If you’re looking up Ellen Barkin husband, you’re probably expecting a simple name. But with Barkin, nothing is ever actually simple. She doesn't do boring. From the "Sea of Love" to the front pages of the New York Post, her romantic history is a wild mix of high-brow acting royalty and high-stakes billionaire drama.
Honestly, it’s a tale of two very different worlds. One was about art and mutual respect; the other was about a prenuptial agreement that felt more like a hostage negotiation. She’s been married twice, and neither ending was the same.
The Gabriel Byrne Years: A Different Kind of Hollywood Ending
Most people forget that Barkin’s first marriage was actually kind of a dream for indie film fans. In 1988, she married Irish actor Gabriel Byrne. They met on the set of Siesta, a trippy psychological thriller.
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They were the "it" couple of the serious acting world. They had two kids, Jack and Romy. But by 1993, they decided to call it quits. What’s weird—well, weird for Hollywood—is that they stayed incredibly close.
Byrne didn't just fade away. He actually showed up at her second wedding. Think about that for a second. Your ex-husband sitting in the pews while you marry a billionaire? That’s some high-level emotional maturity. Or maybe just very European.
Barkin has said in interviews that she still considers Byrne one of the most important people in her life. They do holidays together. They do birthdays together. It was a "successful" marriage that just happened to stop being a marriage.
The Ronald Perelman Era: When Things Got Messy
Then came the year 2000. Barkin married Ronald Perelman, the chairman of Revlon and a man worth more money than most small countries. This wasn't a quiet indie romance. This was a New York power move.
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The wedding happened at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue. It was glitzy. It was expensive. But the cracks showed pretty fast. Perelman reportedly wasn’t a huge fan of her acting career. He wanted a "social wife," and Barkin... well, Barkin is a force of nature. She wasn't exactly going to spend her days just picking out flower arrangements.
They stayed together for about five years. Then, in early 2006, it all blew up.
The "Surprise" Divorce
Perelman filed for divorce in a way that felt like a tactical strike. It was sudden. Barkin was reportedly caught totally off guard. Rumor has it he filed just days before a specific clause in their prenup would have kicked in, which would have increased her payout significantly.
Talk about cold.
She was essentially told to pack her bags and leave their Upper East Side townhouse with guards watching. It wasn't pretty. But if Perelman thought she’d go quietly, he clearly hadn't watched her movies.
The $20 Million Jewelry Auction
How do you move on from a billionaire who blindsides you with a divorce? If you’re Ellen Barkin, you take the jewelry he gave you and you sell it. All of it.
In 2006, she put over 100 pieces up for auction at Christie's. We’re talking JAR earrings, massive diamonds, and high-end Cartier. It was a "cleansing" of sorts.
"These are just stones," she famously said. "They’re just memories of a time that’s gone."
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The auction brought in over $20 million. She didn't just take the cash and hide, either. She used part of that money to fund her own production company, Applehead Pictures, which she started with her brother, George.
The Legal Aftermath and Applehead Pictures
The drama with her second husband didn't end with the divorce decree. Barkin ended up suing Perelman later for $3.4 million.
Why? Because when they were married, they had an agreement about funding Applehead Pictures. Perelman allegedly stopped paying into the company once they split. He tried to countersue, claiming she was just using the company as a "personal piggy bank" for her brother.
The courts eventually sided with Barkin. In 2010, a judge ordered Perelman to pay up. It was a final, litigious "thank you, next."
Where is Ellen Barkin Now?
As of 2026, Barkin isn't currently married. She’s been linked to younger directors—like Sam Levinson back in the day—and has stayed busy with powerhouse roles in shows like Animal Kingdom and movies like Poker Face.
She seems much more interested in her craft and her kids than in finding a third husband. Honestly, after the Perelman rollercoaster, who could blame her? She’s living life on her own terms, which usually involves a lot of sharp wit and zero tolerance for nonsense.
What you can take away from the Ellen Barkin marriage saga:
- Prenups matter: In the world of billionaires, the date you file for divorce can be worth millions.
- Amicable exes are possible: Her relationship with Gabriel Byrne proves that not every divorce has to be a war.
- Don't keep the "sad" jewelry: If a relationship ends badly, selling the diamonds might be the best therapy you can find.
- Career over everything: Barkin never let her marriages define her talent. She was an actor before them, and she’s a powerhouse actor after them.
If you’re looking to follow her current moves, keep an eye on indie film circuits. She’s always been more at home in a gritty script than a boardroom anyway.