Ben Foster said he left Hollywood and built a new life in Nashville after his divorce from actress Laura Prepon, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the move reflected both a lifestyle choice and family priorities.
The 44-year-old actor said he spent roughly 12 years living in each coast city before deciding a change was necessary. "After the pandemic, I had a cognition that I didn’t need to live on either coast, quite frankly," Foster told the magazine. He cited a love of horses, live music and country music, and described Nashville as "a different way" that has felt "gentler" for him.
Foster and Prepon’s relationship dated to their teenage years; the pair rekindled a romance in 2016, became engaged that October and married in May 2018. They have two children together: a daughter, Ella, born in 2017, and a younger son born in 2020. Foster filed for divorce on Sept. 9, 2024, citing "irreconcilable differences" and asking the court to enforce the couple’s prenuptial agreement.
The separation led to a contested custody period that became public late last year when Prepon filed court papers accusing Foster of alcohol abuse while disputing his parenting requests. In filings reported by several outlets, Prepon asked that the court prohibit Foster from drinking when he is with the children or require supervision during his parenting time, and described incidents she said raised safety concerns while the children were in his care.
Foster’s attorneys disputed those allegations. Rose Palermo, identified by reports as Foster’s lawyer, told The Post that Prepon’s filing was "the definition of falsehood and a disturbing fiction," and said the actor’s actions would continue to prioritize the children.
The divorce was settled in April. Court documents show the couple agreed to uphold their prenuptial agreement and to keep their respective vehicles. The settlement names Prepon as the primary household for the children while also establishing a shared custody arrangement during the week.
Foster said his move was not solely a reaction to the end of his marriage but also part of a broader reassessment of where he wanted to live and work. He noted that the pandemic changed his calculus about needing to be on the East or West Coast and described Nashville as a place that suits his personal interests and rhythms.
The actor’s comments come as other film and television professionals have also reconsidered long-term living arrangements since the pandemic, weighing family connections, cost of living and lifestyle preferences. Foster noted family ties to the Nashville area — including close relationships between his children and his parents — as an additional factor in his relocation.
Both Foster and Prepon have continued to work in film and television since their separation, and their legal settlement leaves intact the prenuptial terms the couple negotiated before their 2018 marriage. The agreement and the custody plan are intended to structure co-parenting while the family adjusts to separate households.
Laura Prepon has publicly shared photos of her children on social media in recent months, and the public record of the divorce remains limited to filings and statements made in court documents and reported by news outlets. Foster’s interview in The Hollywood Reporter is the most detailed public account he has given about his decision to move and how he has adapted to life in Tennessee since the split.
