Sarah Jessica Parker says dating Robert Downey Jr was like 'being a parent'

The couple dated for seven years.

Sarah Jessica Parker dated Robert Downey Jr
Sarah Jessica Parker dated Robert Downey Jr when he was battling drug and alcohol addictions Reuters

Sarah Jessica Parker has opened up about her past relationship with Robert Downey Jr. The Sex and the City star and the Iron Man actor met on the set of their film Firstborn and dated for seven years.

Parker ended the relationship in 1991, as it had become difficult to cope up with his drug addiction. In an interview with People, she said: "It taught me how I love and what's the difference between loving and taking care of people and what's necessary and what grown-ups should and shouldn't do for one other. And maybe it taught me a little bit about being a parent, too, because the things that I ended up caring about and the way I cared for Downey, were things that might be more suitable for a parent."

"In a way, I'm asking myself those same questions now - I have an almost 14-year-old - so what I should and shouldn't do for [son] James Wilkie. Like at what point do I let him lose something? When do I say, You gotta lose it in order to understand how to even cope. How are you going to develop your coping mechanisms if I'm fixing and when as a parent do I let go? When do I let go in a relationship? So I think I learned a lot about it. You don't know you're learning about it when you're in it. You're just in the day-to-day, caring about someone and loving them, and hopefully keeping them safe," she added.

Parker is now married to actor Matthew Broderick and Downey Jr. tied the knot with producer Susan Levin.