John Mellencamp Admits He Was a Bad Boyfriend to Meg Ryan: ‘She Doesn’t Love Me So Much’

In a new interview, the 'Hurts So Good' singer takes full responsibility for the on-and-off relationship's demise, which came to an official end in 2019

John Mellencamp is airing out his regrets for being a bad boyfriend to Meg Ryan.

Speaking to Esquire in an interview published on Tuesday, the "Hurts So Good" singer took full responsibility for the on-and-off relationship's demise, which came to an official end in 2019.

"I love Meg Ryan. I went with her for 10 years. She doesn't love me so much," Mellencamp, 71, told the outlet. "She's a great girl. I'm just a s----- boyfriend,"

When they first started dating, Mellencamp explained that he and the Sleepless in Seattle actress, 61, had both just come out of their "shell."

"Meg Ryan had just come out of her shell; I had just come out of my shell. We started dating. And we decided to do things on our own instead of having people do stuff for us," he shared. "We were so f------ lost. We didn't know how to do anything."

Related: Meg Ryan and John Mellencamp Split After Engagement: 'He Didn't Want to Get Married Again'

Continued Mellencamp, "I’ve never checked out of a hotel by myself. Her and I went to a grocery store, and they wanted our credit card, and we looked at each other and said, 'Here it is,' and they said, 'No, you’ve got to put it in this thing,' and we went, 'Then what happens?' We laughed at how stupid we are, so hard we cried. I think she’s learned how to do everything, and I’ve learned how to do nothing."

The Indiana-born artist and Connecticut native initially dated for three years before calling it quits in August 2014. At the time of their split, a source told PEOPLE that “distance” had led to the relationship’s demise. They then reconciled.

The pair were spotted together again a few months after their first breakup, but Mellencamp went on to date Christie Brinkley for over a year.

Just two months before getting back together, Mellencamp said Ryan “hates [him] to death,” during an interview with Howard Stern.

“Oh, women hate me,” Mellencamp said. “I loved Meg Ryan. She hates me to death.”

When Stern asked why the actress would “hate” the singer, Mellencamp elaborated, “I think it’s because I’m a child. I throw fits, I gripe, I complain. I’m moody. Every bad thing that a fella can be, that’s me.”

Related: John Mellencamp Sings Hit 'Jack and Diane' Alongside His Three Grandkids in a Sweet Moment: Photos

They called it quits one year after their 2019 engagement, PEOPLE confirmed at the time. “He didn’t want to get married again,” an insider said of Mellencamp, who has been married three times before.

“He loves her, but marriage never seemed to be a part of it,” the source continued. “It’s unclear how important a marriage was to Meg. But they spent a lot of time together and it’s too bad they split. They really got along so well together.”

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Elsewhere in Tuesday's Esquire interview, the self-deprecating singer-songwriter expressed how "bad" he thought his first records were.

"If you listened to some of my first albums, you'd ask: Why did you even continue?" said Mellencamp, who is currently on a successful North American tour 47 years after the launch of his music career. "My first records are that bad. My first paintings are that bad. Terrible. But I kept going."

As for what he's good at, "I'm a really good smoker," he joked.

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Read the original article on People.