Why Did Jenny McCarthy & Jim Carrey Split Up?

For five years, Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey were a picture-perfect Hollywood couple. They had plenty of adorable moments together, too — from the time Carrey hired an airplane to write a love message for McCarthy on Valentine's Day, to the support they showed one another during life-changing moments like the birth of Carrey's grandchild. For a while, it sure seemed like they were meant to be. But to everyone's shock, the pair abruptly parted ways in 2010, with barely a word as to why. Now five years later, fans are still left wondering: why Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey split up?

Part of the curiosity is likely due to just how happy the two lovebirds once seemed; and also that it wasn't immediately made clear to the public what went wrong. And as far as splits go, even that was pretty friendly — their breakup seemed almost as amicable as their actual relationship. At the time, McCarthy only spoke about it in a brief statement that read: "I will continue to be in his daughter's life and will always keep Jim as a leading man in my heart." For his part, Carrey tweeted that he wished McCarthy "the very best," even adding a "S'okay!" for good measure. But soon after, rumors started flying that their seemingly fun-loving relationship actually had a dark side.

As for what that so-called "dark side" could have been is anyone's guess. But there's been a ton of speculation out there over the years — ranging from Carrey's past struggles with depression to McCarthy's heavy focus on staying home with her autistic son, Evan. Other rumors around the breakup are slightly more benign, like the fact that they both simply had different attitudes about the press, and all of the public attention surrounding their relationship. Of course, the only people in the world who truly know "what went wrong" are McCarthy and Carry. That being said, there was one telling bit of drama between the two since their breakup, which may give fans a few clues as to why they split to begin with.

In 2012, McCarthy put Carrey on blast on Howard Stern's show, saying that he refuses to see her son Evan following their breakup. "I've tried to ask [Jim] numerous times [to see Evan], because my son still asks," the actress told Stern. Carrey's response to her accusation? "I will always do what I believe is in the best interest of Evan's well being," said Carrey in a statement. "It's unfortunate that Evan's privacy is not being considered. I love Evan very much and will miss him always." Regardless of what was really going on here as far as Carrey visiting, the fact that McCarthy aired that dirty laundry in public two years after the breakup might hint at the level of strain felt between them.

But things seemed to have brightened up for the former couple since that blowup. In 2014, McCarthy defended Carrey after actor Shia LaBeouf bashed her former flame's parenting skills. In a now-deleted tweet, LaBeouf said, "At least I don't get arrested for indecency on major LA highways! Or abandon love child's." LeBeouf's tweet came after Carrey's Golden Globes appearance, in which he told the audience, "Dying is easy. Comedy is hard...I believe it was Shia LaBeouf who said that." Following LaBeouf's tweet, it didn't take long for McCarthy to come to Carrey's defense. The former co-host fired back on The View, saying, "You can attack myself, but don't bring my children into it. And I'm sure it's the same for Jim."

In the same segment, McCarthy added that she and Carrey had become friends since the breakup, which certainly seems to be true now. Of course, saying they've "become" friends definitely implies that things were not always quite so rosy, but the actress didn't comment further. In any case, it is admirable that the pair have been able to move past resentment they may have had because, let's be honest, that's a whole lot easier said than done.

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