Billy Crudup recently reflected on co-parenting with his ex-girlfriend Mary-Louise Parker, drawing attention to his comments about their shared son.
According to Page Six on Saturday, Crudup spoke to The Times in an interview published on Thursday about his relationship with Parker, which lasted from 1996 to 2003.
The two share a 21-year-old son, William Atticus, whom Crudup described with pride: “We haven’t talked about much over the years, but William has inherited an almost supernatural love for theater from both of us.” He added, “He’s a really amazing person, and Mary-Louise and I have appeared in most of his films.”
Crudup’s remarks have drawn attention because of the complicated history surrounding his relationship with Parker. While she was seven months pregnant with William, Crudup reportedly became involved with Claire Danes, his co-star in Stage Beauty, which ultimately ended his relationship with Parker.
Crudup and Parker first met in 1996 while working on the Broadway musical Bus Stop and remained together in a domestic partnership until 2003. Their relationship ended when Crudup and Danes fell in love.
Afterward, Crudup eventually ended his relationship with Danes and married Naomi Watts in 2023. Danes later married Hugh Dancy.
Speaking to The Times, Crudup admitted to the mistakes he made, saying, “I have to live with the mistakes I made.” Danes, meanwhile, opened up about the situation on The Howard Stern Show, admitting, “When I fell in love with Crudup, I had no idea what the consequences would be.”
Parker has also shared her perspective in her 2015 memoir Dear Mr. You, writing, “I was pregnant and alone. Even breathing was painful,” describing the emotional toll she endured during that period.
