‘Shawshank Redemption’ star Gil Bellows’ wife — actress Rya Kihlstedt — has filed for divorce after a whopping 26 years of marriage.
According to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, the ‘Deep Impact’ star pulled the plug on their relationship after filing for dissolution of marriage in Los Angeles County Courts. As you know, her husband is most famously known for his role as Tommy Williams in 1994’s “Shawshank Redemption.” In the iconic film, Bellows’ character gets a GED with help from Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins.
‘Shawshank’ Actor Gil Bellows Has Been Served Divorce Papers
Bellows married actress Rya Kihlstedt in 1994, and the former couple has two children together. Fortunately, the two kids — Ava and Giovanni — are both legal adults, so child support and custody won’t be an issue. According to the documents, Rya says the couple’s official date of separation is February 10, 2021. If true, the couple was together for 26 years and 4 months. Obviously, this is an incredible amount of time considering they are both famous.
She cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their divorce.
Gil Bellows’ Actress Wife Wants Spousal Support
In the filing, Kihlstedt is officially requesting spousal support and she also wants to “terminate the court’s ability to award support to” Bellows.
In addition to spousal support, she wants him to pay her attorney’s fees. As for separate and community property, the legal documents state, “such assets and debts which are unknown at this time.”Given their lengthy marriage, there will be a lot for the couple to settle upon. This will most likely be worked out over time.
If you remember, back in 2020, Bellows and Kihlstedt starred alongside each other in “Love in the time of Corona.”
Bellows & Kihlstedt Starred As A Separated Couple In 2020 Series
Bellows played Paul while his real-life wife played the role of Sarah. Ironically enough, they play a separated couple who get stuck quarantined together after their daughter Sophie returns home from college. What’s more, Sophie is played by their real-life daughter Ava. It appears the fictional limited series has come full circle.
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It should be noted, that Bellows made a big enough impression on fans of Shawshank Redemption that he was invited to the 25th anniversary of the film festival in 2019. At the time, organizers said his performance was a “pivotal role” and many fans wanted to meet him and get autographs. The festival offered most of the 16 filming sites along the Shawshank Trail and panel discussions with the stars.
Interestingly, Bellows got the part after Brad Pitt passed on it due to his lead in “Legends of the Fall.”
At this point, Bellows hasn’t responded to the divorce, and the case is ongoing.
