Dermot Mulroney Files for Divorce After 15 Years of Marriage to Prima Apollinaare

After 15 years of marriage, actor Dermot Mulroney has officially filed for divorce from his wife, Prima Apollinaare. The couple, who share two teenage daughters, have chosen a low-conflict and amicable path forward, according to documents and sources close to the pair.

The Chicago Fire actor submitted the petition for divorce on Saturday, June 21, citing irreconcilable differences. Court documents obtained by PEOPLE reveal that Mulroney, 61, is representing himself and has requested joint legal and physical custody of their daughters—17-year-old Mabel Ray and 15-year-old Sally June.

Mulroney and Apollinaare met in 2008, a year after Mulroney’s divorce from actress Catherine Keener. That same year, the couple welcomed their first child, Mabel. Their second daughter, Sally, followed not long after, and the couple officially tied the knot in December 2010. They’ve now been together for nearly two decades, sharing both a personal and professional life.

Although Mulroney is seeking to terminate the court’s ability to award spousal support to Apollinaare, he has surprisingly requested spousal support for himself. He also asked that legal fees be split equally between the two parties. However, a source close to the couple tells PEOPLE that these legal requests are largely procedural.

“No one is asking for anything, and no one is denying anything,” the source says. “They are not arguing over the children nor money.” According to the insider, the couple used mediators rather than lawyers in preparing their filing and continue to maintain a friendly relationship. “They were advised to file this way,” the source added, underscoring that the split is civil and mutual.

Despite listing their official date of separation as “TBD,” the divorce filing acknowledges that all community earnings and property accumulated during the marriage will be treated as shared assets. The couple reportedly has yet to fully define the scope of their property and assets.

Their story began in music, a shared passion that brought them together and has run like a steady undertone throughout their relationship. While widely known as an actor, Mulroney is also a professional cellist, having contributed to the scores of films such as Planet of the Apes and entries in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Apollinaare, a singer-songwriter originally from Italy, shares his love for music and has expressed that she was drawn to it from birth.

In a 2023 interview with the music label Lost In The Manor, Apollinaare shared, “I got into music since I was born. My mom is a singer. My dad played trumpet and piano.” Her musical upbringing paved the way for her own creative path, which she has explored both independently and in collaboration with Mulroney.

In fact, their artistic bond extended into film. In 2010, Apollinaare was named as one of Mulroney’s producing partners on a biopic he was set to direct, according to a report from the Associated Press (via The Hollywood Reporter). Later that year, Mulroney revealed in an interview with the New York Post that while his wife supported his career, she wasn’t exactly a fan of his work in horror films like Scream IV.

“I don’t think she’ll probably even see this movie because I know what her tolerance is,” he said at the time. “She can’t even look at half of the posters.”

Born Tharita Cutulle, Apollinaare changed her name in 2015 for reasons she has not publicly explained. Despite keeping much of her early life private, she has remained grounded in her passion for the arts and has continued to support Mulroney’s career while also pursuing her own creative endeavors.

This divorce marks the end of Mulroney’s second marriage. He was previously married to Capote actress Catherine Keener from 1990 until 2007, with whom he shares one son, Clyde.

As the couple moves forward with the dissolution of their marriage, their focus remains on family. Their daughters, now teenagers, appear to be at the center of their decisions, with joint custody and financial fairness at the core of the divorce filing.

Despite the breakup, both Mulroney and Apollinaare seem committed to preserving their friendship and co-parenting partnership. With no contentious legal battles or personal drama in sight, their story is one of mutual respect—an unusual but heartening approach in the often volatile world of celebrity separations.

While the future remains uncertain, the couple’s thoughtful and amicable handling of their split suggests that they’ll continue to support each other—as parents, artists, and longtime friends—even as they part ways as husband and wife.