Best known for playing Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. is a 57-year-old American actor who has been active in the business for five decades already. He made his acting debut at the age of five in his father’s film “Pound” (1970). His father, Robert Downey Sr., is an actor slash filmmaker who was branded as a counterculture icon in the late 1960s.
Robert Downey Jr’s career was already a success even in his youth. However, it came to a halt when he went through a period of substance addiction and legal troubles. He later overcame his drug and alcohol habits and was able to bounce back.
The Iron Man actor has appeared in over 70 films throughout his career, making him one of the most accomplished actors of his generation. He gained global recognition by playing Tony Stark or Iron Man in ten films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe — from “Iron Man”(2008) to “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).
Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008. He was also listed by Forbes as Hollywood’s highest-paid actor from 2013 to 2015.
Rumors about Robert Downey Jr being gay have persisted for a long time, primarily due to his portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in movies and his support for the rights of the queer community. Now let’s find out if there’s any truth behind these rumors. Is Robert Downey Jr gay? Read on for the answer.
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A Look at Robert Downey Jr’s Sexuality
Robert Downey Jr. had always been open about his relationships in public. He even admitted to having dated men before he met his wife, Susan Levin.
I’ve slept with guys before. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s like having sex with your sister. You get up and go to work the next day.”
Robert Downey Jr. told Vanity Fair
He even admitted in a 2006 interview with Howard Stern that he had a crush on Leonardo DiCaprio when he was young.
He was so beautiful. We would look at each other and we’d say, ‘Oh my God!’”
the actor admitted in an interview with Howard Stern
But amidst everything, Downey Jr. denied that he is bisexual. He is straight, he clarified.
I have no interest in men. I have no interest in women. I’m straight. I’m married. That’s all I want to talk about.”
Downey Jr. said in a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey
In a 2010 interview with GQ magazine, the actor said the same thing — that he was into women, debunking all the gay rumors about him.
I’m very much into women. I think that there are certain things that men do better than women. And I don’t know if you can be as tender as a man can be. But I am a lover. I’ve loved many women over my lifetime.”
Robert Downey Jr’s Relationship
Robert Downey Jr. has been married to Susan Downey since 2005.
The actor met American film producer Susan Nicole Levin in 2003. He was working on the supernatural psychological thriller film “Gothika” alongside Halle Berry, where Levin was the producer.
Levin shared with The Hollywood Reporter in a 2014 interview that she wasn’t taking Downey Jr. seriously at first because, aside from the fact that she was not interested in dating the stars of the movies she was working on, she also found him “interesting but weird.”
We were up in Montreal prepping for Gothika, and we had lunch with the director and Halle Berry. Everybody else ordered Japanese, but Robert told us how oatmeal was the ‘superfood.’ He brought his own packets of oatmeal to have at lunch. And he had this box of various herbs and stuff. And then he started doing these yoga moves. I mean, he was interesting but weird.”
Susan Downey told The Hollywood Reporter
Also, she thought that things wouldn’t work between them and that whatever they have would end once the project is completed because, according to her, “He’s an actor; I have a real job”.
But then the film producer decided to give Downey Jr. a chance to take her on a date and everything took off from there. They dated for two years before they got engaged in November 2003.
The couple shared their engagement story during an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2004.
It was her birthday and I wanted to get her before she turned 30, so I waited right before midnight, and I got her a bunch of stuff and then there was a ring. And she opened that, and I said … What did I say?”
Robert Downey Jr. asked
‘I was wondering if, maybe, you’d wanna, like, be my wife one day.'”
Susan Downey replied
The proposal happened just a few months after they started dating. They had to wait for about two years to get married as Susan Downey insisted on having a long engagement. The couple tied the knot in August 2005 in a Jewish ceremony at Amagansett, New York.
The couple had been married for 17 years now. They have two children, their son Exton Elias, who was born in February 2012, and their daughter Avri Roel, who was born in November 2014.
Susan Downey was not just Robert’s wife, she was his partner in almost everything, as well. The film producer was responsible for Robert taking on one of his biggest roles: “Sherlock Holmes” (2009). The role got Robert Downey Jr. a Golden Globe award for best actor.
The couple also founded their own production company together, Team Downey, in 2010. In 2020, the company signed a first-look, one-year deal with the premium cable channel HBO.
We’re excited to roll up our sleeves, expand the partnership, and tell stories that meet the standard their brand has come to represent.”
the couple said in a joint statement to The Hollywood Reporter
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On His Past Relationships and Drug Addiction
Before his marriage to Susan Downey, Robert Downey Jr. was first married to American singer-actress Deborah Falconer. It was a whirlwind romance. They got married on May 29, 1992, after a 42-day courtship. They had a son, Indio Falconer Downey, who was born in September 1993.
Downey’s repeated trips to rehab and jail put a strain on their marriage. In 2001, when the actor was arrested for the last time and was sentenced to an extended stay in rehab, Falconer decided she had enough. She left him, bringing their son with her. She filed for divorce, which was finalized on April 26, 2004.
Another woman who had been romantically linked to the actor in the past was actress Sarah Jessica Parker. They started dating after meeting on the set of the film “Firstborn” (1984). They broke up in 1991, after seven years of being together, due to Downey’s drug addiction.
The actor was, however, drug-free since July 2003. He credited his sobriety to his current wife, Susan Downey. He said that she helped him overcome his drug and alcohol addiction, along with his family. He also did some therapy, meditation, yoga, and martial arts.
Is Robert Downey Jr Gay?
No, Robert Downey Jr. is not gay. Although he had admitted to have dated men before he met his wife, he clarified that he doesn’t identify himself as gay or as bisexual. He’s “very much into women”, he said. He has been married to his wife, Susan Downey, since 2005 and they have two children together.