Susan Sarandon Shares The Real Reason She Never Dropped Her Last Name After Splitting From Chris Sarandon
Susan Sarandon has a heartfelt reason for why she never dropped her married name, despite splitting from ex-husband Chris Sarandon decades ago.
The Oscar winner was married to the Fright Night star between 1967 and 1979. The former couple first met while attending the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in the mid-1960s.
“He was a very kind man and he kept me alive, you know, so I’m happy to have that name,” the Thelma & Louise actor told The Sunday Times of why she held on to her ex’s last name, instead of returning to her maiden name, Tomalin.
The Step Mom alum gushed about the impact Chris had on her life again last year, during an episode of his podcast, Cooking By Heart.
Confessing that he “basically saved my life actually with his kindness”, she told Chris during the September 2023 episode: “I credit you with my foundation and my survival. One of the reasons I’m here is just to publicly say that.”
Susan later welcomed a child with Italian director Franco Amurri. The pair dated between 1984 and 1988. She’s also a mum to two sons with her ex Tim Robbins, with whom she was in a relationship between 1988 and 2009.
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Elsewhere in the interview with The Sunday Times, Susan, who is promoting her new movie The Gutter, admitted to the publication that while she never hesitated to keep Chris’ last name, she does wish she would’ve changed her first name.
“Sigourney Weaver, Tuesday Weld and Stockard Channing all started out Susans and they had the sense to change that name and I’m stuck with Susan,” she remarked.
“It’s kind of nice to do a rechristening as you start to realise who you are.”
Despite never remarrying, the Witches Of Eastwick star told Entertainment Tonight over the summer that she’s still “open to love”.
“On every level, absolutely. I wouldn’t say I’m looking for a guy to share my medicine cabinet, but I love an adventurer,” she said at the New York City premiere of her film The Fabulous Four in July.
