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Husband and wife Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show together on Wednesday where Ritter revealed his relationship with The Last of Us actor had an "interesting" beginning due to his struggles with alcoholism at the time.
Ritter shared:
"I knew how incredible Melanie was early on. But it's not as cute of a story as you would like to think. It was messy and interesting and weird."
"But mixed in [with] the mix was I was dealing with some alcoholism issues."
Ritter told Barrymore, who struggled with alcoholism herself:
"At a point, I knew how amazing she was and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her, basically."
"And I didn't feel like I was that person. I felt a little bit too crazy."
The Parenthood actor began to gain confidence in his commitment to Lysnkey after he stopped drinking in 2013.
"It was only after maybe a year into not drinking where I started to go, 'Oh, maybe I can promise some things to someone else."
"Maybe I can be this person."
Emotionally, he admitted:
"I knew that she was incredible."
"It was working on myself enough to feel like maybe I could be The One for her, too."
Lynskey, who was wiping away tears and grasping Ritter's hand gushed:
"He worked so hard."
"He did so much work on himself, I'm so proud of him."
You can watch the segment below.
\u201c.@JasonRitter opens up about having to address his alcoholism when he first started dating @melanielynskey.\u201d— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1680103055
Viewers of the emotional interview had similar reactions to the host.
\u201c@DrewBarrymoreTV @JasonRitter @melanielynskey Drew is me. I am Drew. \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\u201d— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1680103055
\u201c@_danielle1992_ @DrewBarrymoreTV @JasonRitter @melanielynskey We are all Drew.\u201d— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1680103055
\u201c@DrewBarrymoreTV @JasonRitter @melanielynskey\u201d— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1680103055
\u201c@DrewBarrymoreTV @JasonRitter @melanielynskey Love this so much \ud83d\udc95 the kind of content we need everywhere, on every channel \ud83d\ude2d\u201d— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1680103055
Many also commended Ritter for his commitment and perseverance, many even sharing their own stories of overcoming their struggles with alcoholism.
\u201c@DrewBarrymoreTV @JasonRitter @melanielynskey Congratulations @JasonRitter great job It was 26 yrs March 17 I\u2019m sober best thing ever\u201d— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1680103055
\u201c@DrewBarrymoreTV @JasonRitter @melanielynskey Congratulations @JasonRitter we do get better and deserve love! I have been sober 3 years. Best decision ever!\u201d— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1680103055
\u201c@DrewBarrymoreTV @JasonRitter @melanielynskey Keep coming back, it works when you work it sober. \ud83e\udd1d\n\ud83e\ude99 x 8\u201d— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1680103055
\u201c@DrewBarrymoreTV @JasonRitter @melanielynskey This was a beautiful clip. Drew and Jason help so many people ( fellow alcoholics like me) when they have the courage to acknowledge and tell the truth. Much love and many thanks \u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u201d— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1680103055
Ritter's biggest supporter, the Yellowjackets star herself, also took to Twitter to praise her husband and Barrymore for their "vulnerability and openness," calling them "two of the kindest, strongest, best people I know."
\u201cSo proud of my husband and of Drew for their vulnerability and openness here. These are two of the kindest, strongest, best people I know. \ud83d\udc96\u201d— Melanie Lynskey (@Melanie Lynskey) 1680130185
At the end of the segment, Barrymore shared her hope in Ritter's message.
"I haven't had a drink in almost four years."
"The narrative that one creates is that, 'I can't be with someone.'"
"And I haven't been in a relationship since I stopped drinking, and I'm really looking forward to one day not having that bad girl narrative, the instability, the 'I'm not someone who's right to be with anyone for their sake' [feeling]."
Lynskey and Ritter eventually got married in 2020 after a three-year engagement. The two also welcomed a daughter in 2018.