and Mellencamp never tied the knot, and fans were upset about the musician's take on their relationship.

Fan's side with Meg over her past relationship with John

On June 17, 2023, a publication shared side-by-side images of Mellencamp and Ryan, noting how the former had owned up to his part in their breakup. The post also revealed the singer's words from his Esquire interview, where he described himself as a bad boyfriend.

The Instagram user thought the musician [John Mellencamp] sounded "like a toddler" and noted how "unattractive" that was.

Meg Ryan at Meet the Creators at Apple Store Soho on June 3, 2013, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

It was also noted how the former couple dated for almost four years before calling off their engagement. Fans rushed to criticize the artist, with one person asking, "What grown human" said they "went with" someone else.

John Mellencamp at Meet the Creators at Apple Store Soho on June 3, 2013, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

A fan's comment on Pop Culture's Instagram post on John Mellencamp's statement about his ex-girlfriend, Meg Ryan, on June 17, 2023 | Source: Instagram/popculture

The fan referred to Mellencamp's statement that he dated the actress for ten years. Another person also focused on that sentence, sharing how they "went with someone" in the fifth grade for only one day!

A fan's comment on Pop Culture's Instagram post on John Mellencamp's statement about his ex-girlfriend, Meg Ryan, on June 17, 2023 | Source: Instagram/popculture

A third person felt the rock star using the words "went with" showed that his level of maturity "peaked" when he was in the seventh grade. Someone else had an issue with Ryan's ex-boyfriend referring to her as a "girl" when she was a grown woman, while another stated:

"Glad Meg got out of that one! She stuck around way too long."

A fan's comment on Pop Culture's Instagram post on John Mellencamp's statement about his ex-girlfriend, Meg Ryan, on June 17, 2023 | Source: Instagram/popculture

The Instagram user thought the musician sounded "like a toddler" and noted how "unattractive" that was. Another follower wanted to know who called someone by their full name after having an intimate relationship with them. At the same time, a social media user mimicked the previous fan by saying:

"What a toddler."

A fan's comment on Pop Culture's Instagram post on John Mellencamp's statement about his ex-girlfriend, Meg Ryan, on June 17, 2023 | Source: Instagram/popculture

Someone else also took the actress's side and returned to the "I went with her" statement that the singer made about Ryan and noted how displeasing it was. The person felt it made the artist "sound like a kid."

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I Went with Her for 10 Years'

How John and Meg Ended Up Together for Ten Years

Fan's side with Meg over her past relationship with John

The Instagram user thought the musician [John Mellencamp] sounded "like a toddler" and noted how "unattractive" that was.