The Real Reason Jim Carrey Divorced His First Wife

Comedic legend Jim Carrey has had his fair share of high-profile romances — but who was the woman who supported him during his climb to the top? Melissa Carrey (née Womer) first met Jim Carrey in the 1980s, when they were both struggling to put food on the table — literally. The Spokesman-Review reported that in the early days of their marriage, Melissa "held two jobs," while "Jim made $25 a night doing standup."

When their seemingly-perfect love story began, no one had ever heard of a pet detective, and Jim was still miles away from the A-list. But despite the early support and the shared experience of struggle, Jim and Melissa's marriage ended up as more of a Hollywood cliche than the perfect picture of domestic happiness. A very public, messy divorce ensued, and Jim, of course, went on to become one of the biggest superstars in the world. Melissa, on the other hand, has seemingly disappeared from the spotlight entirely — so much so that we couldn't even find a photo of her. 

So, what exactly went wrong? Let's go behind the laughs as we investigate the real reason Jim Carrey divorced his first wife. 

It is hard to remember a time when quotes from Jim Carrey's larger-than-life characters were not a basic part of America's vocabulary — even nearly thirty years after Ace Ventura, people are still using an exaggerated "Alrighty, then!" as a way to exit an awkward conversation. But when Melissa Womer and Carrey met, Carrey had nothing but a failed sitcom (The Duck Factory, in 1984) and an obscure stand-up routine under his belt. Per Rolling Stone, his improvised stage act at the time bewildered audience members and friends, and included him imitating a cockroach, stuffing himself inside a baby grand piano and staying there while another comic performed, and "wearing only a sock over his genitals" during a televised performance.

Despite these performances (or maybe because of them, who knows?), Womer decided to plan a future with Carrey. And the couple surely knew that new experiences were on the horizon. At the time of their wedding, Womer was pregnant with their daughter, Jane Carrey (pictured above left), who was born Sept. 6, 1987. Still, the cocktail waitress and the struggling comedian probably had no idea just how much their lives were about to change. 

By 1990, Jim Carrey was used to failure: The Duck Factory had crashed and burned, and he'd been heckled and booed as a stand-up comedian for nights on end. He also performed several doomed Saturday Night Live auditions, one of which, according to varying accounts, may or may not have been seen and rejected by show creator Lorne Michaels. So when fellow stand-up comedian Damon Wayans asked him to audition for a project, Carrey presumably did not expect to be launched into primetime fame overnight on a hot new sketch show, In Living Color. But that's exactly what happened.

The series showcased Carrey's natural goofiness with characters like Fire Marshall Bill (a sketch which Carrey told The Hollywood Reporter was originally supposed to be about the "Make a Death Wish Foundation," where dead kids were granted posthumous wishes) and Vera de Milo. Carrey was suddenly receiving the recognition he had been looking for his entire career, although his fellow cast members did not always think he would go on to do great things. Carrey recalled to The Hollywood Reporter that cast member David Alan Grier "facetiously" told the studio audience that Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (which Carrey was writing at the time) was going to make Carrey's career "jump off." The film was a huge hit and Carrey got the last laugh. His marriage, however, would not survive his climb to fame.

Jim Carrey was surrounded by beautiful women in the film industry, yet he clearly still had feelings for his wife (he even celebrated their 6th anniversary in 1993 with a luxurious catered meal and private jazz band). But was he tempted to cheat as his growing fame opened new doors?

By the time Jim and Melissa Carrey's 1995 divorce was complete, Jim was already seeing the woman who would become his second wife: his Dumb and Dumber costar, Lauren Holly. However, the actual date of the separation between Jim and Melissa was sometime in the last half of 1993. Lauren claimed that Jim and Melissa were already separated when she met Jim in 1994, disputing rumors that she was the reason for the divorce: "They keep calling me a home wrecker," Lauren told Rolling Stone, adding, "I feel for Melissa, but they were completely apart when Jim and I met." The outlet also confirmed that Lauren's timeline shows that Jim likely did not cheat on Melissa while they were together (with Lauren, anyway). Alas, the marriage between Jim and Lauren only lasted eight months, and Jim went on to have a string of turbulent relationships after their divorce.

Although Melissa Womer married a no-name comedian, Melissa Carrey divorced one of the biggest stars in America, making the split all the more complicated. According to Rolling Stone, Melissa claims she and Jim separated in November 1993, while Jim claims they parted ways on June 15, 1993. This seemingly insignificant four-month difference is a big deal when it comes down to the cold, hard cash — Jim reportedly signed a $450,000 contract for The Mask on June 15, and California's divorce laws would have mandated that he split that money with Melissa if they were still together on the date the contract was signed.

Melissa told The Spokesman-Review that Jim's initial settlement offer was a $500,000 one-time payment and $25,000 per month in additional support (after the settlement, this number was lowered to $10,000 per month). According to Rolling Stone's sources Melissa declined, ""demanding between $5 million and $10 million" to settle the divorce. In 2003, the divorce once again became a newsworthy issue as Melissa contended that $10,000 per month in child support was not enough to fund the lavish lifestyle she wanted her daughter to experience, including a private security detail, horseback riding lessons, and a luxury car amongst other line-items. While that may seem like a lot for a teenager, Melissa made a compelling case for the pay raise, citing in court documents (via The Smoking Gun) her ex-husband's multimillion dollar jets and mansions as evidence that he was good for the cash. The exes eventually settled the matter privately. 

Surprisingly, Jim and Melissa Carrey worked together after their marriage ended. In Jim's 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon, Melissa returned to the place she met him, with a bit role as a Comedy Store waitress. Although the two were able to collaborate for this brief reprise, it does not appear that they paired up on any other projects.

Jim and Melissa may not have remained the closest of friends, but they now share another special bond — they have become grandparents! In 2010, an ecstatic Jim tweeted "Jackson Riley Santana, My Grandson, Born today! This is what 7lbs.11oz. of Calfornia dynomite [sic] looks like!" Jackson, the product of a brief marriage between Jim and Melissa's daughter, Jane Carrey, and musician Alex Santana, is apparently adored by his grandfather. Says Jim in a 2020 interview with Lorraine: "We are buddies. He could be my bodyguard. He is an awesome dude."

The relationship between Melissa and Jim Carrey has been a roller coaster of emotional and legal trouble. However, out of all of Jim's relationships, only one has resulted in a daughter and grandson. That, we can guess, makes Jim's first marriage stand out in his mind separately from the rest.