How Brian Austin Green Ruined Megan Fox's Career
Megan Fox had all the makings of a mega-star: she's one of the most beautiful people on the planet, oozes charisma, and has been a marquee name on two franchises. So what happened? One theory: her marriage to actor Brian Austin Green hindered her progress. Check out the evidence below.
He stunted her professional maturity
Part of why Fox's career may have hit a downward slide is because she grew up so fast.
She and Green have been together since she was 18. "I didn't know who he was from 90210, but I liked him right away," she told The New York Times magazine. "Everyone was around the monitor watching a scene, and Brian accidentally touched my leg. I remember literal electricity shooting through me and out me from every direction. It was like magic." She also told Elle, "I had to convince him that I was slightly more responsible and well-spoken and had other things to bring to the table besides being 18."
Fox became a teen stepmom to Green's son, Kassius, before becoming a wife and mother to the three boys of her own by age 30. Though Green's personal life has matured quickly, her professional maturity may be lagging behind. Case in point: she was fired from Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon (2011) because of allegedly behaving poorly on set and dissing Director Michael Bay in the press. "She was there for rehearsals," Ehren Kruger, the series' screenwriter, told GQ. "But she seemed like an actress who didn't want to be a part of it. She was saying she wanted to, but she wasn't acting like it."
Bay himself, whom Fox had compared to Hitler in a prior interview, told GQ, "She was in a different world, on her BlackBerry. You gotta stay focused. And you know, the Hitler thing," he said. "[I] wasn't hurt because I know that's just Megan. Megan loves to get a response. And she does it in kind of the wrong way. I'm sorry, Megan. I'm sorry I made you work twelve hours. I'm sorry that I'm making you show up on time. Movies are not always warm and fuzzy."
Even notoriously loose cannon Shia LaBeouf quipped to the magazine, "Criticism is one thing. Then there's public name-calling, which turns into high school bashing. Which you can't do. She started s***-talking our captain."
Obviously, the decision to get married and pursue parenthood is a personal one with no one-size-fits-all formula, but had Fox been afforded more time to parent her profession endeavors before settling down, she'd likely have a longer resume and more clout in the business.
He limits her exposure
A lot of stars hate the paparazzi, but most regard the press as a necessary evil to help them remain relevant. According to TMZ, Green was sued in 2012 after he allegedly assaulted a photographer who was taking pictures of the couple vacationing in Hawaii.
Fox's most valuable professional asset is her appearance, so if she can never be photographed, her visibility, literally and figuratively, will drop to the point where she may not even be able to land guest-starring gigs on New Girl (2011-) anymore.
Her pregnancies were unplanned
Fox confessed to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that all her pregnancies were unplanned, and it affected her ability to do her job. It takes two to make a baby, so it's fair to say Green played an equal role in their family planning or lack thereof.
Her pregnancy was especially tough on the set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014). "[It's] an action movie and requires a lot of running and jumping and stunts—anyone that's been pregnant knows your first trimester can be pretty rough and you're nauseous all day long," she said (via E! News). "The producers would come see me in the morning in the makeup trailer and I would be clinging to a box of saltines...and I was just constantly on the verge of vomiting."
He wanted her to be a stay-at-home mom
Sources told People Green wanted Fox to focus on domestic life and forgo acting in favor of full-time motherhood. "Megan is young and hot and sought after for work, and she is eager to move ahead in her career," the insider said. "Brian wants more of her time than she can allow. She was overwhelmed with the children and her husband's expectations, which got in the way of work responsibilities. They had many disagreements and arguments about her time at home, which led to problems."
He could never be half of a power couple
This is going to sound shallow, but here goes: Fox and Green will never be a Hollywood power couple because Green's star power has faded. Sure, Fox is no Angelina Jolie, but Green is a far cry from Brad Pitt. (Okay, so that example is outdated too, but you get the point.) Green's biggest role was in the '90s, followed by a series of failed pilots and an aborted rap career. Their red carpet credentials have been riding squarely on her shoulders for years.
Their relationship is a rollercoaster
By November 2006, Fox and Green were engaged for the first time, but they never made it down the aisle, leading to an amicable breakup in February 2009, followed by a surprise wedding in 2010.
Fox admitted their relationship has been tough. "You can't live in a fantasyland and think that everything's going to be perfect all the time," she told Men's Health. "You will go through phases where you're just not getting along. You're not communicating well. That's going to happen, and it's going to feel impossible to you sometimes...Arguments are normal." She added, "Brian is my soulmate...He's definitely meant to be the father of my children. That makes it easier for me to work through things."
In September 2015, Fox filed for divorce from Green, citing "irreconcilable differences." She listed the date of separation as June 2015, but the pair was still seen together all the time. Less than a year later, Fox was pregnant with their third child. She and Green reunited and called off the divorce. They're now proud parents of a third baby boy named Journey River. "They've been through a lot, but this makes more sense for the kids and the new baby [for them to stay together]," a source told Us Weekly.
While they may be getting along fine at the time of this writing, history tells us this might not last—and the stress associated with an on-again-off-again relationship could be taking a toll on her career. An insider told People that though Fox wanted the split, Green convinced her to stick it out. "During their separation, Brian always hoped Megan would change her mind about the divorce."
The new addition to their family, as well as the drama surrounding her relationship, is likely affecting Fox's energy levels, which may hurt her motivation and ability to take on certain roles. "Megan is doing great, but a little bit more tired this time," a source told People. "Everyone is just adjusting to being a family of five with a newborn. It's a lot with three kids."
She's his sugar mama
According to TMZ, Green requested spousal support in his divorce filing from Fox, citing an inability to work due to vertigo caused by a car accident. One could argue that Green wasn't getting much work before the fender bender, either, but regardless, Fox is the primary breadwinner in this pair. The pressure for money may have driven her to take roles in less-than-stellar films—and may have influenced her decision to reconcile with Bay for some quick paychecks instead of holding out for more prestigious opportunities.