Celebrities don’t have it easy what with their private lives constantly in the spotlight. With their, every movement being watched, falling in love and breaking apart can be hard for the celebrities who rule our hearts. We are hooked the second we find out a loved and famous pair links up. We need to follow every step of their blossoming romances.
Let's face it, like the classic 70s song says, "breaking up is hard to do." Going through the process with the whole world ogling can make it even harder. Divorce can sometimes be the best choice for a struggling couple. At the same time though, it can also be painful and heart wrenching. Marriage is hard work. Figuring out the balancing act of sharing your life with another person takes time and effort. And in some cases, even after a whole lot of effort, the union may simply not work out.
With their status added to the whole situation, divorce can become pretty messy for celebrities. However, it can turn even nastier if a custody battle is involved. Allegations of abuse usually result in fans taking sides after deciding who was to blame for the separation.
Which are the worst celebrity divorces that we have read about in the news?
Buckle your seatbelts as we will take you through the 20 worst celebrity divorces in the history of Hollywood.
20 Kim Kardashian And Kris Humphries
After a very public relationship and a lavish wedding in Montecito, CA, Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kris Humphries not long after they tied the knot in 2011. The news hit the public relatively hard since they decided to call it quits only 72 days after saying their vows. In response to Kim filing for divorce, Kris said, “I love my wife and I am devastated to learn she filed for divorce. I am committed to this marriage and everything this covenant represents. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make it work.”
Although their marriage lasted less than three months, the divorce proved to be long and nasty. It took them two whole years to reach a settlement with a dissolution of marriage in 2013. The NBA player’s stubbornness to get an annulment rather than a divorce was one of the reasons cited for the delay. He accused Kim of fraud claiming that she used their marriage for ratings on her show. All these events gave the skeptics fuel for their fire in their belief that the marriage was nothing more than a publicity ploy.
Kim started dating Kanye West and got pregnant with their first child while battling her divorce in court. She wanted to speed up the trial because of her pregnancy and not wanting to be married to another man while giving birth.
19 Jon And Kate Gosselin
Jon and Kate Gosselin filed for divorce after 10 years of leading a happily married life or so that's what we were lead to believe. After getting married in 1999, the couple even had a reality television show follow them as they raised their eight kids. And it was through an episode of this reality show that the couple first announced the news of their separation. While Jon stated that it was Kate who wanted the divorce, Kate accused Jon and his "extra-curricular activities" of leaving her with no choice. There was speculation that it was Hailey Glassman, the daughter of Kate’s plastic surgeon, who caused the couple to break apart. Nevertheless, Glassman denied the accusations stating that her relationship with Jon started only after Kate and Jon’s separation.
However, things grew messy when Jon alleged that Kate was being abusive towards their children. Though they finalized their divorce in 2009, they are still battling it out for the custody of their children.
In the recent years, Kate Gosselin has revealed to the world the reason behind her divorce. She said that Jon Gosselin became a different person after they became famous -- staying out all night and leaving her to take care of their children.
18 Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes
Celebrity marriages come and go. However, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes decided to turn their five-year union legendary. In 2005, it was a memorable moment when Cruise appeared on Oprah to promote his film War of the Worlds. He ended up announcing his romance to Katie Holmes. He was seen jumping on Oprah’s furniture fist pumping the air. Towards the end of the episode, he even went as far as pulling his new girlfriend on stage for an awkward kiss to prove how real things were.
Two weeks later, Tom proposed to Katie at the top of Eiffel Tower. An elaborate wedding was not far off. But things didn't continue to be all rosy. Katie served Tom with divorce papers in 2012. Tom wanted sole custody of their then six-year-old daughter, Suri. But what stunned the public was how quickly the couple wrapped everything up without making any public statements.
So what is so messy about this?
Since their separation, Tom apparently has had trouble staying in steady contact with his daughter. Tom’s divorce terms repeatedly stated that Katie wasn’t allowed to publicly date anyone for five years after their divorce. Tom even sued Bauer Media for $50 million when they reported that he had abandoned Suri. He later dropped the lawsuit and claimed that he had been busy filming but kept connected with his daughter through phone calls.
17 Linda And Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan is arguably the greatest wrestler ever. But like many other celebrities, Hulk hasn’t enjoyed the best love life. Married to Linda Claridge since 1983, his married life appeared to be the best a man could have had. Blessed with two children, Hulk kept making millions. The couple even got their own reality show in 2005 and the Hogans became much more popular and lovable than during the 80s and 90s.
However, the couple had problems in their marriage. Linda filed a divorce in 2007, 25 years after saying their "I do's." Linda said she decided to file for divorce when her husband’s private tape was leaked to the media. The tape showed him being intimate with his best friend’s wife. The couple has said bitter things about each other since the divorce and are still thought to have less than kind feelings towards each other.
16 Prince Charles And Princess Diana
No list of celebrity divorces is complete without mentioning the Royal couple. Married for 15 years, the couple parted ways officially in 1996. After their separation in 1992, more rumors emerged about cheating and Diana appeared in an interview where she disclosed all the details about her struggles and Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
Later, on December 20th, 1995, the Queen wrote a separate letter to the couple ordering them to divorce as soon as possible. The divorce was finalized in August 1996. Though Queen Elizabeth wanted to let Diana keep the title of Her Royal Highness, Charles was adamant that she give it up. Diana left the marriage with the title Diana, Princess of Wales.
Diana was heartbroken after she lost her honorific and going by royal protocol, had to curtsy to all those who had it. Prince William, at the age of 14, is said to have comforted his mother saying, “Don't worry, mummy, I will give it back to you one day when I am king.” Sadly, in 1997, Princess Diana was killed in a car accident, before her son could fulfill his promise. Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.
15 Madonna And Sean Penn
Madonna and Sean Penn were definitely not a match made in heaven. After being married for only three years, Madonna filed for divorce in 1989. What makes this divorce much more eye-opening is Madonna’s statement in an interview. She said, “we have so much in common that he's almost like my brother. His temperament is also similar to mine. That doesn't always make for ideal relationships, but I don't know what will happen.”
There were even rumors that their relationship was violent and volatile. Nonetheless, Madonna testified in court that although Sean was definitely hotheaded, he had never hit her. Another big sign that the relationship wasn’t going to last was that Madonna’s friends disliked Sean.
The whole thing grew messy when Penn -- being a ladies’ man -- started dating Robin Wright, whom he later married, shortly after his divorce. He also had relationships with quite a few female celebrities including Jewel, Petra Nemcova, Elle Macpherson, Jessica White, and Natalie Portman. Sean divorced Robin Wright in 2010 and started seeing Scarlett Johansson in 2011, though it quickly fizzled. Since October 2016, he has been dating Leila George, actor Vincent D’Onofrio’s 26-year-old daughter. Now that appears to be quite good for the paparazzi.
14 Eddie Cibrian And Brandi Glanville
Brandi Glanville and Eddie Cibrian divorced in 2010 after nine years of marriage. Only a year after his breakup with Glanville, Cibrian married LeAnn Rimes. The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was however very outspoken about her former husband's affair and wrote about all her feelings in her memoir, Drinking and Tweeting: And Other Brandi Blunders.
It seems as though Brandi still dislikes Eddie and LeAnn Rimes with every bone in her body, but she has to face them because Eddie and Brandi share custody of their two children. Brandi accuses LeAnn of regularly being petty by referring to her and Eddie's sons as her "bonus kids."
Brandi leaves no opportunity to blame LeAnn and Eddie unturned. And this may be one reason why she claimed that LeAnn was suffering from an extreme eating disorder. But soon after, Eddie jumped to LeAnn's defense and wrote an open letter stating a whole lot of things which were enough to get on Brandi's nerves.
“I know your life exists solely for the purpose of living and creating drama. It's a sad way to live. It's so obvious that you have to constantly mention my wife so people will care what comes out of your mouth.” Eddie wrote in his letter.
13 Sonny And Cher
The famous singing duo, Sonny and Cher, were only legally married for two years. Cher met Sonny in 1964 at the tender age of 16. The singer-songwriter was 27 at that time and together they released, "I Got You Babe" in 1965. The couple was incredibly popular during the 1970s and won legions of fans with their stupendous songs. They even had their own variety show, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. It's no wonder it made headlines when they announced their split.
Cher later revealed that she wouldn’t have left Sonny if he hadn’t had such a tight grip on her. She even stated that he made her feel more like a golden goose than a wife. However, four days after their divorce in 1975, Cher married to Gregg Allman. The two had been dating while divorce proceedings were underway.
Even her relationship with Allman wasn’t stable. Allman was a heavy drinker right from the beginning. Nine days later, Cher filed for divorce because of Allman's alcohol use. She gave Allman another chance, but he filed for divorce this time as he felt uncomfortable with her trying to resurrect The Sonny & Cher Show with Sonny. However, when Cher got pregnant, they reconciled and Elijah Blue was born.
12 Denise Richards And Charlie Sheen
The Starship Troopers actress couldn't stand to be in her marriage any longer when she filed for divorce in 2006. During their four years of marriage, Charlie and Denise had two kids together. Denise asked for full custody to keep both kids with her. She said Charlie was abusive and paranoid. She stated that Charlie kept their daughters from getting vaccinations and got letters from their pediatrician to support her claim.
The case got much more unpleasant when Denise said the Two and a Half Men actor often gambled, paid for women and was addicted to substances. The divorce took a long time to finalize due to the custody battles and the judge granted a restraining order asking Charlie to stay 300 feet away from Denise and their daughters.
The divorce decree allowing Denise and Charlie to legally marry other people came in 2006, but Charlie's battles weren't over. He was already dating Brooke Mueller and later married her. But even that marriage didn't last long as the couple went their separate ways in 2011.
11 Tiger Woods And Elin Nordegren
This duo decided to put an end to their marriage after six years. They first made headlines after Tiger Woods crashed his SUV into a neighbor's tree. Right from the next day, rumors about his affairs filled the daily tabloids and they went mainstream when more and more women came forth to claim affairs with the pro golfer. As the tabloids unearthed more dirt on the athlete's affairs, more than a dozen mistresses were named in the press and Tiger admitted sleeping with about 120 women.
From December 2009 through to February 2010, Tiger spent time in a rehabilitation facility apparently receiving treatment for an addiction though it was never stated publicly. Around that time, Tiger and Elin were also believed to have been seeing a marriage counselor. Eventually, the divorce was finalized on Aug. 23 2010, the cause being Tiger's multitude of alleged extra-marital affairs. In the divorce settlement, Tiger and Elin agreed to share custody of their two children. Elin reportedly received somewhere around $100 million and monthly child support of about $20,000. It would also appears as though they divided the properties evenly. These numbers were mostly based on speculative reports from family friends, insiders and other sources.
10 Sherri Shepherd And Lamar Sally
This bubbly couple filed a divorce in May 2014, three years after tying the knot. The divorce wouldn't have been big news or a messy case if not for the custody battle that ensued. The interesting thing about the divorce was that they were battling over their unborn baby for which the couple used a surrogate and a donor egg.
The actress wanted to get her name removed from the baby’s birth certificate but the courts found her to be financially responsible for the baby. Sherri wanted to continue her fight and the divorce made its way up to the superior court. The couple fought like cats and dogs in court and Sherri accused Lamar of defrauding her into getting a surrogate to carry a baby in order to get child support.
The whole thing took one year to settle when Sherri agreed to pay child support. It is costing her $4,100 a month until the child turns 13 and then that amount will be increase to $4,600. The courts also ruled on embryos in storage for future surrogate pregnancies. Essentially, if they get carried to term, Sherri will not liable for their financial well being.
Additionally, Sherri also gains the right to her show, “Funny Mothers,” which is currently in development.
9 Sandra Bullock And Jesse James
Sandra Bullock decided to end her marriage to Jesse James in 2010, after five years. This came as no surprise to the public as the motorcycle mogul's affairs with multiple women were brought to light. Most of the women with whom he had affairs were strippers he had met online.
The couple got hitched on July 16, 2005. Sandra was Jesse's second wife. The couple never had any children together; nonetheless, Sandra became a stepmom to Jesse's three kids. In November 2009, the couple fought a custody battle with James's ex-wife Janine Lindemulder, who is the mother of one of his daughters. Triumphantly, the couple won the battle and got extended custody of Sunny.
In 2017, Jesse addressed the cheating incident and said, “Yeah, I did cheat on my wife, yeah, I stood up and took accountability for it and apologized. And that's the end of story. In general, both women and men cheat. It's part of life.”
Sandra is now the mom of two adopted children. Sandra and Jesse started the adoption process together for her son, Louis. However, they parted half way during the process and Sandra got to keep Louis with her. She adopted a daughter, Laila, in 2015.
8 Amber Heard And Johnny Depp
Married for just 15 months, news of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s divorce started off quite dubiously. There were rumblings in the press about their divorce in late May 2016. The couple had married in a luxurious island ceremony in February 2015 and they seemed quite happy in the months that followed.
Amber filed a divorce soon after Johnny's mother died. Photos of the actress with a bruised face were released later on when she filed a domestic violence restraining order. Both Johnny's ex-partner and daughter jumped to his defense. Vanessa Paradis, the mother of his only child, wrote that Johnny was never abusive to them in all the 14 years they were together. Likewise, their daughter, Lily-Rose, also shared a picture of her with her dad on Instagram.
On July 20, Johnny filed to keep the divorce details private and Amber accused him of stonewalling. Later on, a disturbing video showing Johnny having an argument with Amber gets leaked and both the individuals decide to settle their divorce. After much push and pull, the divorce was finalized in January 2017. Amber even donated her $7 million divorce settlement to charities that are focused on issues relating to domestic violence.
7 Taylor And Russell Armstrong
Previously featured on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the couple decided to end their marriage in 2011. Their problems were always showcased on the show and so the divorce was something that was expected by most people. Things were really tense between the two. He apparently took issue with the negative comments his wife made about him on the show. Taylor requested from the court that she receive physical custody of their daughter, Kennedy, and that they share joint legal custody.
A month later, Russell was found dead at his Mulholland Drive residence -- he had taken his own life. It appeared as though the on-going divorce and his marital problems weren't the only things haunting him. The couple was highly indebted at this point. Russell's business associate also took his own life a day after and it was reported that he owed a lot of money to the same person to whom Russell was indebted. Taylor and Russell were both named in a $1.5 million lawsuit by a company. The company stated that Russell's company misappropriated funds and Taylor was helping him spend his ill-earned cash. In all, it was a very tragic situation. Russell Armstrong has been survived by his daughter and two sons.
6 Terrence Howard And Michelle Ghent
The Empire actor and Michelle Ghent were married for 13 months. But they decided to separate as Michelle thought Terrence to be extremely possessive. It came out in court that Terrence Howard was sending Michelle suicide threats through email. Some of the threats read, "I will never allow a restraining order or anything to keep me from my wife.”
The actor even accused Michelle of blackmailing him with pictures and videos so as to get spousal support. The star broke down in the courtroom and claimed that Michelle Ghent had threatened to release his medical information that would have prevented him from landing a job in the entertainment industry. He testified that he felt pressured while signing the settlement agreement resulting in him giving her a large sum of money annually. Terrance's lawyers claimed to have an audio recording of Michelle threatening him.
In 2013, while they were renting a house in Costa Rica, Michelle said she was beaten to a pulp by Terrance. However, Terrence has his own version of the story which he stated as a situation of mutual combat and said that he was pepper sprayed. Michelle was Terrence's second wife. He was married to first wife Lori from 1989 to 2003.
5 Alec Baldwin And Kim Basinger
Alec and Kim ended their marriage on very bad terms. They met on the set of The Marrying Man and tied the knot three years later in 1993. They had no prenuptial agreement and they filed for a divorce in 2001. The custody battle for their only child, Ireland Baldwin, was rash and nasty. The couple settled their divorce in 2002 with both parties agreeing to take care of their child under a joint custody agreement. Kim's father claimed that Alec's temper was the reason for the divorce.
Alec later told the press that the period of divorce was hard and painful for him and he was "staring off a cliff for six years". He didn’t refrain from expressing his frustration through his book, A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce.
“I don't care if the judges and the lawyers die of heart attacks in the process of getting their job done," he wrote. "They are corrupt, inefficient, lazy, stupid — they're the most God-awful people."
Their divorce agreement even contained some terms and conditions which made Alec attend anger therapy and parenting school. He was supposed to limit his phone conversations with Ireland's to less than 90 minutes a day as well.
4 Liza Minnelli And David Gest
It was the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who introduced David to Liza at the 30th anniversary of Jackson becoming a solo artist in 2001. Most people thought them to be a mismatched couple as David was seven years Liza's junior. As well, there were whispers that David was gay and was after Liza's money. Not a great way to start off a marriage.
Despite the rumors, the couple married in 2002. Their wedding was nothing short of a star-studded event with Michael Jackson as the best man and Elizabeth Taylor as the maid of honor. However, David's bank accounts were already growing and people grew more dubious of him being a gold digger.
The first signs of marital strife showed up when David accused Liza of beating him while she was drunk. But things grew uglier when Liza alleged David tried to poison her. David replied saying that Liza gave him herpes. They first separated in 2003. Divorce proceedings continued until 2007 when the couple dropped their lawsuits and got their divorce settled.
Neither have remarried. David later said in 2004 that he will always love Liza. While Liza in 2012 said, “If you even hear I’m getting married, hit me over the head and take me outta there!”
3 Donald And Ivana Trump
Now, it is time to talk about President Donald Trump. The president is now on his third wife and his love life has always been filled with a whole lot of controversies. Donald and Ivana Trump tied the knot in 1977, a year after their first meeting while attending a fashion show in New York. In a nut shell, they had three kids -- Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric.
However, their marriage came to a stop in 1990 when they decided to part ways.
Although, Trump’s business dealings were certainly a point of stress, it was domestic tension that ultimately led to the divorce. Trump was having an affair with Marla Maples. Ivana has also revealed some stories about their marriage which caused the tabloids to have a field day.
What made this break up messy was Ivana's interaction with Marla. In Ivana’s new book, Raising Trump, she talks about an incident at a ski resort in Aspen where she was approached by a blonde woman who said, “I am Marla and I love your husband. Do you?”
Ivana was in shock when she replied, “Get lost. I love my husband.” It seems that this was the moment when she realized that her marriage with Donald wasn’t going to last any longer.
2 Jennifer Aniston And Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were America's hottest couple for five years until the sparks started to fizzle. For five years, they seemed like a strong and happy couple. When they announced their divorce they broke the hearts of their fans.
Brad and Jennifer met in 1998 when they started dating and decided to take their relationship to the next level two years later. The couple even got a title for themselves from the public and were called “Hollywood’s golden couple.” Their wedding was an extravagant event in Malibu and they spent a lavish $1 million for the soiree.
Troubles started building in 2005 when Brad began working with Angelina Jolie on the movie, Mr. & Mrs. Smith. It appears as though Brad and Angelina started their relationship on the film set as he later admitted he fell in love with her at that time. By October 2005, Jennifer and Brad were officially divorced and Brad had continued dating Angelina. By 2006, Angelina confirmed that she was pregnant with Brad's child. That year, Brad also adopted Angelina's two other children. The couple got engaged in 2012 and were wed in 2014. In a shocking split, Angelina and Brad separated in 2016.
1 Khloe Kardashian And Lamar Odom
We started off this list with Kim Kardashian and it is time to end it with Khloe Kardashian. The reality star and the basketball player made a cute couple and it was truly disappointing for their fans to hear the news of their divorce in 2013. The couple had been together for seven years. The basketball player was suffering from addiction.
Khloe had first filed for divorce in 2013 but later withdrew it in 2015 when Lamar suffered an overdose in Las Vegas. He was in a coma for three days. However, she filed again in May 2016 and both waived spousal support. As a part of the divorce agreement, the company Khlomar, owned by both of them, would be dissolved. Additionally, their 2009 prenup was honored and Khloe would legally drop Lamar's last name.
There seems to be no hatred between this former couple. They're still on friendly speaking terms. The distance between them grew after the Vegas incident and Lamar appears to be grateful to Khloe for everything she did for him. Their relationship, obviously, is not what it used to be.
In 2018, Khloe gave birth to a baby girl named True Thompson with boyfriend Tristan Thompson.
References: hollywoodreporter.com, americasspotlight.com, extratv.com