Divorce attorneys in Pasadena know that couples who work together run the risk of being in an awkward situation if the union ever goes awry. Two actors from a hit cable TV show soon will know how it feels to work with an ex. Dexter star Michael C. Hall and his onscreen sister and off-screen wife Jennifer Carpenter announced this week they are getting divorced.
Carpenter and Golden Globe-winning actor Hall met one another on the set of Dexter and dated quietly for a year-and-a-half before marrying. Hall, who had been previously married to actress Amy Spanger in 2002, and Carpenter eloped on December 31, 2008. Despite the newlywed happiness, the couple faced serious adversity when Hall was diagnosed with cancer. Hall's agent and spokesman announced the actor was undergoing treatment for a treatable form of Hodgkin's lymphoma in January 2010. According to Hall's agent, the cancer was remission at the time and he was continuing treatment. Days later, the star appeared at the Golden Globes wearing a knitted cap, having lost his hair to chemotherapy. In April, Carpenter told reporters her spouse was cancer-free and was cured.
Hall and Carpenter wouldn't be the first couple whose marriage fell apart after a serious illness, yet some Hollywood insiders say it was another woman who broke the couple up. Tabloids and gossip sites reported Hall and his new co-star, Julia Stiles, were often seen getting cozy on the set of Dexter. Stiles, after days of rumors, released a statement to E! News in hopes of setting the record straight.
"I have absolutely nothing to do with the split between Michael and Jennifer. We are good friends and enjoyed working together," Stiles said in the statement. The usually press-shy actress wanted to squash rumors of an affair with Hall personally. "This is a personal matter between them, and we should respect their privacy. Although I too prefer to keep my private life private, I felt compelled to dispel the rumors I was somehow the cause for this matter."