Will Arnett 'Cried for an Hour' on the Side of a Road After 'Brutal' Split from Ex-Wife Amy Poehler

Will Arnett is speaking candidly about the aftermath of his split from ex-wife Amy Poehler.

Arnett, 51, and Poehler, 50, wed in 2003 but announced their separation in 2012 after nine years of marriage. At the time of their breakup, the BoJack Horseman alum was filming the fourth season of Arrested Development.

Considering Arrested Development was abruptly canceled by Fox in 2006, returning to work on the acclaimed sitcom should have been an exciting time for Arnett. But he told The Guardian in a new interview that it was an "excruciating" experience for him because of his divorce.

"Just brutal, brutal, brutal," he continued. "I was driving to the set one day and I pulled over to the side of the road and cried for an hour."

Arnett credited Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz for helping make his pain something "hilarious and cathartic" for the series.

For Arnett, one of the hardest parts of the breakup was dealing with it in the public eye. "People talk about you like they know you and they talk about your relationship as if they know what's going on," he said.

"So imagine how weird that is. It's brutal with any relationship, and we have kids," he continued. "And without getting into specifics, you then see stuff online, like, this one journalist wrote: 'I'm Team Amy.' I'm like: 'You're a grown person. What are you talking about? This is a breakup. This is a family. This isn't some game.' "

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But Arnett acknowledged that "you get on with it" over time. The pair continue to co-parent their sons Archie, 13, and Abel, 11.

"It's been almost 10 years and my kids are so lucky that Amy is their mother," the Murderville star said. "And I'm so lucky that we're such a huge part of each other's lives, even more so than we were five years ago."

Previously, Poehler opened up about the pair's divorce — which was finalized in 2016 — in her 2014 memoir, Yes Please.

"I don't want to talk about my divorce because it is too sad and too personal. I also don't like people knowing my s---," the Parks and Recreation alum wrote. "I will say a few things. I am proud of how my ex-husband, Will, and I have been taking care of our children; I am beyond grateful he is their father; and I don't think a [nearly] ten-year marriage constitutes failure. That being said, getting a divorce really sucks."

Added Poehler, "Any painful experience makes you see things differently. It also reminds you of the simple truths that we purposely forget every day or else we would never get out of bed. Things like, nothing lasts forever and relationships can end. The best that can happen is you learn a little more about what you can handle and you stay soft through the pain. Perhaps you feel wiser. Maybe your experience can be of help to others."

After their separation, Arnett welcomed his son, Alexander Denison, in 2020 with girlfriend Alessandra Brawn.