Sean McEnroe is the 33-year-old son of tennis player John McEnroe and actress Tatum O'Neal. Sean lives in Sedona, Arizona, where he works as an artist.
While Sean keeps a lot of his personal life to himself, he recently revealed some big news: He and his girlfriend, Niamh, got married in September 2020! Sean also shared the reason why he and Niamh kept their marriage quiet for so long.
He told People, "We decided to keep it private until now. We went through a lot of challenges and difficulties this past year. Niamh was pregnant in the fall but lost the baby at the end of her first trimester. It was devastating but in the end, it's made us closer and stronger. And our bond is better than it’s ever been."
Sean first shared their wedding news on Instagram. He wrote:
"I can't think of a better way to start 2021 than to share with all of you that Niamh and I are officially Mr. and Mrs. McEnroe."
He also shared details about when the two met, noting that Niamh came into his life while he was experiencing a breakdown:
"When Niamh first came to live with me in LA two years ago, I had one of the worst breakdowns of my life. I don't remember exactly what set me off, but it was something related to my family and traumas from my childhood."
He even admitted to being violent during the breakdown:
"It was one of the most challenging emotional experiences I've ever had. I remember taking a huge crystal and throwing it as hard as I could through a painting, which also went through the wall, leaving a huge hole."
That wasn't all:
"I took a ficus plant and ripped it apart completely by the roots. Niamh was downstairs and walked upstairs to find soil all over the carpet and me laying face first in it, crying and screaming, with dirt and leaves all over my face and hair and clothes."
Sean said that Niamh reacted calmly to this display of aggression, and she set about fixing things:
"She gently and quietly started putting the plant back together. She picked up all of the broken leaves and stems and swept up all of the soil and put it all back into the pot. And once she had finished meticulously putting everything back together, she came over to me."
Then, Niamh turned to Sean:
"I don't remember what she said, but she rubbed by back and was speaking very gently, and I let go of the clenching grip I had on one of the stems. I let go."
Sean owned that his feelings were negative and toxic, and explained that he's worked through them with Niamh at his side:
"Niamh and I have that ficus in our bedroom now, right next to our bed. It's three times the size it was then. I was 100% certain I had destroyed the plant at the time. Even as it was happening, I hated myself for doing it and behaving in such a way. But I was consumed with such anger and self-hatred in the moment that it didn't matter."
"I remember thinking it was useless in my head, Niamh trying to resurrect the plant. But slowly, she nursed it back to life. Miraculously. When the plant was fully healthy again, I couldn't believe it. I knew then that I would never doubt her again."
He concluded with a special and sincere message for his wife:
"Niamh gave me a foundation of faith and hope, through her resolute unwavering example, a rooted foundation that I wasn’t even close to having at the time. Everything that I am now, I owe to her. I love you, Niamh McEnroe. You are my true love, my foundation, and my fountain of inspiration all in one. I will love you my whole life, you and no other."
Sean's parents haven't issued their own statements about the marriage yet, but he also told People that his mother, Tatum, has privately conveyed her feelings. "My mom is happy for me and wants us to have a good and happy life together."
