Some people believe that the third time is the charm. However, this is not the case with Kelly McGillis. The Top Gun actress has been married three times, although her third marriage to Melanie Leis was the shortest. During their time together, McGillis and Leis had numerous ups and downs, leading many to believe they would stand the test of time. They still ran strong as expected.
During an INTIX interview, Leis even hailed her ex-husband as the love of her life. “I never thought a few years ago that I would say it so simply, but now I say it with complete honesty,” Leis added. However, after a year of marriage, the couple called it quits in 2011.
Why ‘Top Gun’ Sequel Intentionally Left Out Kelly McGillis, Meg Ryan? https://t.co/K0eXgoMv9o pic.twitter.com/OEcJhomfzJ
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Kelly McGillis and her third husband battled substance abuse.
McGillis and Leis met in 2000 at Kelly’s, a pub run by the actress and her then-husband, Fred Tillman. “I started working at the restaurant when Kell was out of town filming a movie,” Leis said of the encounter. I looked up one day and there she was. I haven’t seen her from across the room or anything.”
She went on to say that she had no idea she was an actor, and that once they started talking, she was struck by McGillis’s wicked sense of humor. The two girls went out one night to celebrate a friend’s birthday. McGillis had feelings for Leis as the two grew closer. They started dating soon after, although it wasn’t the healthiest relationship.
They drank and drugged together. For McGillis, booze and narcotics provided solace from the pain of being raped as a Juilliard student in 1982. She believed she was being punished for being gay. The couple realized they couldn’t live on like this and eventually woke up because of McGillis’ two children. They moved to Mohnton, Pennsylvania, but life was not as simple as they had hoped. McGillis continued to work, but her relationship with Leis had an impact on her children’s lives.
Kelly McGillis divorced her partner.
McGillis’ children hugged her boyfriend, but their friends and their friends’ parents were less so. During an interview with SheWired.com in February 2009, she came out as gay and emphasized that she wanted to be honest about her identity.
However, she and Leis were no longer together at that point. They had divorced months earlier after deciding that their relationship “stopped functioning.” “We’ve evolved and changed at different rates and at different time periods.” “I always wanted to be with Mell with all my heart and soul, but I wasn’t willing to stay around until she was willing to do some work on herself,” McGillis revealed.
Leis called the breakup the “worst moment of her life” and said she had challenges to work through. Leis asked for a second chance after realizing she had made a mistake with McGillis. And McGillis, still unable to get over Leis, gave in, and the couple married. They promised to adore each other, but in 2011, the news leaked that the couple had broken up. No one knows why, and there are no rumors that the couple is dating again.
