Juicy Details About Meryl Streep's Rumored Affair With Another A-List Actor

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There are few actors as beloved and admired as "The Devil Wears Prada" star Meryl Streep. With the star reprising her iconic role as Miranda Priestly in the film's sequel, it's hard not to notice how Streep has been aging like fine wine. It's unsurprising given how the star has always been gorgeous. She definitely got Jack Nicholson's attention on the set of the 1987 film "Ironweed."

Fans were shocked when Marc Eliot's 2013 "Nicholson: A Biography" alleged that the pair had been less than discreet about their romance, writing "Often during shooting, his Winnebago seemed to be balanced on four overworked Slinkys" (via Radar). Eliot also claims that their infatuation with each other was evident from the start, writing "As soon as it began, rumors exploded like wild mushrooms that something was going on between Jack and his co-star, I'll-never-work-with-him-again Meryl Streep." The pair also played lovers in the 1986 movie "Heartburn," wherein Streep's character, Rachel Samsat, suspected Nicholson's Mark Forman of cheating on her.

Streep was still with her ex-husband, sculptor Don Gummer, at the time of the alleged affair, and Nicholson was in a high-profile relationship with "The Addams Family" star Angelica Huston. However, while sparks might have been flying on set, "Ironweed" would mark the last time the actors worked alongside each other, bringing an end to the affair rumors. Although the actors have praised each other in recent years, the fall out directly after their last project points to a less than loving affair.

While "Mamma Mia!" actor Meryl Streep characterized working with "The Shining" star Jack Nicholson as "pure pleasure" in a 2011 interview with CBS News, their rumored affair reportedly had a less than pleasurable outcome. A 2019 article from Town & Country describes how Streep actually had to fight Nicholson off while filming "Heartburn," dodging his obvious crush wittily and diplomatically. Producer Robert Greenhut shared how "Meryl was good at defusing all this but she had a good way of throwing cold water on Jack whenever he got a little too friendly. She used to just blow him off in a very creative kind of way that wasn't mean or uppity. She handled him very well." Marc Eliot also shared reports in "Nicholson: A Biography" that Streep had allegedly "[thrown] him out of her hotel room and vowed never to make another movie with him. The story was widely reported in the British press, and Streep denied it happened, but sources said the reason was Jack's relentless sexual overtures" (via Town & Country).

The "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" star was not shy about his admiration for Streep, even telling Vanity Fair in an interview (per Far Out) that "She's my idol." He also delved into how she offered him a tremendous amount of support on set, adding how "You do fall in love with... With certain... creative situations." Read into that comment what you will. Regardless, with six kids under his belt, it's doubtful he was waiting around for Streep to change her mind.