'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAIhAAAgECBQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMCAAQFBhEUIRIWM0HR/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABP/EABcRAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEQP/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AM2wDL+Gb+2sWWKGSVY3anukDqyYhOYYB6kOnQVKdsJPO5kNefGPtKUfNuURolYf/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Claire Danes, 45, and Billy Crudup, 56, have reportedly reunited after over two decades of their alleged cheating scandal in 2003. They were seen sharing a warm hug at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts Gala on April 7, 2025.
Crudup was the first to break the ice and engage in a brief conversation with Danes, according to a People report shared on the Yahoo website.
According to a Page Six report, Claire Danes and Billy Crudup met on the sets of Stage Beauty in 2003, the year when the latter was allegedly caught cheating on his former partner, Mary-Louise Parker. He left his ex when she was pregnant with their son to be with Danes.
Everything we know about the timeline of Claire Danes and Billy Crudup's much-talked-about relationship
Billy Crudup's rumoured relationships with women were talk of the town back in the day. He stirred a major controversy after he allegedly left Parker, his then-girlfriend of eight years, to get involved with Danes. According to Page Six, Mary-Louise Parker was pregnant with Crudup's child when he decided to leave her abruptly.
In January 2004, Parker welcomed her son, William. An insider spoke about the harsh breakup with People magazine, and said:
"This has been rough for Mary-Louise. To get pregnant together, and both wanting it, and now for this to happen — it’s been very difficult."
Claire Danes and Billy Crudup's relationship was controversial not just because he allegedly ditched his pregnant ex for her, but also because she was with musician Ben Lee around the time. However, Danes and Crudup broke up with their respective exes and were together for around three years.
Fans would often spot them together in New York, cozy in love, though their reps tried to hide it all saying they were friends. Soon, they started living together at a SoHo loft.
Since the beginning of Billy Crudup and Claire Danes' talked-about relationship, every step they took was quite public and caught everyone's attention. With time, their companionship was not discussed like earlier, and they kept it private.
According to InStyle, Crudup, in a conversation with the New York Times, once shared that Mary-Louise Parker,
"does not deserve to be exploited to sate the appetites of circulation counters and bored readers."
Claire Danes and Billy Crudup were together for around three years till 2007, per Page Six, and none of them revealed the reason for the split.
Accordingt to InStyle, in 2009 Danes reportedly spoke with BlackBook about being with Crudup and how they were criticized. She said:
"That was a choice I made to fall in love. It's unpleasant to be cast in such an unflattering role [in the tabloids], but I just had to remain steadfast. I was living with the same kind of integrity that I had always lived with. It's not nice to be ridiculed — nobody wants that — but it's also unavoidable."
Trending
In a 2013 conversation with Vogue, the Stardust actress recalled how dating Billy Crudup helped her to grow.
After breaking up with Crudup, Claire Danes fell in love with Hugh Dancy. In 2009, the couple got married in an intimate ceremony in France.
Love movies? Try our Box Office Game and Movie Grid Game to test your film knowledge and have some fun!
Your perspective matters!
Start the conversation
