Jim Carrey’s relationship with Jenny McCarthy would have been doomed for failure if it wasn’t for her autistic son EVvan.

The Mask funnyman credits the five-year-old for making their relationship work, after he realised how strong the blonde former model has been while dealing with her son’s illness.

And the 46-year-old insists his partnership with McCarthy forced him look to at life in a new light - stating his ready-made family has finally ended his fear of commitment.

He explains, "Jenny and I are into the same things spiritually and creatively. We’re easy with each other. She once told me how hard it was to have a relationship when you have a child with special needs, but I don’t think we would be together if it were not for Evan."

"That’s what I was attracted to - this other person who is like a champion. The scariest thing in the world for me was relationships, serious commitments to people and responsibility."

He adds, "Now I realize there’s a long-term benefit to understanding someone and not writing them off."