This has been a very bad year for celebrity marriages.
Whether it’s been 2 years or 20, in the past 10 months alone we’ve seen marriages break up between the following stars: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Jackman, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara, Kevin and Christine Costner, Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth and Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez.
Then there were Britney Spears and Sam Asghari, Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith, Jeannie Mai and Jeezy, Sophia Bush and Grant Hughes, Tina Knowles-Lawson and Richard Lawson, Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef, Jeremy Allen White and Addison Timlin, Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd, among others.
So what’s with all those high-level interruptions? According to New York celebrity divorce attorneys Nancy Chemtob, of Chemtob Moss Forman & Beyd, and Brett Ward, chair of Blank Rome’s matrimonial practice, there are countless reasons why celebrities—and non-celebrities alike—have been ending their marriages lately. “It’s almost contagious,” notes Chemtob.
Below, two experts outline what they think is really the cause of the recent spate of splits.
The pandemic was a major factor
Brett Ward largely blames the pandemic. “What I think is happening is that during Covid, many relationships that might have ended during that two-year period could not because a lot of people stayed together out of necessity, out of the need to be protected, and the court system is not available to them,” he says.
“What happens is people come out of it, they go back to work, they go back to their normal lives, and now they have a way out. I think in two years there are actually four years of divorce.”
Chemtob agrees that the pandemic has played a role in the rise in divorce, but she sees it more as cause.
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“My husband is the nicest man in the world, but during the pandemic, even I looked at him a little sideways,” she says with a laugh. “But I think Covid has been an impetus for a lot of people to reevaluate their lives, their finances, their longevity,” she says. “I think people are just at a point in their lives where they’re like, if I’m not happy, I’m leaving. If that person isn’t right for me anymore, then why bother? Why bother with therapy? Why all the hard work? People realize that they can to be alone and be happy at the same time.”
Celebrity marriages are naturally difficult
“When two celebrities get married, even if they’re different degrees of celebrity, it’s a huge change for one of them,” says Ward. “Especially if it’s kids, and one person has to step out of the limelight a little bit, which is very difficult… When you’re talking about big celebrities, one of them will often be on set, sometimes for weeks or months, which is a huge pressure to marry — especially if one person is at home changing diapers.”
Chemtob adds that it can also be difficult for a star to be grounded with her spouse once she gets used to being treated like, well, a celebrity.
“When a celebrity comes to work, everyone thinks, ‘What can I bring for you, what can I do for you?’ Can I take a picture with you?” she says. “And then they go home to their spouse and maybe say, ‘Hey, can you get me a glass of water?’ And the spouse said: ‘You can get it yourself’. It can be difficult for both of us.”
Prenuptial agreements simplify the process
“I would estimate that at least 90 percent of celebrities have prenups,” says Chemtob, noting that the vast majority of celebrity divorces occur within a five-year period. “So basically you’re in love and you have a whirlwind affair and you get married and that whole thing, and then five years later it’s like, okay, I’m done with you and I’m out. There is a prenuptial agreement here, and you just abide by the terms of the prenuptial agreement. It’s like a long date.” She adds: “Prenups make the break-up process easier. It’s like a guide on how to get divorced. The people involved have some certainty about how it will play out.”
The stigma of divorce is gone
“These days, we know that being alone isn’t so bad,” says Chemtob, who once divorced and then remarried. “Women are not judged for divorce. A single woman is cool, not a pity.” He continues, “And with the legalization of gay marriage, gay people can marry and divorce, straight couples can, you can be a single parent, you can have children out of wedlock… hopefully there’s no judgment .”
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Ward wholeheartedly agrees. “Yeah, I don’t think the stigma is there,” he says. “It’s not like it was a place where you had to ‘run whether you were happy or not.’ And I think it’s a generational thing. I think that young people are not at all afraid of getting divorced or even getting married.”
Vanilla divorces are a trend
While some divorces are still publicized — like Kevin and Christina Costner’s headline-grabbing alimony dispute — long gone are the days when stars publicly smeared each other. Ward would argue that “vanilla” or amicable divorces are much more the norm, usually taking place with the help of mediation, where everything is settled behind closed doors rather than in a messy public trial.
“I have a lot more cases where people call me saying, ‘He’s a good father, he’s been supportive, but I’m just not in love with him anymore,'” she says. “What we come back to is the case of two people who have grown apart, who think they might be happier and more fulfilled apart from each other.”
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He adds that “vanilla divorces” are a lawyer’s dream. “Listen, I’m overjoyed when someone calls me and says, ‘We’re not going to fight about custody.’ Let’s share time with the children.’ I have many mothers who are breadwinners. They say, I will give support. I want him to have a good life, I want my children to have a good life with him, but I don’t love him anymore.”
Social media plays a role
Chemtob notes that people posting on TikTok or Instagram about how happier they are after a divorce can certainly influence someone who has considered leaving their spouse. And if one celebrity couple seems to be doing well after their split, it can also prompt another duo to break up.
He adds that dating apps also play a big role in divorces these days. “Many people get divorced because they saw their spouse on a dating app,” she says. “They’ll claim they were bored and just looking, but they’re definitely swiping right or left to see what’s out there, just in case.”
Ward warns of another problematic side of social networks. “Social media dominates divorce trials: what people post, where they post, who they post with,” he says.
He continues: “We put a picture out there – which is sometimes really out of touch with reality – but it’s often used in court. A father can say, ‘I can’t afford it,’ and then you can say, ‘Well, here’s a picture of him and his girlfriend in Greece in a $1,000-a-night hotel.’ Our private lives are now public information, and in terms of how social media evidence can be used in these proceedings, the landscape has changed greatly.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education