Isabella Rossellini & First Husband Martin Scorsese Had A Sizeable Age Gap

Both actor and model Isabella Rossellini and multi-hyphenate Martin Scorsese have strong identities and legacies in the entertainment industry, so much so that many people are probably unaware that the two were married at one point. Decades ago, the two met when Rossellini was supposed to interview Scorsese about his film "New York, New York," and they sparked a connection. In 1979, they got married. 

While the two clearly loved one another, they had a lot of differences in experiences and other aspects of their lives. It was the model's first marriage and Scorsese's third, and while Rossellini was still working as a television reporter, Scorsese was reaching the top of his game. Another major difference was their age. Rossellini turned 27 a few months before she married Scorsese, while the director was 36 when they tied the knot. While a nine-year age difference might not seem significant to some, it feels especially vast at this point in life. For Scorsese, he had already won his first BAFTA for his movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" a couple of years before they met. In comparison, Rossellini didn't even start modeling or acting until she was 28 years old in 1980. 

Sure, it's not as noticeable an age difference as other couples in Hollywood, but it's still hard to ignore. There has been no indication that the age gap contributed to their marriage ending when they finalized their divorce in 1983, and overall, Rossellini seems to look back on that time fondly. 

Like any married couple, Isabella Rossellini and Martin Scorsese had some problems throughout their relationship. Rossellini reflected on her time married to Scorsese in the 2025 docuseries "Mr. Scorsese," declaring, "It was complex to be with him" (via People). One of her main issues was that Scorsese could get angry, although he never took it out on her. Instead, he could apparently tear apart a room without even realizing it. 

She recalled one incident, saying, "A friend of his once filmed him and showed it to him. Marty was shocked because he didn't realize the level of violence that this minuscule body, asthmatic, could [create]. It was like a volcano. It was terrifying." Rossellini and Scorsese both admitted that during their marriage, the latter had a major depressive period as he was making his film "The King of Comedy." But from the model's perspective, some of her ex-husband's rage seemed to be the fuel that powered him through the filmmaking process. Rossellini felt that it gave him "courage" and "that stamina to get through the day, to get to finish the film, because it's not easy."

In fact, Scorsese's state got so bad during filming that he couldn't edit the movie, and it almost got taken away from him, likely by the studio backing him. In the end, thanks to the help of his dear friend Robert De Niro, doctors, and an intense effort to improve his mental health, Scorsese was able to get back on track and finish the film. It didn't save his marriage to Rossellini, but both went on to have other meaningful relationships afterward.