"Brushed to the side": Jenny Mollen recalls feeling overshadowed by Jason Biggs early in their marriage

"Influenced" New York Screening - Source: Getty
"Influenced" New York Screening - Source: Getty

Jenny Mollen is reflecting on the insecurity and imbalance she felt while married to Jason Biggs, and mentions how being in the position of celebrity fame affected her self-image during the marriage.

Speaking on the podcast What Matters With Liz, the actress-writer mentioned that there were times when she would feel overshadowed early into the marriage due to the change in her own identity since marrying the Hollywood actor.

"When I got together with Jason, I always had a chip on my shoulder in the beginning because I felt like suddenly I went from being the oldest daughter, and I felt like I had my s*** together, and then suddenly, I married this guy, who, in a lot of ways — career-wise — totally eclipsed me."
Author Jenny Mollen In Conversation With Actress Busy Phillips - Source: Getty
Author Jenny Mollen In Conversation With Actress Busy Phillips - Source: Getty

Jenny Mollen compared the feeling to being a "spare" (referencing Prince Harry's 2023 memoir) in a high-profile household, explaining that attention often centered on her husband while she felt positioned in the background.

"And it drove me crazy to always just be, like, brushed to the side ... To be the spare and not the heir. It was like, 'What is happening?' I was the spare. I was the 'American Pie' spare. I relate to Harry. That drove me mad and I always had this feeling."

The Crazy, Stupid, Love actress also brought up having "two narcissist parents" growing up, plus marrying someone "wildly more famous," which made her feel like no one paid attention.

"[I felt] that nobody was listening to what I was doing anyway. I could get away with saying whatever the f*** I wanted."
L.A. Friends Of The Uganda Wildlife Authority Gorilla Awareness Event - Red - Source: Getty
L.A. Friends Of The Uganda Wildlife Authority Gorilla Awareness Event - Red - Source: Getty

The interview comes weeks after Jenny Mollen and Jason Biggs' split after 18 years of marriage. The former couple, who remain amicable after the breakup, share two sons: Sid (born in 2014) and Lazlo (born in 2017).


Jenny Mollen reflects on feeling "trapped" days after split from Jason Biggs

On May 25, Jenny Mollen also took to her Substack, where she reflected on the restlessness and unease she feels ten days following the separation. Titled "Don't Tell Me What It Is," she penned:

"Everywhere I've ever been has felt a little temporary, like a waiting room I'm trapped in before an operation. I thought I'd never survive the years when my children weren't sleeping through the night. I thought every weekend would be spent trapped inside the hellscape of the Tribeca red park playground."
Celebrities Attend US Open Tennis Championship - Source: Getty
Celebrities Attend US Open Tennis Championship - Source: Getty

The writer also touched on the subject of motherhood, sharing her lamentations about not being more present when her children were younger.

"My kids were growing up, and I was standing in memories that I can now only access through pictures. When you're young and ambitious, or maybe just middle-aged with ADHD, it feels impossible to appreciate anything while you're in it. The highest highs of my life have all hit like pennies disappearing into a bottomless well."

Jenny Mollen and Jason Biggs first met while filming the romantic comedy My Best Friend's Girl in 2007.

They tied the knot in April 2008, eloping in a spontaneous private ceremony in Los Angeles while in their pajamas to a FedEx Kinko's. The pair had their formal, intimate marriage ceremony in Napa Valley, California, that July.

Love movies? Try our Box Office Game and Movie Grid Game to test your film knowledge and have some fun!

Edited by Gladys Altamarino