Melanie Lynskey recalls not realizing she was engaged to Jason Ritter after mistaking his proposal for a breakup speech

Melanie Lynskey, the New Zealand actress, recently shared the story about the "confusing" proposal she received before marrying Jason Ritter, and how he has been making up for the mishap.

On April 29, 2024, the 46-year-old appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she described Ritter's 2016 proposal, saying:

"My husband's first proposal was so confusing. I didn't know what was happening. The day before, I had been looking at rings and I tried one on and I was like 'Oh, kind of looks like an engagement ring almost. I don't think I'm going to get it. So then, he got me this ring, so I was like, 'Oh, thanks!'"

Lynskey actress explained that it "didn't cross my mind" that it was anything other than a gift. The gesture followed a "strange speech" which followed her asking Jason if they were breaking up.

He denied calling it quits and told his family they were engaged three days later, during Christmas.

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Melanie Lynskey says Jason Ritter’s proposal was “so confusing” she didn’t know they were engaged

Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter first met while filming The Big Ask in 2013. They started dating soon after, announcing their engagement four years later, in 2017. They tied the knot in 2020, nearly two years after the birth of their daughter, whose name has not been disclosed yet.

Lynskey made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday and shared her proposal story with Jason. She recalled that her boyfriend at the time gave her a ring as a gift without mentioning anything about marriage. The actress said that it did not cross her mind that he was actually proposing and then continued:

"And then there was this strange speech. We were just sort of sitting there. He had paused whatever [was on TV], The Bachelor. And I was just sort of like, ‘Oh, OK.' And I was like, 'I... you know, are you? We're not breaking up?'"

Jason responded quickly saying, "No, no, no." and she replied with, "Well, thank you. Lovely. Good chat?"

Melanie Lynskey recalled how she did not understand what was happening at the time, while her now-husband Ritter was certain she had accepted his proposal. The actress told Jimmy that the confusion cleared when the couple met Jason's family. She explained,

"Then, three days later, we went to meet his family for Christmas, and he said, ‘We’re engaged.'I said, 'Are we? Oh!' Since then, he's been very cute and he's been proposing to me over and over, which is very sweet."

Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter recently had a re-proposal for her birthday in Slovakia, with a new ring, according to the actress. Their daughter also participated in the plan as she called out to her dad during dinner, saying "Give her the ring, Dad!'"

Back in April 2023, Lynskey opened up to ET about how she knew her husband was "the one." She said,

"There was something about his willingness to have a conversation always, even in our darkest and most difficult moments, which, there were a few. He would always talk about it. He was always willing to take responsibility. And he's kind, he's kind to people. That's the most important thing to me. And he's talented. I can't be with someone who's not talented. That's a big thing for me."

Melanie Lynskey attended the Glaad Awards on March 14, 2024, in Beverly Hills, California with the cast of Yellow Jackets. The series won the Outstanding Drama Series at the event.