Julia Roberts’ ex Kiefer Sutherland reflected on the actress running away days before their wedding after a 10-month-long engagement.
Long before Julia Roberts embodied the role of Maggie Carpenter in the 1999 romantic comedy, she famously got the tag of the “runaway bride” following her canceled wedding to Emmy-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland. The two met on the set of the horror film Flatliners, quickly forming a bond that led to an engagement announcement.
And they also had plans to walk down the aisle on 14 June 1991, but fate intervened, and the wedding was called off. Shortly after, Roberts flew off with Sutherland’s best friend, actor Jason Patric. Despite the media frenzy that followed, the Stand By Me star acknowledged the heartbreak of the situation with a resigned yet mature outlook.
Kiefer Sutherland Reflected on Julia Roberts and Jason Patric’s Love Triangle
Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland’s canceled wedding and everything that followed, including the actor moving out of his ex-fiancée’s Beverly Hills home and her subsequent trip to Ireland with Jason Patric, sparked a media frenzy.
From the actress being branded the “runaway bride” to her brief relationship with Patric, it all fell under public scrutiny. The discussions surrounding the supposed love triangle continued for years, with rumors of tensions between Sutherland and Patric.
Though the actors kept their silence for a long time, they reunited in 2011 for a revival of That Championship Season on Broadway and have since candidly discussed the matter on various occasions, including an appearance on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast.
The two reflected on the media frenzy surrounding the incident during the interview and Sutherland addressed the situation with grace and maturity, emphasizing that such things happen when people fall in love.
But look, the truth, where I’m coming from… you fall in love, you fall in love, there’s nothing you can do about that. She’s an extraordinary person and he is too and timing is what it is and everybody moves on from that.
During the interview, Patric also the denied sensationalized rumors, noting that much of what was said about their relationships was made up and that they never had any issues. Their friendship has endured over the decades, remaining strong despite the media storm.
Jason Patrick And Kiefer Sutherland Dismissed Rumors of Tension Over Julia Roberts
Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland have since opened up about the events surrounding their respective relationships with Julia Roberts and how it influenced their enduring friendship.
In a 2011 interview with Vulture, Patric addressed the situation, dispelling rumors about any fallout with Sutherland. He said,
All that stuff is made up, if you even go back there to all the archives you’re never gonna see any comment by me — They had a relationship that ended and I was with her for a little while and it ended… But we never had any issue, even back then.
During their appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, the two further discussed the incident, expressing disappointment over how the media had sensationalized the story.
“Yes, we had talked about it,” Sutherland said as Patric explained, “But the large stuff about the press and being invited to the wedding and then taking off with the bride… that’s all bulls**t.”
Both actors also emphasized that time and maturity allowed them to move past the incident and their reconnection over a decade ago led to a laugh, a toast, and a renewed sense of camaraderie.
