Courteney Cox graces the April cover of Harper's Bazaar. - Terry Richardson/Harper’s BazaarThroughout her estranged husband David Arquette's very public meltdown following the news of their separation, Courteney Cox has maintained an aura of diplomatic calm any politician would be envious of. Now, the "Cougar Town" actress is finally opening up to Harper's Bazaar about her breakup with David, how their daughter Coco is coping, and her hopes for the future.
In Hollywood, it's common practice for warring former couples to exchange spiteful blows via any number of methods -- from official statements issued by their publicists, to posts on Twitter, to magazine quotes, which are usually attributed to "a close friend" of one party or the other. Cox had more than enough ammunition to easily bury her ex when pictures emerged of David's wild partying, and news broke of his brief affair with a cocktail waitress. Yet Cox magnanimously chose to take the high road and say nothing.
Terry Richardson/Harper’s Bazaar "You can't really get mad at David because he's not a malicious person," says Cox, referring to Arquette's heartbroken ramblings on "The Howard Stern Show" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show." "He was dealing with things the best way he could. He's not out to harm."
Courteney and David famously went through couples counseling for a large part of their marriage, and though she doesn't pinpoint an exact reason for their split, it was Cox who ultimately ended their relationship. "I just had a moment of looking at our relationship, and there wasn't anything in particular, but it brought up a lot of stuff."
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Wryly referring to her therapy sessions, Cox continues, "Maybe on second thought, don't reevaluate. Just keep going. Don't rock the boat. Repression is fantastic."
One person who seems to be taking the separation relatively well is the couple's 6-year-old daughter Coco, who currently spends most of her time with Cox at their Malibu home. "She's adjusting," says Courteney. "Luckily, we've always had two houses, so there was no change in her living unit. And we both work a lot, so that wasn't a huge adjustment. She's our number-one priority. No matter what happens, she'll be okay because she knows that she is completely safe, loved, and we'll protect that more than anything in the world."
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Terry Richardson/Harper’s Bazaar Shooting down rumors that she's involved with her "Cougar Town" co-star Brian Van Holt -- "He's a really good friend of mine, so I don't care," -- Cox says she's not ready to dive into the dating scene any time soon. "I have no desire right now," she admits. "I'm not saying never. It just seems weird. I don't even know how that would happen or how you meet people. I don't like to go to parties. There's a sign on my forehead: EXITING SOCIAL LIFE, ENTERING INTO ISOLATION."
And though she admits she still has a lot of love for her husband of 11 years, these days, Courteney is uncertain about their future together. "We loved each other so much, and if anything I feel like we've been extremely successful at marriage," she says, adding, "If it doesn't work out, I will have huge waves of pain about failing in that department. But right now I don't have that because I don't know what the future holds and I guess because I have strong feelings for him."
Cox and Arquette will soon be sharing the big screen together in the upcoming "Scream 4" -- the film hits screens April 15 -- and no matter what happens between them in the future, Cox is philosophical about their shared past. "I think it's important, no matter what the outcome is, when you take these risks [in a marriage] and are willing to get real and get messy. I think you can only become stronger people, whether it's together or apart. In the end, everything will be better."
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