A Look Back at Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber's 11-Year-Relationship

The two actors, who announced their split on Monday, are parents to Alexander (Sasha) Pete Schreiber, 8, and Samuel Kai Schreiber, 7

01 of 07

THE BEGINNING

THE BEGINNING
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Schreiber, 48, and Watts, 47, first met at the Met Gala in 2005, where they immediately hit it off. Schreiber recently recalled their first encounter in a profile for Esquire, telling the magazine that when he first saw Watts she was like aa "ray of light." He later found her at a club surrounded by a group of actors, including Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro. "I think I was nervous, and I felt very embarrassed being there, and self-conscious, because all these movie stars were hovering, and I felt … awkward and out of my element," he said. But as he was leaving the venue, Watts ran after him and gave him her number. The two went out for cupcakes the following day – and the rest is history. "It was very silly – very romantic," Schreiber said. "And we had a kiss – not a big kiss, but it was a kiss that was like, ooh. Then she went back to L.A. and I wrote her all the time. Lots of emails. I think that was it – seduced by email."

02 of 07

MEETING THE FAMILY

MEETING THE FAMILY
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After seven months of dating, Watts took Schreiber home to Australia for Christmas to meet her family in 2006. That year, the new couple mixed their personal and professional lives for the first time – they starred together in a film called The Painted Veil.

03 of 07

THEN COMES BABY

THEN COMES BABY
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Watts announced she was pregnant with their first child in 2007, and in 2008, she gave birth to their son Alexander Pete Schreiber. Schreiber gushed to PEOPLE about Watts during her pregnancy: "She's great. In fact, I've never seen anyone handle a pregnancy so well. She's amazing." Their second son, Samuel Kai, was born in 2008.

04 of 07

RUMORS AND REGRETS

LIEV SCHREIBER & NAOMI WATTS
Jeff Vespa/WireImage

While everyone buzzed about whether or not they'd get engaged, the couple appeared unfazed by the pressure to marry. In 2011, they were spotted arm-in-arm at a star-studded birthday party in Montauk, New York, and later that year they were photographed together at New York City's Double Seven. They seemed to grow more and more in love with parenthood, often spotted biking around the city with their boys on board. However, in 2015, Watts opened up to MORE about certain regrets she had regarding her family life. "I should have had more kids, started younger," she said, also addressing the couple's different parenting styles. "Liev has a lot more courage than me. He's always saying, 'Let the kids do it. Take the training wheels off!' My bit of fear balances him, and he balances my fear."

05 of 07

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

CARPET CUTIES
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The stars stepped out together at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals just weeks before they announced the split, to promote their new film The Bleeder. The two were very affectionate on the red carpet, holding hands and posting several happy photos of themselves to social media. Yet a source on the set of Schreiber's Showtime series Ray Donovan told PEOPLE, "They have been on the rocks for quite a while."

06 of 07

THE SURPRISING ANNOUNCEMENT

THE SURPRISING ANNOUNCEMENT
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Schreiber and Watts announced the end of their 11-year relationship on Sept. 16, just weeks after they'd returned from a glob-trotting tour to promote their new film. "Over the past few months we've come to the conclusion that the best way forward for us as a family is to separate as a couple," they told PEOPLE in a joint statement. "It is with great love, respect, and friendship in our hearts that we look forward to raising our children together and exploring this new phase of our relationship. While we appreciate your curiosity and support, we ask the press to be mindful of our children and respect their right to privacy," the statement continued.

07 of 07

ALL SMILES

Image
JP/PacificCoastNews

The day the news of their separation was announced, Watts was spotted smiling on the New York City set of her Netflix series Gypsy.

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