Not everything that glitters is gold, and some celebrities have learned this the hard way. It’s a well-known fact that celebrity divorce rates are higher than those of the general public. A study by the UK-based organization Marriage Foundation analyzed 572 A-list couples and found that celebrity marriages have a divorce rate of 40% after 10 years, compared to 20% for non-famous couples.
“Our research confirms that the glamour of celebrity weddings is a poor indicator of future marital success,” the study concludes.
In some cases, the stars have admitted that they were too young to marry. In others, they said the decision to tie the knot was made to resolve deeper issues in the relationship.
Some of these marriages were so brief that they lasted only a few weeks, so we wouldn’t blame you if you missed them.
Below, let’s take a look at 23 celebrity marriages that failed to stand the test of time.
#1 Ryan Reynolds & Scarlett Johansson
Ryan and Scarlett were one of Hollywood’s hottest couples. The actors began dating in 2007, just two months after Ryan ended his engagement to Alanis Morissette. They said “I do” the next year on Vancouver Island in Ryan’s native Canada.
In 2009, Scarlett mentioned that their incredibly busy schedules affected the dynamic of their relationship. “We work and then go home and — I, anyway — just stare at the wall for a few hours before I go to sleep,” she said.
The following year, they announced their separation, stating that it was mutual and that they had “love and kindness” for each other.
Speaking with Cosmopolitan after the split, Scarlett said that marrying Ryan had been “the right thing to do” because it had felt “natural.” She also confirmed that the relationship became strained due to their “extremely busy” schedules and the fact that they didn’t “do the work” to take care of their marriage.
Image source: Getty/Kevin Mazur
#2 George Clooney & Talia Balsam
This retro couple met while performing in a local play together. They were married for four years between 1989 and 1993.
Looking back at the relationship, the Hollywood actor admitted that he wasn’t someone who should have been married at that point and said he didn’t give Talia “a fair shot.”
“I was responsible for the failure of that marriage,” George said.
The Divorce actress holds no grudges against her ex-husband and described him as “charming” during a 2016 interview with People.
Since 1998, Talia has been married to John Slattery, with whom she has a son. George is married to British human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, who is the mother of their two children.
Image source: Getty/Ron Galella, Ltd.
#3 Uma Thurman & Gary Oldman
Uma and Gary met when she was 18 and he was 30. They said “I do” after filming State of Grace in 1989.
“He was 12 years older. It was a crazy love affair that ended, as it needed to,” the Pulp Fiction actress told Vanity Fair in 1996. “He was my first love. I had no prior experience.”
The marriage began to crumble after Gary was arrested for DUI. The couple divorced in 1992.
Uma later married her Gattaca co-star Ethan Hawke, with whom she shares two children. In 2021, she was reported to be dating Bloomberg Media Group CEO Justin B. Smith.
The English actor, who has been married five times, wed his current wife, Gisele Schmidt, in 2017. He has a son with Lesley Manville and two sons with Donya Fiorentino.
Image source: Getty/Ron Galella
#4 Geena Davis & Jeff Goldblum
Geena and Jeff were married from 1987 to 1991. The duo first laid eyes on each other on the set of the 1985 film Transylvania 6-5000 and later played romantic interests in The Fly.
After tying the knot, they continued to work together, this time on Earth Girls Are Easy.
“Geena made love, falling in love, so easy. She’s purely loving, beguiling — irresistible,” Jeff told GQ of his then-wife. “And, of course, I’m wildly attracted to her. Wildly attracted.”
The exes reunited onstage last year at the SAG Awards, where they presented the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
Geena has described her marriage to Jeff as a “magical chapter” in her life.
Image source: Getty/Barry King
#5 Angelina Jolie & Jonny Lee Miller
Angelina’s first husband was English actor Jonny Lee Miller, whom she met while filming the 1995 crime thriller Hackers.
At their 1996 nuptials, the bride reportedly wore black leather pants and a white T-shirt with the groom’s name in her blood. The relationship ended the following year.
“You’re suddenly somebody’s wife. And you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m half of a couple now. I’ve lost me,'” the Oscar-winning actress confessed at the time.
Angelina took responsibility for the dissolution of their marriage, acknowledging in an interview with the Calgary Sun that she struggled to be “present enough, physically or emotionally, in relationships to get serious.”
The Trainspotting star confirmed they were still friends in a 2017 interview with the Brampton Guardian, while his ex-wife told Hello! magazine that the split had been amicable.
Image source: Getty/Evan Agostini
#6 Julia Roberts & Lyle Lovett
The Pretty Woman actress and the country singer met through mutual friends. They only dated for about three or four weeks before they decided to tie the knot in 1993.
The stars reportedly planned the ceremony in less than 72 hours, marrying in Marion, Indiana, because it was between stops on Lyle’s tour.
Their romance lasted two years. After their divorce, Julia told the LA Times that the dissolution of their union was “ridiculously amicable,” adding that they simply weren’t meant to be.
“I think it can just as often be the weaker choice to stay,” the Hollywood star stressed. Julia is now married to cinematographer Daniel Moder, the father of their three children, while Lyle is married to music producer April Kimble, with whom he shares three kids.
Image source: Getty/Jim Smeal
#7 Elton John & Renate Blauel
Sir Elton John married his close friend and sound engineer, Renate Blauel, on Valentine’s Day in 1984. The marriage lasted three years.
“She was the classiest woman I’ve ever met, but it wasn’t meant to be,” the British superstar said of the short-lived marriage, adding, “I was living a lie.”
John had come out as bisexual in 1976 and later defined himself as gay during a 1992 interview with Rolling Stone.
In 2020, his ex-wife sued him for writing about their relationship in his 2019 memoir, Me: Elton John Official Autobiography, claiming that it broke the terms of their divorce agreement. The case was settled the same year.
He is now married to his longtime partner, Canadian filmmaker David Furnish, with whom he shares two sons. Renate carried on living a secluded life in the UK until the early 2000s, when she reportedly returned to her native Germany to care for her parents. It is unknown what she’s up to today.
Image source: Getty/Patrick Riviere
#8 Cindy Crawford & Richard Gere
Cindy and Richard were married from 1991 to 1995. They reportedly met during the 1980s at a photographer’s barbecue.
“People always want to know if it was love at first sight,” the supermodel said. “I always say that it was interest at first sight. We talked, then we had a date, then we had another date.”
The couple lived in a $5 million manor in Bel Air. Cindy attributed the separation to the pair not spending enough time together, something she said they were “equally responsible” for.
“We thought it would be okay if we just flew in from Paris to LA to get together for a night to see each other. It wasn’t.”
Image source: Getty/Steve Granitz
#9 Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Esposito
Jennifer and Bradley tied the knot in December 2006. Five months later, she filed for divorce.
In 2014, the actress released her memoir, Jennifer’s Way, in which she claimed one of her exes, believed to be Bradley, was “cocky” and a “master manipulator.”
She wrote, “I didn’t necessarily find him that attractive, but I figured that I could enjoy his sense of humor and nonsense for a while. We had fun, but he also had a mean, cold side. His personality could flip on a dime.”
Since 2023, the Oscar-nominated actor has been in a relationship with model Gigi Hadid. The Blue Bloods star is married to fitness trainer Jesper Vesterstrø.
Image source: Getty/John Sciulli
#10 Carrie Fisher & Paul Simon
The actress and the folk musician met while Carrie was filming the first Star Wars movie. She reportedly had three other suitors, but fell immediately in love with Paul.
In 1983, they married at his apartment, with SNL creator Lorne Michaels serving as best man. Their marriage was short-lived, though, and they were divorced by July 1984.
In an interview after their split, Paul revealed he was “exhausted” by the time their relationship ended.
“I mean, what was I thinking? Marriage is very… it’s a hard thing to do,” he shared, attributing the divorce to “all types of mistakes on top of mistakes on top of mistakes.”
Carrie, who passed away in 2016, was once asked in an old interview if she thought their marriage was the “wrong thing to do.” Her response: “Yes.”
After their divorce, the two continued to date on and off for several years before ending their relationship for good. The lows in their tumultuous relationship were believed to have been caused by bouts of depression, personal insecurities, and Carrie’s substance use.
Image source: Getty/Jean-Jacques LAPEYRONNIE
#11 Meghan Markle & Trevor Engelson
Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan was married to actor and film producer Trevor Engelson.
The couple exchanged vows in Jamaica in 2011 and separated two years later, citing irreconcilable differences.
Following his divorce from Meghan, Trevor dated Bethenny Frankel of The Real Housewives of New York City. He later married his current wife, dietitian Tracey Kurland, with whom he shares three children.
Meanwhile, Meghan lives with Prince Harry in Montecito, California, with their son, Archie, and their daughter, Lilibet.
Talking about his daughter’s ex, Meghan’s estranged father said, “I really liked Trevor. I don’t think he ever understood why she dumped him, either.”
Image source: Getty/Amanda Edwards
#12 Drew Barrymore & Tom Green
The actress and the comedian met while filming the 2000 film Charlie’s Angels. Their marriage was short-lived; they exchanged vows in 2001 and divorced six months later.
During an appearance on his ex-wife’s talk show, Tom recalled that the two “had a lot of laughs together” and that they “hit it off right away.” On their first date, the stars, both animal lovers, bought lobsters and released them into the ocean.
It was Tom who filed for divorce in July 2001, as per USA Today. The exes would reunite on Drew’s show in 2020 after not talking for about 15 years.
“We had a lot of amazing experiences, and I am grateful for that, and I cherish them,” the comic said.
The 50 First Dates actress shares two children with art consultant Will Kopelman. Meanwhile, the former MTV host got engaged to his girlfriend Amanda Nelson last year.
Image source: Getty/KMazur
#13 Sandra Oh & Alexander Payne
The Grey’s Anatomy star was in a relationship with filmmaker Alexander Payne for five years. They married in January 2003, the first marriage for both, and divorced in late 2006.
At the time, a spokesperson told People magazine that the separation was mutual and amicable and that the stars had remained friends after the divorce.
In 2015, Alexander married Maria Kontos, whom he met while visiting the Aigio region of Greece, where some of his ancestors came from. They welcomed a daughter in 2017 and divorced five years later.
As for Sandra, she has been spotted in public a handful of times with her rumored boyfriend, Russian artist Lev Rukhin.
Image source: Getty/Steve Granitz
#14 Eddie Murphy & Tracey Edmonds
Eddie exchanged vows with film producer Tracey Edmonds in 2008 during a private ceremony on an island off Bora Bora.
Two weeks after the wedding, the stars surprised fans by clarifying that they had decided to forgo a legal ceremony, as it wasn’t “necessary to define [their] relationship further,” and announced they had broken up.
The statement read: “While the recent symbolic union in Bora Bora was representative of our deep love, friendship and respect that we have for one another on a spiritual level, we have decided to remain friends.”
The 64-year-old Norbit actor is now married to Australian model Paige Butcher, with whom he shares two children. He reportedly has a total of 10 children, including one with former Spice Girl Melanie Brown.
Tracey, a successful Hollywood producer, shares two sons with singer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.
Image source: Getty/Jason Merritt
#15 Nicolas Cage & Patricia Arquette
Nicolas and Patricia were married from 1995 to 2001. According to People magazine, Nicolas proposed to her the first time he met her, at Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles in 1987.
They had a brief fling and later went their separate ways. Nicola’s relationships during that period included having a son with actress Christina Fulton and a failed engagement to model Kristen Zang.
In 1995, the actor ran into Patricia at the place where they first met. Two weeks later, they were married.
However, their romance lost its spark after nine months. Despite being separated, they continued to act as a couple in public until Nicolas filed for divorce in February 2000. He went on to marry Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley. He later wed Alice Kim, Erika Koike, and his current wife, Riko Shibata.
Patricia later married actor Thomas Jane, but the two divorced in 2011. The Severance actress is not currently in a relationship.
Image source: Getty/Stephane Cardinale – Corbis
#16 Alex Kingston & Ralph Fiennes
The actors fell in love while studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and tied the knot in 1993.
The Doctor Who actress told Grazia that, in retrospect, she realized that she and Ralph had married because they believed a legal union would resolve deeper issues in their relationship.
“We were like strangers, very fragile,” she confessed. “His mother was dy*ng, and somehow we thought the wedding was going to heal everything. But that was crazy, of course.”
In a real Freudian twist, two years into their marriage, Ralph reportedly began an affair with Francesca Annis, who had played his mother in a theatrical production of Hamlet. He eventually left Alex for her.
Ralph and Alex divorced in 1997. She went on to marry Florian Haertel, a German writer, and later her current husband, TV producer Jonathan Stamp. As for the Conclave actor, he separated from Francesca in 2006 following rumours of an affair with another woman, singer Cornelia Crișan.
Image source: Getty/Ron Galella
#17 Cher & Gregg Allman
Cher and Gregg Allman (of The Allman Brothers Band) were married for four years during the 1970s. The former couple met when the Believe singer attended his concert on a date with a different man.
“I was so rude,” the rock musician recalled in his memoir My Cross to Bear. “I didn’t say hello or nothing at all, because I was so blinded by her.” Despite his apparent impoliteness, the pop star gave him her number, and he called her the following day.
Cher, born Cheryl Sarkisian, and Gregg welcomed a son, Elijah Blue Allman, in 1976.
Gregg filed for divorce after his wife signed on for a new Sonny and Cher Show with her former husband. He ended the marriage with a note that read, “I have two choices — go back to Macon and be heartbroken and lonely, or stay here and be made a fool of.”
Image source: Getty/Ron Galella
#18 Chad Michael Murray & Sophia Bush
The Freaky Friday actor was married to his One Tree Hill co-star Sophia Bush for five months in the 2000s.
Sophia and Chad tied the knot in April 2005 and finalized their divorce in December 2006 after he allegedly cheated on her with Paris Hilton.
The actress later said that it “devastate[d]” her to “have been reduced to a Hollywood statistic—another joke marriage.”
Speaking with Andy Cohen in 2014, Sophia described her former romance as “two stupid kids who had no business being in a relationship in the first place.”
The Chicago P.D. star is now dating former soccer player Ashlyn Harris. Chad is married to Chosen actress Sarah Roemer, with whom he shares three children.
Image source: Getty/Gregg DeGuire
#19 Helen Hunt & Hank Azaria
Helen Hunt and Hank Azaria were married from 1999 to 2000. Hank is known for voicing many characters in The Simpsons, including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmers, and Comic Book Guy.
Before they tied the knot, the actors worked together in Mad About You for four years. Helen also guest-starred in The Simpsons as a love interest to Moe Szyslak in 1998.
It was Helen who filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Hank later married actress Katie Wright, with whom he shares a son. Helen has a daughter with her ex, producer Matthew Carnahan.
Image source: Getty/Ron Galella
#20 Jenna Fischer & James Gunn
Jenna and James met and fell in love while doing a rereading of the script for the movie The Specials. They were married from 2000 to 2008.
They co-starred in LolliLove in 2004, two years before Jenna appeared in his directorial debut, Slither.
In true 2000s style, the pair announced their split via a joint statement on MySpace. “We have been each other’s cheerleader and friend during the past six years and continue to be so now and in the future,” they shared.
The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker told St. Louis magazine in 2011 that he and Jenna weren’t the best at being married, but were “the very best at being divorced” and that they saw each other quite frequently.
He is now married to Peacemaker actress Jennifer Holland. As for the Office actress, she’s married to another filmmaker, Lee Kirk.
Image source: Getty/Steve Granitz
#21 Melanie Lynskey & Jimmi Simpson
Melanie and Jimmi found love on the set of the 2002 Stephen King series Rose Red. Their first kiss took place inside a taxi and was “unexpected,” the actress shared. “Once that happened, I was head over heels for him.”
Melanie said that before meeting Jimmi, she was “rootless” and “traveled all over the place.” In contrast, being with the Zodiac actor made her a more “settled and responsible” person.
The actors were married from 2007 to 2014 and have remained close friends after their divorce. Earlier this year, Melanie told People that her 6-year-old daughter, whom she shares with husband Jason Ritter, is “fascinated” with Jimmi.
Jimmi married English actress Sophia Del Pizzo in 2019, but they separated two years later.
Image source: Getty/Steve Granitz
#22 Mario Lopez & Ali Landry
The Saved by the Bell actor and the former Miss USA were married for only two weeks in 2004.
They first met at the Miss Teen USA pageant in 1998, where he was the host and she served as a commentator.
The reason for their split? Mario had cheated on Ali with another woman before their wedding. Speaking on The Wendy Williams Show, the model said that Mario “swore that it was not true,” but she had a gut feeling he was lying—a feeling that was later confirmed.
Ali also expressed regret about going through with the wedding despite her doubts, saying she did so because her family had already booked their plane tickets for the nuptials in Mexico.
Seven years after their split, Mario publicly admitted to cheating on Ali. He told Howard Stern that he had “messed around” with another woman during his bachelor party in Mexico and admitted he wasn’t ready to settle down or mature enough to handle his feelings at the time.
Image source: Getty/Gregg DeGuire
#23 Eva Longoria & Tyler Christopher
Before his tragic demise, Tyler Cristopher, star of General Hospital, was married to Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004.
They started dating after Eva made an uncredited appearance on the medical drama. At the time, Christopher was in his fourth year on the show, playing Nikolas Cassadine.
“He was a lovely man, but I was very young,” Eva said in an interview after the split, as per Digital Spy. “I didn’t know who I was, and I was still struggling as an actor. I was a terrible wife.”
The Desperate Housewives star went on to marry Tony Parker in 2007 before splitting in 2011. She walked down the aisle again in 2016 to José Bastón, with whom she shares her son Santiago.
Tyler also became a parent, welcoming children Greysun James and Bohemee with ex-wife Brienne Pedigo, to whom he was married from 2008 to 2021.
The Days of Our Lives actor tragically lost his life at the age of 50 in October 2023. His cause of de*th was revealed to be positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication.
Image source: Getty/Lawrence Lucier
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