This TV star acknowledges that his wife played a crucial role in saving his life after what he described as a “weird experience.” Aside from this, he has also faced legal troubles.
The seasoned actor, who rose to fame in the 2000s, remains best recognized for his role in “Smallville.” Years after the series concluded, he now embraces his gray hair and beard, a change that has left fans in awe.
The actor pictured at WB Network Upfront party on May 15, 2001, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
The celebrity’s evolution isn’t just physical—his Hollywood career took an unexpected turn early on. At 23, he moved to Los Angeles hoping to book commercials and modeling jobs, but in 2000, he secured a six-episode arc on “Judging Amy.”
The actor at the premiere of “Swordfish,” 2001 | Source: Getty Images
The actor at the 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 20, 2002 | Source: Getty Images
“Towards the end of that, I ended up getting ‘Smallville,’ and that was it. Then I was in Vancouver for 10 years [sic],” revealed the actor in an interview.
The actor at the Teen Choice Awards on August 4, 2002, in Universal City, California. | Source: Getty Images
During its decade-long run, “Smallville”—which aired on The WB before moving to The CW—produced more than 200 action-packed episodes. While the show brought him success, leading such a massive production proved overwhelming.
The celebrity during The WB Network All-Star Celebration on January 11, 2003, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
“I spent ten years where my life was 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. on set,” the TV star shared. The demanding schedule left him disconnected from loved ones across the country. To cope, “I just put my head in a hole and basically blocked everybody and everything out,” he divulged.
The actor at the Teen Choice Awards on August 8, 2004, in Universal City, California. | Source: Getty Images
After a decade of nonstop work, leaving “Smallville” in 2011 gave him a chance to pause and reevaluate. Once filming ended, he retreated to his East Coast beach house, a familiar getaway from his summer hiatuses.
The actor pictured at the premiere of “Ocean’s Twelve,” 2004 | Source: Getty Images
“I needed a break,” he admitted. “I needed to figure out what was going on in my head a little bit. There was some adjusting that I needed to get back into real life and to make up for lost time as well. I was like, ‘Guys, I’m out of here.'”
The celebrity throws out the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game on June 29, 2006, in Boston, Massachusetts. | Source: Getty Images
However, the escape that once recharged him no longer had the same effect. “The two months that you spend at the beach loses some of its intrinsic value when you don’t have anything you’re running away from or have to go back to [sic],” the Hollywood star explained.
The actor arrives at the CW Launch Party on September 18, 2006, in Burbank, California. | Source: Getty Images
The quiet made him feel like he had already retired, forcing him to confront what came next. “It sort of woke me up. But it needed to happen,” he said.
The actor departs from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala “Superheroes: Fashion And Fantasy” on May 5, 2008, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
As he adjusted to life after “Smallville,” his personal life also underwent significant changes. During his time on the show and for several years after, he was married to model Jamie White. The two wed in July 2002, but after a decade together, their marriage ended in divorce in November 2015.
The celebrity arrives at the grand opening of Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub on April 27, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Source: Getty Images
Their settlement, finalized in 2019, required him to pay spousal support for five years, though no fixed amount was set. He was obligated to give White 20 percent of his net professional income, but with a cap—any earnings beyond $5 million per year remained his.
The actor pictured on the set of “Despierta America” on March 25, 2014, in Miami, Florida. | Source: Getty Images
Despite the split, he remained active in the industry, starring in projects like “Draft Day.” Legal documents revealed that he and White owned multiple properties and luxury cars. As part of the settlement, she kept most of the horses, while he retained Tomahawk.
The actor attends the premiere of “The Choice,” 2016 | Source: Getty Images
The actor attends the 7th Annual Baby Ball Gala on October 21, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Amid professional stability and personal changes, he found love again. In November 2019, the celebrity married Jessica Rose Lee, and together, they welcomed two sons.
The actor and Jessica Rose Lee attend A Sense Of Home’s First Ever Annual Gala – The Backyard Bowl on November 1, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
In June 2021, the mother of the Hollywood star’s children introduced their youngest son to the world on Instagram, “Rocklin Von, welcome to your family.”
The actor and Jessica Rose Lee attend the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic on October 2, 2021, in Pacific Palisades, California. | Source: Getty Images
The actor speaks during the “Smallville” panel at Los Angeles Comic Con on December 4, 2021. | Source: Getty Images
By May 2024, the proud mother of two posted a family photo on the platform, captioned, “grateful for these guys that made me a mama [sic].”
That same year, her famous husband, Tom Welling, faced a serious health scare, which he later opened up about on the “Inside of You Clips” podcast. Describing the experience, the “Cheaper by the Dozen” star acknowledged the support he received from those closest to him, “Jessica kind of, literally saved my life.”
His parents rushed to be by his side, and podcast host Michael Rosenbaum, who is also his co-star, visited him in the hospital. During the interview, Welling expressed his gratitude, thanking Rosenbaum for being there during a difficult time.
The visit, he admitted, gave him a chance to talk through the “frustrations” he was dealing with as he recovered. The incident could have been much worse, but luck—and his wife—were on his side.
Tom Welling during the German Film Comic Con on December 7, 2024, in Dortmund, Germany. | Source: Getty Images
“My wife Jessica was standing to my right. If I had fallen to my left, there would’ve been more serious consequences,” Welling recalled. Instead, he collapsed to the right, and she helped guide him to the ground. By the time he regained consciousness, he was already in the hospital.
Fortunately, he fully recovered. However, he acknowledged that his wife, who was pregnant with their oldest son, Thomson Welling, at the time, endured the ordeal even more. “I was unconscious, so she had to deal with the situation more than I did,” he admitted.
