Matt LeBlanc leaves wife of 3 years

[alicia-w]

Matt LeBlanc's Other Woman

Thursday Apr 06, 2006 7:30am EST

Matt LeBlanc and Andrea Anders in 2005
CREDIT: STHANLEE B MIRADOR / SHOOTING STAR

Matt LeBlanc, who filed for divorce from his wife last week, has a new real-life romantic costar: Andrea Anders, who plays his neighbor on the sitcom Joey, PEOPLE reports in its upcoming issue.

LeBlanc's split from his wife of three years, Melissa, came as a surprise to the public – and to Melissa herself. The trouble started in January when LeBlanc, 38, unexpectedly announced that he was moving out of the Encino, Calif., home he shared with Melissa, 41, and their 2-year-old daughter Marina.

"It was very sudden," Melissa's longtime friend Kelly Phillips tells PEOPLE. "She was absolutely blindsided by what transpired."

Then in March, Melissa accused her husband of being involved with another woman. LeBlanc, who had moved into an L.A. apartment near the studio where he tapes Joey, admitted he was.

Still, friends say, Melissa hoped for a reconciliation – and was stunned when, on March 30, an attorney for her husband called with the news that LeBlanc was about to file for divorce.

CREDIT: JILL JOHNSON / JPI"She wanted to do counseling or therapy," a pal tells PEOPLE. "But Matt just didn’t want to work it out."

After the divorce announcement was made, LeBlanc even brought the Wisconsin-born Anders – who recently shot a pilot for Friends producer David Crane – to the ranch house north of Los Angeles that he and Melissa had shared.

While LeBlanc's rep declines to comment on the situation, saying, "We're not interested in having a public discussion about private family matters," others say LeBlanc's involvement with Anders was one of the causes of the divorce filing.

http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1180477,00.html

[Miss Mary]

Well, if he cheated on his wife with Anders, then this is the first Friends alum that has lost my respect!

You'd think ML would be even more loyal after watching what happened to good friend Jennifer Aniston! Not go out and do the same thing to his wife....

Sad, there's a kid involved and I think he was also a stepfather to his wife's older, first child.

Finally, ML was never my favorite Friend anyway. But I'm still shocked. He seemed like such a devoted husband and dad.

Mary

[GalvestonDuck]

As soon as I read the name "Andrea Anders," I was like, "No way!!"

I was all about Joey and Alex getting together on the show. There is a definite chemistry between the two of them. But I didn't think AA and ML actually had a real thing going on. Although, come to think of it, she did change her appearance a bit in later episodes. Less "girl-next-door" (which she was, literally) and more "flirty, hot babe." Not a good character move, but it must have been AA's way of moving in on ML.

I don't see how it could last. Seems like a relationship not built on much of a foundation. Plus, she's a Wisconsinite (Wisconsinian? Wisconinoid? whatever they're called).

[LaPlaceFF]

Plus, she's a Wisconsinite (Wisconsinian? Wisconinoid? whatever they're called).

A CHEESEHEAD maybe?

[Miss Mary]

I read a post from a fan on the IMDB board, stating Matt would go to work, upset about his baby's health. I can't recall what his child suffered from, and may still do so, but I do remember his baby was very ill after birth (she's 2 now). He eventually confided in AA and they became close friends. Their friendship turned into more. Obviously!

Wait until Chad hears about this. He is a huge Joey fan and AA is his favorite.

Chad - comments?

Mary