Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt's 18-Year Relationship – in Their Own Words

After 18 years together (making them one of the most stable relationships in Hollywood), Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt have decided to call it quits.

Hamm, 44, and Wesfeldt, 45, often spoke out about their unique romance, touching on everything from their mutual reluctance to marry to the effects of Mad Men – and Hamm’s subsequent ascension to heart throb status.

As we add yet another couple to the summer of splits list, we take a look back at the couple’s struggles and successes – in their own words.

RELATED VIDEO: Jon Hamm And Jennifer Westfeldt Have Called It Quits

On not getting married

“We may not have a piece of paper that says we’re husband and wife, but after 10 years, Jennifer is more than just a girlfriend. What we have is much deeper and we both know that. To me, people [should] get married when they’re ready to have kids, which I’m not ruling out.” – Hamm, in 2012

On not worrying about not getting married
“I don’t have the marriage chip, and neither of us have the greatest examples of marriage in our families. But Jen is the love of my life, and we’ve already been together four times longer than my parents were married.” – Hamm, in a 2010 interview with Parade

On how Mad Men changed Hamm
“It’s a confusing juxtaposition. I think the darkness of Don has weight heavily on Jon, despite it being the role of a lifetime and the opportunity that gave him the career of his dreams.” – Westfeldt, in a 2015 interview with GQ

On the public reaction to Hamm
“The hardest bit for people is that it is such an iconic character fans of the show have a really hard time imagining he is not like that. That he is really this goofball. And that he is in this long relationship. That is, I guess, why people come up and say all sorts of wildly inappropriate things to him, and me, which don’t bear repeating People sometimes recognize me but can’t place me – it is always ‘Hi, we sat together at that wedding, table 11!’. With Jon, it’s just become this constant ‘OMIGODI’mgoingtodie!’ It’s like being with a Beatle or something.” – Westfeldt, in a 2012 interview with The Guardian

On supporting each other
“There’s another person who’s actually sitting in the audience who basically told me when I wasn’t working that I was still talented. And she’s stuck with me for the last 16 years, even if the talent question remains up for grabs.” – Hamm at the 2014 PEOPLE Magazine Awards

On the possibility of raising children together
“But in reality our lives – Jon’s and mine – are so unconventional in every way, it’s very difficult. I think kids should have something grounded. Jon and I are both children of divorce. I’m not sure we can do it without a proper home base… We will see what happens. There at least are a lot of ways to procure a child these days…” – Westfeldt in a 2012 interview with The Guardian

On the endurance of their relationship
“Our lives are entwined. It’s a long time [together]. I’m definitely the guy that repeats his stories! Mostly it’s just paying attention and keeping engaged and not succumbing to inertia or going through the motions.” – Hamm to PEOPLE in 2014