Martyn Eaden | Who is Chrissy Metz’s Ex-Husband? (Full Bio & Updates)

Martyn Eaden is a British copywriter, journalist, and screenwriter best known as the ex-husband of American actress Chrissy Metz. The couple married in Santa Barbara, California, in 2008 and finalized their divorce in December 2015 after seven years of marriage.

Martyn Eaden Profile and Personal Biography

Martyn Eaden was born and raised in Sheffield, England, in the United Kingdom. He worked in journalism and commercial copy editing before moving to the United States to pursue creative narrative writing. Eaden has spent much of his professional career writing media copy and developing independent film screenplays.

Eaden gained public attention due to his relationship with Chrissy Metz, whom he met long before her breakout role in television. Despite his former marriage to a high-profile Hollywood actress, Eaden avoids the public spotlight. He does not operate public social media accounts and rarely attends public industry events. His focus remains entirely on his professional work as a freelance writer and script developer.

Early Background and Early Career in the United Kingdom

Martyn Eaden grew up in South Yorkshire, England. He developed his writing skills in the British print and digital media sectors. Early in his career, he worked as a staff journalist and freelance copywriter. He wrote commercial content, news items, and editorial features for regional publications.

His work in journalism provided a foundation in structured narrative and research. Over time, Eaden transitioned his creative focus from non-fiction media writing to creative fiction and scriptwriting. He began building a portfolio of feature screenplays, concentrating on thriller, horror, and supernatural drama genres. His career move toward screenwriting coincided with his international relationship with Chrissy Metz, leading to his eventual relocation to California.

Relationship Timeline and Meeting Chrissy Metz

Martyn Eaden and Chrissy Metz first connected in 2006 through an online dating platform. At that time, Eaden was living in Sheffield, England, while Metz was living in Los Angeles, California. Metz was working to build an acting career while dealing with severe financial difficulties.

The two maintained a long-distance relationship across international time zones. They exchanged regular emails and spoke on the phone for several months before meeting in person. Eaden eventually saved enough money to travel to Los Angeles to visit Metz. Their initial meeting went well, establishing a strong bond.

After dating long-distance for approximately one year, Eaden proposed to Metz during a visit. She accepted, and Eaden subsequently arranged to move from England to the United States so they could live together in Los Angeles.

Marriage in Santa Barbara and Life in Los Angeles

Martyn Eaden and Chrissy Metz married on January 5, 2008. They held a small, low-key wedding ceremony at a courthouse in Santa Barbara, California. Neither of their extended families attended the ceremony due to travel costs and limited financial resources at the time.

During the early years of their marriage, the couple lived in a modest apartment in Los Angeles. They experienced continuous financial pressure. Metz worked as an assistant to her acting agent to pay for basic living expenses, while auditioning for minor roles. Eaden worked long hours as a freelance copywriter to support their household, using his remaining time to write spec screenplays.

The financial stress was compounded by career stagnation. Metz landed only a few brief guest appearances on television shows during this period. Eaden continued writing scripts, but struggled to break into major Hollywood studios. Despite these challenges, they remained married for five years before personal strain affected the relationship.

Legal Breakdown and Divorce Proceedings

Martyn Eaden and Chrissy Metz separated in January 2013. They stopped living together and established separate residences in Los Angeles. They lived apart for nearly two years before taking formal legal steps to end the marriage.

In November 2014, Eaden formally filed a petition for dissolution of marriage in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. In his legal filing, Eaden cited irreconcilable differences as the official reason for the divorce. He requested that neither party receive spousal support, as they had no shared real estate assets or children.

Metz did not submit a formal legal response to Eaden’s divorce petition within the state’s required timeframe. As a result, Eaden asked the court to process the petition as an uncontested divorce. The judge granted the request, officially finalizing the divorce in December 2015. The legal separation was settled quietly without public disputes or financial litigation.

Factors Leading to the Marriage Dissolution

The reasons for the breakdown of the marriage were detailed by Chrissy Metz in her 2018 memoir, This Is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today. Metz described the relationship as a complex bond that suffered due to fundamental differences in personality, lifestyle, and emotional coping mechanisms.

Eaden was a reserved person who preferred quiet environments, while Metz came from a large, energetic family in Florida. Eaden struggled to feel comfortable around her outgoing relatives during visits. This contrast created an underlying social tension between Eaden and Metz’s family members.

Health and weight loss choices also created emotional distance. During their marriage, Metz joined Overeaters Anonymous to address emotional eating habits. At the same time, Eaden began pursuing physical fitness independently through outdoor hiking with co-workers. Metz noted that food had been a primary way they spent time together. As their health routines diverged, they spent less shared time together.

Communication breakdown ultimately led to the end of the marriage. During heated arguments, Eaden expressed frustration over the dynamic, stating that he felt the relationship revolved entirely around her needs. Metz later admitted that she lacked self-worth at the time and depended heavily on external validation. She acknowledged that her inability to love herself made it difficult to maintain a healthy marriage.

Despite their personal conflicts, the split remained peaceful. Metz expressed continued care for Eaden after the divorce, stating that she always checked on his well-being. Her mother, Denise Hodge, confirmed in a 2017 interview that Eaden was a polite man and was Metz’s first real love.

Professional Writing Career and Screenwriting Credits

Martyn Eaden has focused his career on media writing, journalism, and screenwriting. His professional creative credits include thriller and horror projects, as well as feature-length scripts recognized in industry screenwriting competitions.

In 2014, Eaden was included in the credits for the feature film Death Factory, receiving a special thanks credit. In 2016, he served as the sole screenwriter for Spurned, a short thriller film directed by Nickolas Robertson. The story centers on a couple attempting to fix their relationship at a secluded cabin, where tensions quickly turn into violence.

Eaden has also earned industry recognition for unproduced feature scripts. His screenplay Shango won the Grand Prize at the 2021 Emerging Screenwriters Genre Competition. Another script, titled Viking Requiem, reached the finalist stages in the LA Screenplay Awards. Additionally, Eaden co-wrote the screenplay for OMA, a supernatural feature film project developed alongside writer David McClellan and production company Brightlight Pictures.

Public Status and Current Life Updates

Since his divorce was finalized in 2015, Martyn Eaden has chosen a quiet, private life. He does not make public appearances and avoids Hollywood publicity. Unlike many people previously married to celebrities, Eaden has never given media interviews about his former wife or their marriage.

Eaden lives in the United States, where he works in media copy writing, editorial editing, and screenwriting. He maintains no public social media profiles on platforms such as Instagram, X, or Facebook. His professional focus remains centered entirely on writing projects within the film and media industries.

Chrissy Metz Career Progression and Subsequent Relationships

Shortly after her separation and divorce from Martyn Eaden, Chrissy Metz experienced a major career breakthrough. In 2016, she was cast as Kate Pearson in the NBC drama series This Is Us. The show became a major success, running from 2016 to 2022. Her performance earned her nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.

Metz also starred in feature films, including the 2018 comedy Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, the 2019 drama Breakthrough, and the 2025 film Faith in the Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story. She has also pursued music, performing as a solo artist and releasing published books.

Following her divorce from Eaden, Metz had several public relationships:

She dated Josh Stancil, a camera technician on This Is Us, from 2016 to 2018. They parted ways amicably while continuing to work on the show.

From 2018 to 2020, Metz dated composer Hal Rosenfeld. They made several public appearances together at entertainment events.

From 2020 to 2023, she dated Bradley Collins, a songwriter and former music executive. During their relationship, they co-wrote a children’s book titled When I Talk to God, I Talk About You before announcing their separation in 2023.

Comparative Overview of Career and Public Profiles

The post-divorce lives of Martyn Eaden and Chrissy Metz show contrasting paths in public visibility and media engagement. Metz became a prominent public figure through network television, film roles, published memoirs, and music releases. Eaden chose to remain in behind-the-scenes writing roles, avoiding public media.

Eaden’s career remains focused on written media, copywriting, and narrative screenplay development. His work continues to move forward through independent film channels and writing competitions rather than mainstream celebrity promotion.