For a period of about one decade starting in 2000, James Marsden appeared to be one of those few lucky people who found a thriving love life that could last a lifetime. In that time, the X-Men, Westworld, and Dead To Me star looked happily married to fellow actor, Lisa Linde. The pair tied the knot in July 2000, while he was 26 years old and she was 28.
After what Lisa quoted as 'irreconcilable differences,' though, she filed for divorce, a process that was finalized in 2011. They had two kids together, a son called James in 2001 and a daughter named Mary James in 2005.
Given that celebrity couples sometimes have a knack for having very transient marriages, it is fair to say that the 11 years Marsden and Linde spent together was not a short time. So, what really happened between the two that ultimately led to the end of their marriage?
Updated on December 22, 2022 by Abigail Thomas: Fans were devastated to learn in 2011 that James Marsden and Lisa Linde were getting a divorce. They seemed very happy from the exterior, but their marriage was far from perfect. Years later, Marsden revealed that they had grown apart and that he had lost his focus on what is important. Separating was what was best for both of them, and while Linde has not been in a public relationship since, Marsden has found happiness with singer Edei for over five years. Linde and Marsden still co-parent their children and remain very close. They have even traveled on vacation together since getting a divorce.
James Marsden And Lisa Linde Grew Apart
In 2018, after Marsden had had seven years of perspective and the benefit of hindsight, he sat down for an interview with Men's Health magazine and spoke about his divorce, the trauma that came with it and the lessons that he had to learn as a result.
"It’s sad and heartbreaking," he said. "But this time I went through it and didn’t avoid it, like my parents’ divorce, and that’s vital too. I was separating not only from my wife but also my kids and the bonds of home and family. Those are things you’re painfully reminded of every day. It’s like, shit, what lesson is this? What’s to come from this?"
In Marsden's eyes, the divorce was not a consequence of either him or Linde being a bad person. Rather, he felt that they started out at a time when they were both "really young," and as they grew older, they evolved into significantly different people who could not maintain a married relationship.
Having come from a privileged background, Marsden said that the painful process would teach him to start focusing on the things that are truly important. This was something that he felt would end up making him a better parent.
James Marsden Had A Child With Rose Costa
"A lot of shit went well for me my whole life and came easy to me," he reflected in the same Men's Health interview. "My life hasn’t been filled with sorrow and deep struggle. When the divorce happened, it was the first time I felt I lost my equilibrium. It was scary and sad and made me pull everything into focus. I needed to focus on what was important."
A part of focusing on the important things for Marsden meant looking forward and moving on. This was something that both he and Linde managed to do in different ways. Marsden went on to have a third child in 2015, with Brazilian model Rose Costa who was his girlfriend at the time. The boy is called William Luca Costa-Marsden.
His relationship with Costa didn't last very long either, and they separated after their son was born.
James Marsden In Relationship With Singer Edei
Linde has managed to keep any details of her love life since well under wraps. Not much is really known about if and who the Days of Our Lives star has been in a relationship with. Marsden, for his part on the other hand, has remained quite active on the dating scene.
After his breakup with Rose Costa, he eventually ended up in the loving arms of English singer-songwriter, Edei, his current girlfriend. Born Emma Deigman in the UK 31 years ago, the musician is 16 years younger than Marsden. Rather delightfully in fact, their birthdays are just one day apart; Edei celebrates hers on September 19, a day after her lover's.
The couple has been dating for more than five years now, and are often seen together on red carpet events. Edei, who also dabbles in acting (mostly stage), is most passionate about her career as a performer. "I just want to gig for the rest of my life and always have people that want to come and see me," she was once quoted by Pop Reviews Now."So for me I think I'd love to be remembered as a live act to go see!"
Do James Marsden And Lisa Linde Still Talk?
In a rather unique twist, Marsden and Linde still remain so close as friends and co-parents that they still vacation together, even when either has their present partners with them. This may be quite weird for other people, but not for them.
"Someone on the outside looking in is like what is this weird, hippie-dippy commune?," Marsden teases. "[But] when you have people who care about each other and care about these kids and just want to give love, how can you not welcome that?"