John Stamos never foresaw the disintegration of his marriage with Rebecca Romijn would unfold in the manner it did. In his forthcoming memoir, “If You Would Have Told Me,” set to release on October 24, the former Full House star candidly delves into the highs and lows of his romance with Romijn, who is now 50 years old, and the aftermath of their divorce in the early 2000s.
Stamos, now 60, exclusively shared with PEOPLE in this week’s issue, “My first marriage was profoundly shattering for me. I was shattered for an extended period, far too long, actually. I mean, it persisted for years and years.”
Writing about the chapters concerning their past marriage proved to be “exceedingly challenging” for Stamos, particularly as he had to confront his emotions from that time. He candidly confesses, “In my mindset during that era, she appeared as the villain, and I held a profound disdain for her.
I couldn’t fathom the extent of my animosity towards her, and it had a detrimental impact on my life. In retrospect, as I discuss in the book, it’s reminiscent of one of the steps in Alcoholics Anonymous, where the fourth step entails laying out all your grievances and everything that others did to you. I concluded, ‘None.'”
Nonetheless, the actor from “Big Shot” eventually came to recognize that he played “some part” in the downfall of his first marriage, acknowledging, “I began to consider that perhaps she wasn’t the villain. Maybe I was as responsible as she was.”
Stamos, who hasn’t crossed paths with Romijn since their joint meeting with divorce attorneys, believed that his former wife was genuinely striving to salvage their relationship because she cared for him before their eventual separation. He reflects on this challenging period, saying, “It was a very public affair, and that was incredibly painful. I didn’t delve into that deeply in the book, but it was truly tough.”
He further reflects on the perception at the time that “she left me because her career was thriving while mine wasn’t, and that’s humiliating.” However, he refrains from blaming her and acknowledges that people’s judgments might not have been entirely unfounded, given her career’s success contrasted with his own.
Stamos describes his healing process as “unhealthy” and shares that it was during this period that he resorted to excessive drinking. However, this challenging phase ultimately led him to understand the true essence of love. He adds, “But without that, I would have never known what real love is, and I wouldn’t have turned my life around to have someone like Caitlin in my life.”
In 2018, Stamos married Caitlin McHugh Stamos, and they are now parents to a 5-year-old son named Billy. Meanwhile, Romijn has since built a family with her now-husband Jerry O’Connell, whom she married in 2007, and they have two children together.
Stamos concludes with a reflection on his personal growth, saying, “If I hadn’t experienced all the trials and heartaches, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. That’s the message I hope readers take away from my story.”
