Bruce Springsteen reflects on being mess before marriage to Patti Scialfa

Bruce Springsteen gave a heartfelt look at his past as he prepared for the release of his upcoming biopic Springsteen Deliver Me from Nowhere, starring Jeremy Allen White. 

In a new interview with TIME, the music icon reflected on the highs and lows of his career, his first failed marriage and the relationship that changed everything for him.

Springsteen was first married to actress Julianne Phillips from 1985 to 1989, as their split was painful and during that time he poured his emotions into the 1987 album Tunnel of Love, which spoke about struggles with intimacy and relationships. 

Soon after, his bond with singer Patti Scialfa deepened. They known each other since the early 1980s, and in 1984 she joined his E Street Band. 

However, By 1991, the two were married and went on to raise three children together, Evan James, Jessica Rae, and Samuel Ryan.

Bruce admitted that when he met Patti, he was not at his best. “I knew she saw me for who I really was,” he said, confessing he was a “complicated, messy person.” 

He added, “I didn’t have to pretend. I was broken. She was broken in her own way, and we were each other’s personal projects.”

The singer also explained why marriage mattered to him. “Part of me said, ‘Hey, what does it matter?’ But it does matter. It’s very different than just living together.”

Looking back, Bruce credited Patti for grounding him, both as a partner and as the mother of their children.