Inside Meg Ryan And John Mellencamp’s Long Road To Marriage After 8 Years Of On-Again, Off-Again Dating (EXCLUSIVE)

They’re getting hitched! Meg Ryan was spotted wearing sunglasses and a fisherman’s cap while walking down an NYC sidewalk on Nov. 7, but the As The World Turns actress could not hide her diamond ring that was brightly shining as she talked on her cell phone.

Eight years after they first began dating, Meg, 56, is officially engaged to her longtime beau, John Mellencamp, 67. The still-adorable actress confirmed the news a day later, writing “Engaged” on her Instagram account and sharing a drawing of John and her holding hands.

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Friends and family worried this day would never come for the couple. “Everyone is so happy for them,” an insider exclusively told Closer Weekly in the magazine’s latest issue, on newsstands now. “John’s daughter Teddi loves Meg. She’s been telling her dad that he isn’t getting any younger and women like Meg are hard to find.” John couldn’t argue with that. “She’s a great catch, and they’ve dated long enough, so he needed to hang on to her,” the insider said. “Teddi won’t be calling Meg ‘Mom,’ but she is very excited to have her officially joining the family.”

Lasting love didn’t come easily, however. Early on, Meg, who lives in New York with her daughter, Daisy, 14, couldn’t get serious with John because he spent so much time away. “I’m not leaving Indiana. I’m going to die here,” the rocker has said of his home state. They split up after dating for three years in August 2014. “Meg just grew tired of the long-distance relationship,” a friend explained.

Two months later, John and Meg rekindled their romance. “You know, nothing’s over till it’s over,” John had said hopefully, not long before word of their reconciliation got out.

But their reunion was only temporary. When Meg called it quits again, John rebounded with Christie Brinkley, 64, with whom he enjoyed a yearlong relationship before it fizzled out. A confidant told Closer that Christie, like Meg, grew weary of John’s long absences.

John, meanwhile, never let Meg out of his heart. “I loved Meg Ryan,” he confided to radio talk-show host Howard Stern in 2017. “She just doesn’t want anything to do with me, and I don’t blame her,” he added, taking responsibility for the end of their romance. “I think it’s because I’m a child. I throw fits, I gripe, I complain. I’m moody,” he explained. “Every bad thing that a fella can be, that’s me.”

This confession touched Meg’s heart and they reunited, vowing to make it work this time. “They have fun together,” said a source. “They like to binge-watch TV shows like The Handmaid’s Tale and Killing Eve or they go to see films.”

Still, it took another year before Meg would agree to marry John. “She truly loves John but was really skittish about committing again,” explained a friend. “Like the characters, she’s played, Meg is an eternal optimist.”

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