#Kate Beckinsale’s Ex Michael Sheen Finally Opens Up About Their ‘Difficult’ Split

Exes Kate Beckinsale and Michael Sheen get along famously now, but their 2003 breakup led to a rough patch for the actor. On Monday, the Good Omens star opened up about the end of the 7-year relationship and co-parenting across the ocean on the podcast Changes With Annie Macmanus.

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He explained:

“Going through that experience of a relationship breaking down and having a young child, and then because of my daughter and her mum living in another country, having to make a life in a new place whilst going through that whole experience which is difficult enough.”

The Welshman added:

“I had no work visa to stay in America, so every time I left, I had to go back to Britain. I never knew if I would be allowed to come back in again. So, I ended up having to get work in Britain because I wasn’t really getting any work in America. It really made me question certain things about myself.”

Despite the difficulties, the former couple managed to make the most of their co-parenting relationship and maintained a strong friendship. Back in 2016, the Serendipity star told ES Magazine:

“It’s so normal for us. We split up ages ago. We have been not together far longer than we were ever together. But I really love him and like him and we make each other roar with laughter.”

So sweet!

While the pair share 21-year old daughter Lily, they also have in common an affinity for much-younger partners. Beckinsale, 47, recently broke up with 23-year-old Goody Grace; a source told People that the rapper “is young and has other priorities than her,” but it wasn’t “a big deal” for the actress.

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Meanwhile, Sheen, 51, welcomed his second child with his partner, 26-year-old Anna Lundberg, back in September 2019. The Twilight alum announced the birth on Twitter, writing:

“Happy to say that at 8:41 am on Monday September 23rd our beautiful daughter Lyra was born. Thank you so much to Louise & all the brilliant midwives at both the Singleton and NeathPortTalbot hospitals. On behalf of Anna and myself thanks to everyone for your lovely messages of congratulations. It’s been a wonderful, bleary-eyed week full of love and kindness and extraordinary poo. #NotReferringToMyself.”

Might be a little weird for their daughter that her parents’ choice of partners falls into her own age range, but it sounds like they’ve come a long way as a family. At least everyone’s happy and getting along, right?

[Image via WENN/Avalon/Adriana M. Barraza]