Kate Beckinsale's Ex Michael Sheen Finally Opens Up About Their 'Difficult' Split

Even the most amicable of splits can be extremely difficult.

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.

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.

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]