Dating & Love
Failed Celebrity Marriages: Why Are Celebrity Divorces So Common And Expensive?
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Why are divorce rates so high in celebrity marriages? – a question that has been on everyone’s mind for a long time now. From a layman’s point of view, we see our favorite celebrities in the backdrop of their picture-perfect life, grand houses, and cars, smiling at premiers in dreamy outfits. And we can’t help but wonder, “What could possibly go wrong that invites trouble in their paradise every so often?” To give you a reality check, let’s take a peek at the marriages of famous people and dig into the root of celebrity divorces.
For instance, let’s pick up the most talked-about divorce of the beloved Bollywood and international star Hrithik Roshan. Hrithik and Sussannne had a fairytale love story followed by a low-key wedding in 2000. We are talking about the once It-Couple of Bollywood. They looked all loved up wherever they went, had two amazing children, and became the epitome of family goals.
Cut to 2014. Although they continue to be responsible and doting co-parents after splitting up, it made a place on the list of the most expensive divorces that ended with a settlement of a whopping 380 crores in alimony. This was one celebrity marriage that nobody ever thought would go kaput. But it did. So, why do celebrity couples go their separate ways faster than our mood swings? For more scoops and insights on the divorces of celebrities, stay with us till the end.
What Percentage Of Celebrity Marriages End In Divorce?
2022 has seen a flood of celebrity divorces. From, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen to Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict, many couples have split after years of marriage. Statistics show that divorce rates among celebs are usually double that of the general population of the country.
According to a 2017 US Survey, the average divorce rate of Hollywood celebrities is 52%, which is 2 times higher than the general population. Among men, the percentage is 50 while women have a 62% of divorce rate. Divorce rates among British celebrities are lower though and there are examples of long marriages like that of David and Victoria Beckham.
According to a study done by the UK-based Marriage Foundation, celebrities have a divorce rate of around 40% within a 10-year period. The divorce rate for the same 10- year period is approximately 20% in the UK and 30% in the U.S. The Marriage Foundation studied 572 celebrity marriages since 2000 to come to the conclusion, “Despite all the comforts and advantages of fame and wealth, these celebrities divorce at twice the rate of the UK population.”
Related Reading: 8 Things That Can Be Used Against You In A Divorce And How To Avoid Them
Why Do Celebrities Break Up So Much?
When it comes to short celebrity marriages this is probably the most pertinent question to ask. Why do actors divorce so much? There are a number of reasons behind that. For starters, they have the socio-economic privilege to live life on their own terms, and staying in an unhappy marriage is not something desirable when there is an escape route. Given a chance, you and I might have done the same if we could ignore the ‘what will they say’ part.
Although celeb couples are not above the gossipmongers rather they are in the limelight a little too much even if they are not getting divorced. In recent years, social media is highly contributing to the system by creating rumors and hyping common life events of the stars. However, good or bad, publicity is more of a blessing than it’s a boon for any celebrity’s career. Without any further ado, we will explore the reasons why celebrities break up so much and why divorce rate among celebrities is higher.
1. Economics of a divorce
For a common person, the thought of a divorce is daunting because fighting a long divorce case and an alimony arrangement often costs a fortune. But for high-flying celebs, money is never an obstacle. They can scoop a bucket from the pool of wealth to get rid of a failing union and happily move on to the next chapter, the next spouse maybe.
Hollywood is familiar with prenuptial agreements where at the time of the marriage, it is decided how the common assets would be divided in case the couple ever files for divorce. The ease of settling things conveniently and smoothly makes a celebrity marry fast and divorce even faster.
2. Social conditioning
The way of life among the elites of Beverly Hills is quite unlike the regular people. Divorce for them is no different than common breakups in relationships. A big number of today’s Hollywood sensations have either come from broken homes or have grown up seeing adults parting ways after marriage all the time.
When a practice is normalized to such an extent, it happens to overcome the status of taboo. So celebs rarely get into a marriage with a do-or-die attitude. They always prefer to keep their options open. When a celebrity marries other celebrities the exposure is more and pressures are higher and that’s when they start looking for a way out.
Related Reading: 5 Celebrity Couples Known For Their Philanthropic Work
3. Fortunes keep changing
For celebrities, their fortunes keep changing. Sometimes they are at the zenith with one major hit or in the case of sporting celebs, a big win in a tournament. And sometimes they are down in the dumps without any film roles or they are out of the team. This leads to severe mood swings and the brunt of the failure often comes down on the spouse. The spouse becomes the target of all anger, irritation, and psychological turmoil. This could be one of the reasons behind ‘why do celebrity marriages fail’.
4. Stardom changes people
Examples are rife all over the world of show business many struggling actors had been supported by their simple, hard-working partners, whom they dropped like a hot potato the moment they found recognition. Stardom changes people. Period. Fame, money, and exposure rarely keep people grounded. The glitz of celeb life is so appealing that they are unable to accept and adjust in marriage with the life partners who came before stardom leading to many inevitable divorces of celebrities.
5. Extramarital affairs
On-screen romance often serves as a positive catalyst for celebrity divorces. If two people are working together for months in such close proximity, emoting on screen and doing scenes that need physical intimacy, sometimes it’s ineludible that the sparks would fly. Acting roles do lead to affairs that eventually turn serious adding to the high divorce rate among celebrities.
Do you remember that episode from Friends where Chandler breaks up with his actor girlfriend Kathy because he suspected her of having an affair with a co-actor? There lies the problem. Even if an artist is not involved in workplace romance, it might be hard for their spouse to see them intimate with another man/woman. Consequently, suspicion creeps into their marriage hampering a perfectly healthy relationship.
6. Celebs are never home
One of the reasons why celebrities break up so much could be the nature of their busy career. After her divorce from ex-husband Kanye West, Kim Kardashian was reportedly dating comedian/actor Pete Davidson which has recently come to an end. The former couple spoke to a popular media house about how their hectic schedules “made it really difficult to maintain a relationship”.
If you think that celebs finish work in a 9-5 schedule and sit around the table for a family dinner every night then you are mistaken. Celebs are usually never at home. They are working at odd hours, always traveling, sometimes extending for several months. Naturally, it affects their family dynamic, especially if they have kids.
Imagine living in the same house, sharing parental responsibilities with a person, and still feeling like you are in a long-distance relationship. That’s when their partners are left fending for themselves and a wall of emotional distance slowly starts to build up. Now, you know the major culprit behind all the celebrity breakups.
Related Reading: The Best Divorce Advice For Women
7. Insecurity and fame
Why do actors divorce so much? One of the main reasons why celebrity marriages don’t last is that these renowned people don’t know how to handle insecurities and fame. With all the adulation and ego pampering they get outside, they start expecting the same from their spouse and the trouble starts cooking up. Celebs are also very insecure because they are as good as their last performance. Holding on to public memory is a constant battle that often has an adverse effect on their relationships.
8. Rushing into wedlock
You know as common folks, to whom divorce is not always an easy option, we plan the future of our relationships from a realistic point of view. We take time to speculate the pros and cons and the possibilities of a healthy, successful marriage before saying ‘yes’. But why do celebrity marriages fail then? It’s because their life events flow like the script of a romantic film in many cases.
They go for a fairytale wedding simply trusting on momentary passions or a typical Vegas whim. And it’s just a few months before they discover the red flags underlying each other’s character. Falling in love with someone and living with that person are two separate affairs. Sooner or later, they are hit with the realization, “I hardly know my partner. Our goals or schedules never align. What are we even doing together?” and the inevitable happens.
Media influence on celebrity divorces
Thanks to social media and paparazzi a celebrity marriage is always exposed to the public and the constant criticism and trolling from clothes to nanny decisions, does have an impact on everyday life. Some celebs cannot survive this pressure and end up in a divorce. A recent case in point is that of Price Harry and Meghan Markle, who moved away from the monarchy, unable to handle the pressures.
Related Reading: 11 Expert Tips To Have A Successful Second Marriage
Hollywood Celeb Marriages That Ended In Divorce
Some famous celebrities in Hollywood got a lot more media attention for their divorce than for their on-screen work. We are here to keep you updated on the list:
1. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
When Angelina and Brad ended their 12 years of relationship and 2-year marriage in 2016, it came as a shock to the fans and the mud-slinging that followed regarding the custody of their 6 children was even worse.
2. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Tom and Katie were all loved up until Katie blamed his obsession with Scientology and wanted to protect their girl child from the church of Scientology. They took the world by storm with their love story but then everything went terribly sour with slandering and defamation lawsuits ruling their split.
3. Jennifer Anniston and Justin Theroux
After the tragic breakup with Brad Pitt, we had our heart for Jennifer Anniston when she got engaged to Justin in 2012. She thought she had finally found the man of her dreams only to end up in a divorce in 2017.
4. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
They were married for a year then Heard filed for divorce because Depp was supposedly abusive. Although Depp fought to clear the allegations, they did have a bitter split. And the divorce practically went down in flames with multiple lawsuits until Depp finally got a clean cheat after the famous trial this year.
Related Reading: Top 10 Hollywood Movies About Cheating In A Relationship
5. Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck
They were married for 10 years and had three children and Jennifer Garner’s career did take a backseat in the marriage. But eventually, they split.
6. Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez
They have twins but there were serious adjustment issues from the very beginning. Both Marc and Jennifer are very strong personalities so there were constant clashes.
7. Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
Tiger Woods cheating on his wife became international news. Woods paid up $100 million in settlement to Elin. Their split opened a can of worms about Woods’ cheating scandals.
8. Guy Ritchie and Madonna
Their marriage lasted for 8 years. Apparently, Madonna was so entrenched in her career that she hardly had time for her three children and Guy and that became the bone of contention in their marriage.
9. Katy Perry and Russel Brand
They were married for just 14 months. It was a short-lived celeb marriage that ended in a divorce. It was Katy Perry’s fame and hectic schedule that apparently came in the way. They are civil with each other and have moved on with other partners.
Related Reading: Life After Divorce – 15 Ways To Build It From Scratch And Start Afresh
famously short celebrity marriages Of All Time
Did you know that in the glamor world of the US film industry, Hollywood Marriage is a term coined to refer to high-profile, elegant yet very brief marriages? Census data says short celebrity marriages in the US last somewhere between a few days to an average of 6 years.
Kim Kardashian and Chris Humphries had one of the shortest celebrity marriages that lasted 72 hours while Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth were in for a 6-months long run. Let’s take a look back at the quickie conjugal relationships of Hollywood that died before their phone batteries:
- Britney Spears and Jason Alexander beat the clan of short marriages with 56 hours run time
- Nicolas Cage and Erika Koike filed for an annulment only 4 days after their Vegas wedding
- Drew Barrymore took 6 weeks to say ‘I do’ to Jeremy Thomas which fated in 19 days of married life
- Pamela Anderson’s journey to divorce with her third husband Rick Salomon was of 2 short months
- Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Esposito called it quits within 122 days due to irreconcilable differences
Most Expensive celebrity divorces of all time
There are many shades of the post-breakup scenarios of celebrity divorces. Some of the former couples remained friends with their ex even after the split like Jenifer Aniston and Brad Pitt or Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. And then there are celebrities like Amber Heard and Johnny Depp who got themselves into prolonged catfights after their marriage ended in a $7 million divorce settlement followed by another multi-million dollar defamation case. Here go some of the most expensive divorces in Hollywood that made the news by storm:
- Paul McCartney and Heather Mills: $48.6 million settlement
- James Cameron and Linda Hamilton: $50 million
- Guy Ritchie and Madonna: $76 million to $92 million
- Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison: $85 million
- Mel Gibson & Robyn Moore: $425 million
- Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy: $168 million
- Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey: $150 million
- Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving: $100 million
- Michael Douglas and Diandra Douglas: $45 million
- Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose: $1 million in addition to $14,800 each month in child support
There you go – the reasons and the reality behind celebrity divorces are now revealed! If you really think about it, these brief celeb marriages put things into perspective and we get a chance to appreciate wonderful unions like that of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi or Julia Roberts and Danny Moder who have been together for more than a decade now.
However, at the end of the day, we still respect an individual’s claim to freedom and happiness whether a celebrity or not. And the fact that Hollywood is more accepting of a person’s choices and has been normalizing age-old taboos becomes another reason behind the high divorce rate among celebrities.
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