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Most fans were shocked when former Hallmark star Cameron Mathison and his wife of nearly 21 years, Vanessa Mathison, announced they’d separated on July 31, 2024.
But in the weeks ahead of their public statement, there were signs that the couple’s relationship was on the rocks, including the deletion of many Instagram posts together and Cameron’s summer trip with their kids — son Lucas, 21, and daughter Leila, 18 — without Vanessa.
But perhaps most telling was an interview Mathison gave on July 24, during which he often looked uncomfortable answering questions from Us Weekly about his marriage, revealing that he’s learned to be more “other-centric” in relationships and that his wife was on a “self-exploratory” journey. The outlet didn’t release the interview until hours after his and Vanessa’s split was made public.
Cameron Mathison Said He & Wife Were ‘Trying to Figure It All Out’ Days Before Split Announcement
Cameron, who left Hallmark for Great American Family in November 2023, has been vocal about becoming an empty nester this fall, telling People in May, “I don’t think I’m ready.”
In mid-July, he revealed on Instagram that “every moment is so precious” with his kids before they both head overseas, sharing that “Lucas is off to London for Foundation Program at Central St Martin fashion design And Leila is off to American University in Paris for psychology.”
During their interview on July 24, before his split from Vanessa had been announced, Us Weekly reporter Christina Garibaldi asked Cameron, “Are you and your wife looking forward to more time together?”
Tiptoeing around the question, Cameron hesitantly answered, “Yeah…umm…we are…it’s like a new chapter for everybody in our life. You know, we’re just trying to figure it all out.”
“She’s really on a self-exploratory kind of phase right now, doing a lot of really cool stuff for her,” he said of Vanessa. “She’s learned the bass, and she’s back to her modeling, and she’s traveling and doing things, and you know, I’m really encouraging that. And yeah, we’re just trying to figure it all out.”
When Garibaldi then asked him what the “secret” is to a long-lasting marriage like theirs, Cameron squirmed in his seat and smiled sheepishly while struggling to answer.
He eventually said, “You know, I think the secret for any good relationship is, um — listen, we all have our secrets, right? But I really think it is being, like, really cherishing each other.”
“Like I sort of alluded to earlier, like, really being other-centric,” he continued. “And this is not in a codependent way, but it feels so good to be very, like, to care about them and their interests, and what their likes are and dislikes are and to be involved and listen. It actually, it’s beautiful and helpful for them in the relationship and it feels good for us.”
Cameron then acknowledged that he’s become more cognizant of the impact that his work an actor and host, which includes his role as Drew Cain on “General Hospital” and hosting the new Game Show Network series “Beat the Bridge,” may have had on his relationship.
“Like, it’s so easy to get so caught up in the ‘what about me’ mind and what I’ve got going on and, you know, my schedule,” he said. “And especially me being, you know, maybe on camera … you get so caught up in all that and it’s so easy to let that spiral.”
“But it’s a beautiful, beautiful way to live to be more other-centric,” he added. “And it can be in your spouse, and it can be with your children, it can be with your colleagues at work, it can be with your friends, it can be with strangers. Just to really care about others, it’s a form of love, really.”
Cameron & Vanessa Mathison Issued a Joint Statement on Their Separation
Cameron, 54, and Vanessa, 57, met in 1998 when they were both working as models in New York City, per ET Online, which was the first outlet to publish the couple’s July 31 announcement about their separation, which they both also posted on Instagram.
“After 22 years of marriage, we have made the difficult decision to part ways,” the couple said in a joint statement. “We enter this new chapter with deep love, kindness, and respect for each other. We hold gratitude in our hearts for the wonderful years we shared together.”
Their statement continued, “Our children have been and will continue to be our highest priority, and we will forever share in our devotion and love for them. We remain friends, and both wish the best for one another. We sincerely appreciate your respect for our family’s privacy during this transition.”
Though the two used to gush about each other on social media, Cameron’s most recent Instagram photo featuring Vanessa is over two years old, from April 2022, when she had a role on his soap opera, “General Hospital.”
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