Rob Van Dam and Katie Forbes might seem pretty inseparable these days, but apparently things weren’t always that smooth. RVD admits there was actually a point early in their relationship where arguments had him thinking about walking away altogether.
During the latest episode of One of a Kind with RVD, Van Dam and Forbes opened up about the adjustment that came with getting together after their previous relationships. RVD explained that both of them brought certain expectations into the relationship that they eventually realized needed to change.
“It took both of us a while to adjust to, like, even though everything was great, we had a little turbulence, you know, from our past experiences. I think it shaped our expectations in a way that we needed to modify and update. And that took, you know, some turbulence at first.”
A big part of the problem was that RVD and Forbes handled arguments completely differently. Forbes said she could get heated quickly and then move on just as fast, while RVD rarely got angry but could stay pissed off for much longer once he actually reached that point.
“Yeah, and getting to know each other and each other’s communication styles, because I would be somebody that would argue quick but then get over something quick. And then he’s somebody that, if he doesn’t get mad easily, but then if he does, it lasts a week. So I would be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I miss my best friend. It wasn’t even worth nagging him about that or antagonizing him over something stupid,’ because it’s like I just want to talk to him about everything. So I just hated being — or anytime, I don’t ever want to be on bad terms with him because I need his love to keep me going. It fuels my life.”
For RVD, those early arguments hit a little differently because of what he had already experienced in a previous unhealthy relationship. He said even relatively stupid disagreements could make him want to leave because he had no interest in putting himself back into anything he considered unhealthy or damaging to his mental health.
“We had to, like, we had to do a little bit of this, you know, before we could meet on an even plane. You know, and this was the turbulence. And during that, like, sometimes if we’d have, like, when we didn’t even know each other and we were arguing over something stupid, I just wanted to leave because I was like, ‘I’m not — I’ve been in a fucked-up relationship. I’m not going to be around something that’s unhealthy and anything that’s, you know, not positive. Like, I’ve got no desire to be around that, and I can’t, for my mental health. I cannot be around that.’
But then, when it would be good, it would be, like, so good, and the bad would be, like, you know, so few and far between. And so eventually, you know, we were just like, ‘Let’s just make it all good all the time.’ You know, like, what’s all the arguing about anyway?”
Ultimately, the good parts of the relationship outweighed those rough moments, and the two figured out how to communicate with each other without constantly getting into it. Forbes revealed that the arguing was mostly something they dealt with during their first couple of years together and things are completely different now.
“Yeah, and it has been for years. We used to argue, like, the first two years.”
When the host seemed surprised that things had actually been that rocky early on, Forbes made it clear just how much their relationship has changed since then. These days, she says an argument between them is basically a rarity.
“Yeah, it was like the first two years. Now it’s like not even one a year.”
Whatever turbulence RVD and Forbes had early on clearly didn’t stick around. They eventually figured out each other’s communication styles, and judging by Forbes saying they don’t even argue once a year anymore, those first couple of years taught them how to stop the small stuff from turning into something much bigger.
Do you think learning how your partner handles disagreements is one of the biggest parts of making a relationship work long-term? Let us know what you think in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
