Brian Austin Green is looking back at one of the biggest lessons to come from his 15-year relationship with ex-wife Megan Fox, revealing that it completely changed how he approaches love today.
During the July 12 episode of the “I Do, Part 2” podcast, the “Beverly Hills, 90210” alum reflected on how his divorce prompted him to reevaluate what he wanted from future relationships. Green said he realized he had spent years leading with physical attraction instead of building a deeper emotional connection first.
“Until Sharna, my ex and I were together for almost 15 years. We were married for almost 10 years and I led with physical attraction,” Green said. “First, I’d be physically attracted to somebody and then sort of build a relationship around that.”
After his marriage ended, Green said he knew he didn’t want to repeat the same patterns.
Brian Austin Green Says Therapy Changed His Perspective
According to Green, he admitted that his divorce was not something he expected. Suddenly finding himself a single father of three motivated him to take a closer look at the role he played in his past relationships.
“I was divorced, which I didn’t expect. I had three kids. I was a single parent,” he said. “And I knew that I didn’t want to repeat things that I had done.”
Green said he turned to therapy and spent significant time reflecting on the behaviors he brought into relationships.
“I went through all sorts of therapy and all sorts of things to really figure out what it was that I brought into a relationship that was just toxic and wasn’t good and wasn’t helping the relationship at all,” he explained.
That personal growth ultimately changed how he approached dating when he met his now-fiancée, Sharna Burgess.
Rather than letting attraction lead the way, Green said he intentionally focused on building a friendship first. He believes starting from a genuine connection allowed them to be completely honest with one another from the beginning.
“I needed to be friends with someone first,” he said, adding that he and Burgess openly discussed both their strengths and flaws early in the relationship.
“Sharna and I talked about our best qualities and our worst qualities together. We sort of put it all out on the table.”
Green said that openness quickly made them realize they had something worth pursuing.
How His Relationship With Sharna Burgess Is Different
Green also explained that one of the biggest differences in his current relationship is the level of trust he shares with Burgess.
On the same podcast, Green said Burgess is welcome to look through his phone, emails or anything else because he has nothing to hide.
“To me, a healthy relationship, everything’s open,” he said. “Sharna can go through my phone. She can go through my emails. She can go through absolutely everything that I have.”
He added that he makes a conscious effort not to make decisions that could hurt Burgess or damage their relationship. Green also said people should avoid bringing trust issues from past relationships into new ones whenever possible.
Green and Fox first met in 2004 while filming “Hope & Faith.” They married in 2010 and welcomed three sons together before separating in 2020. According to People, despite some public ups and downs following their split, the former couple have since focused on co-parenting their children while moving forward with their respective lives.
Green began dating Burgess in late 2020. The couple welcomed their son, Zane, in 2022 and got engaged the following year.
Looking back, Green believes the strongest relationships begin with something much deeper than attraction.
“I think when you started from a place of a genuine connection with someone, then you’re not so concerned about whether they are truly into you or not.”
