It has been said that parents of children who have autism, or other special needs, have a higher risk of divorcing. The extra focus that this type of parenting requires, and the added stress, tends to cause relationship problems for the parents. Celebrities are not immune from this experience. Jenny McCarthy has expressed dissatisfaction regarding her ex and her son.
Jenny McCarthy has a ten year old son named Evan. After Evan was diagnosed with autism, she became involved with an organization called Generation Rescue. According to the “About” page, the organization is dedicated to the recovery of children with autism spectrum disorders.
Evan’s father is John Mallory Asher, who is an actor. Asher and McCarthy divorced in 2005. I have no idea if Asher is still involved in the life of his son, Evan, or if he is not. The current news about a comment made by McCarthy doesn’t actually clarify anything about that situation.
In 2010, Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey split up. The two were together for around five years before they broke up in April of 2010. Jim is not the biological father of Evan, but it seems that the two have formed a strong bond with each other. The reason why Carrey and McCarthy ended their relationship had something to do with Carrey’s depression.
McCarthy was recently on the Howard Stern radio show, where she talked a little about her relationship with Carrey. She said:
“I’ve tried to ask (Jim) numerous times (to see Evan), because my son still asks”.
She went on to say that Evan was telling her that he missed Carrey “almost weekly”. She also said that she hadn’t reached out directly to get a hold of Jim Carrey. Overall, the implication is that she feels that her ex abandoned her son after the couple split up.
Jim Carrey responded to these comments in a statement he made to the Daily News. He said:
“I will always do what I believe is in the best interest of Evan’s well being. It’s unfortunate that Evan’s privacy is not being considered. I love Evan very much and will miss him always.”
There really aren’t any further details that have been made public. It is known that Jenny McCarthy is currently dating Brian Urlacher, who is a linebacker for the Chicago Bears. It is possible that perhaps Carrey wanted to give Evan the opportunity to form a bond with Urlacher, but that is just speculation. In any case, it is easy to see how being the parent of an autistic child can cause stress in a couple’s relationship, even if both members of the couple are celebrities.
Image by Steven Depolo on Flickr