Christopher McDonald Reflects on Heartbreak and Reconciliation After Geena Davis Left Him for Jeff Goldblum
Decades after a high-profile romantic shift captured the attention of Hollywood, veteran actor Christopher McDonald is opening up about the moment his engagement to Geena Davis came to an abrupt end.
In a candid discussion with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the actor—widely recognized for his roles in projects like Happy Gilmore—reflected on the whirlwind period during the production of the 1985 cult classic Transylvania 6-5000. McDonald revealed that he and Davis had been engaged for five weeks when the trajectory of their lives changed forever.
A Sudden On-Set Revelation
McDonald shared that while he was preparing to join the production in Europe, he received life-altering news from his co-star, Ed Begley Jr. “The inside story is Geena Davis and I were engaged to be married for about five weeks, and she fell in love with Jeff Goldblum doing her first movie over there in Europe,” McDonald explained. “I don’t blame him. She’s stunningly beautiful and everything like that, but you know what happens on sets? Things happen, but I was broken.”
Despite the personal sting of the separation, McDonald expressed gratitude toward Begley, whom he credited with doing him a “solid” by preparing him for the situation before he arrived on set.
From Heartbreak to Friendship
While the split was undoubtedly difficult at the time, the two actors have since navigated a path toward reconciliation. Their professional paths crossed again years later on the set of the legendary 1991 road film, Thelma & Louise.
Rather than allowing lingering tension to hinder their collaboration, the former couple chose to move forward. “We hugged it out,” McDonald recalled of their reunion. He shared that they even leaned into the irony of their shared history for the sake of their art: “We had a really lovely afternoon, and then we did what I think is probably the most ironic thing in the world: Let’s do wedding pictures and put them around the house for the set decorators. We did all that; it turned out great, and we’re dear friends now.”
Moving Forward
Both actors have moved on to rich, full lives since their mid-80s romance. Following the split, Davis married Jeff Goldblum in 1987, though the marriage ended in divorce in 1990. She went on to have several other high-profile relationships, including marriages to director Renny Harlin and surgeon Reza Jarrahy, with whom she shares three children.
Christopher McDonald, meanwhile, married Lupe Gidley in 1992, with whom he shares four children. He later married Emilie Livingston in 2014, and the couple has two children together.
The candid interview serves as a reminder of how quickly Hollywood landscapes shift, yet it also highlights a mature perspective on past relationships. To learn more about this Hollywood history, one can see how time has tempered the initial sting, allowing the two stars to preserve a lasting, albeit platonic, friendship.
