This Is Robert Downey Jr. and Sarah Jessica Parker's Turbulent Relationship Timeline

Celebrity couples are always a source of fascination, and doubly so when both stars are major headline-makers. Iron Man and Avengers star Robert Downey Jr. may be a low-key and chill superstar now, but there was a time when his career and even his life were in jeopardy due to living on the wild side.

It was through those years of ups and downs that he was with Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker.

Their relationship spanned seven years, with major ups and downs and moments of turbulence. Here's what we know about their relationship timeline and what Sarah walked away from the relationship having learned.

According to People, Robert and Sarah were together from 1984 to 1991. A few years later, Sarah met Matthew Broderick, marrying him in 1997 and joining a multi-decade romance that was far calmer than the one between her and Robert.

Shortly after splitting from Sarah, Robert married Deborah Falconer and stayed with her until they split in 2004. In 2005, he married Susan Downey (née Levin), and they've been going strong ever since.

But before there was Sarah and Matthew, or Robert and Deborah or Susan, there was Sarah and Robert, and they were a headline-making couple at the height of their early careers.

They first started dating in 1984, when they were both just 18 years old, and their birthdays are just 10 days apart. US Weekly reports that they met on the set of Firstborn. Things moved quickly with their young romance, and they were living together in Los Angeles after just a few weeks of dating.

But at the time, the outlet notes, Robert was deep in the grips of an addiction he had suffered since the age of 8, when he says his father, Robert Downey Sr., first got him hooked on drugs.

The young couple lasted an impressive seven years after that auspicious start. In a 2023 interview with The New Yorker, Sarah describes feeling like a "parent at the age of 22," while dealing with Robert's struggles.

She reflected, "People around him would be dismissive of me, but I had given him stability and tried to create a steady heartbeat that allowed him to show up on time,” adding, “that made me angry and embarrassed me.”

Although their relationship was doomed to end in 1991, the two would reconcile in 2015, and Sarah would later reflect that she learned a lot from her time with Robert.

While speaking with People in 2018, Sarah mused, "I learned how to take care of myself. There was a huge amount of time spent making sure he was OK. At a certain point, I had the courage to say, ‘I’m going to walk away and I’m just going to pray that you don’t die.’ ”

Sarah also shared that she “didn’t know” about Robert's addiction "for a long time."

The Sex and the City actor added, "I was like, 'Why is his heart beating so fast? Don’t do so many pushups before bed!'"

However, she continued, “I will say, I don’t regret any of it. I don’t resent the time spent.”

And Robert had some fond memories as well. He told Parade in 2008, "I liked to drink, and I had a drug problem, and that didn’t jibe with Sarah Jessica, because it is the furthest thing from what she is. She provided me a home and understanding. She tried to help me. She was so miffed when I didn’t get my act together. Private stuff aside, we were able to spend some time together, and it was really cool. I was in love with Sarah Jessica, and love clearly was not enough" (excerpt via US Weekly).

The duo met in 2015 and were both able to get some closure from their relationship. While speaking with Howard Stern Show, Robert shared, "You know, the funny thing too is you always have a perception of somebody that you spent a big chunk of your life with and I think it’s typical … that the further you get away from that in your new relationship, you sub-intentionally taint your perception of the person."

He added, "Seeing her I was like, ‘She’s so great and so cool and so funny and so in command.' I got to meet her kids, and I saw the way she and Matthew live, and I respect both of them so much.”

Sarah agreed, saying of the meeting, "It was really nice. It was surprisingly not weird. Fundamentally, we’re sort of the same. The difference is he has a family and a wife, and obviously his career is a massive thing."

She added, "But I think his true nature was completely familiar. I always felt very affectionate toward him, I thought it ended well in a way. I never didn’t care about his well-being, and I never felt resentment or bitterness" (excerpt via US Weekly).

This just goes to show that sometimes people might not be destined to be together forever, but they can still share fond memories and be a force for good in one another's lives.