• October 25, 2004
• Vol. 63
• No. 17

Sweet Reunion, Sad End

Andie Macdowell's Marriage to a Former Schoolmate Fizzles After Three Years

When actress Andie MacDowell married jewelry businessman Rhett Hartzog in a lavish 2001 wedding before some 450 guests, friends compared it to a fairy tale: The Asheville, N.C.-based pair had been schoolmates—but never dated—at Gaffney (S.C.) Senior High more than 25 years earlier. Alas, the happy ending proved to be fleeting, and after a yearlong separation (as stipulated by North Carolina law), the pair recently filed for divorce. "I have no bad feelings toward Rhett and wish him only happiness," MacDowell, 46, told People. Adds Hartzog, 45, who has returned to Atlanta, where he previously worked: "It's unfortunate."

For Hartzog, the marriage brought a ready-made family: MacDowell's three kids (with her ex-husband Paul Qualley) Justin, 18, Rainey, 15, and Sarah Margaret, 10. "It's hard combining families with children," says MacDowell's sister Babs Rogers Richard. "It just didn't work. They're still good friends." The actress, who appears in next year's Beauty Shop, plans to remain in Asheville with her children. She and Hartzog "both tried," says Rogers Richard. "We're all sad about it."