Relationship Goals Squashed: Celebrity Break-Ups We Still Can’t Get Over

Celebrity relationships have sparked the general audience’s interest since time immemorial. There’s something about A-List love that melts our hearts and keeps us wanting to know more and more! Over the years, many celebrity couples have taken over the spotlights and attracted the eyes of fans, and non-fans, from all over the world. For those of us who are single, celeb couples represent everything we dream of when it comes to love. They’re the real-life version of fairy tales, living the life most of us wish we had! Or at least that’s what we think. As fans, we often ignore the fact that we only get to see what celebrities want us to see in their relationships. That is why we’re often caught by surprise when iconic couples announce their separation. In this article, we’re going to take a walk down heartbreak lane and remember the most shocking celeb break-ups of all time!

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

It’s impossible to talk about Hollywood couples and not mention Brad and Angelina, commonly known as ‘Brangelina,’ one of the most iconic celebrity couples of all time. Their relationship gained recognition early on, especially considering that Brad was still married to Jennifer Aniston when he and Angelina first met.

Brangelina first got together in 2004, after meeting on the set of the film Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Throughout their relationship, Brad and Angelina had six children together. However, the world was shocked when Angelina filed for divorce in 2016, two years after they got officially married.

Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth

Miley and Liam met on the set of the 2010 film The Last Song, in which they starred as a romantic pair. However, it didn’t take long for their on-screen chemistry to translate into real-life love, and the duo made their relationship “red-carpet official” during the premiere of the film.

The pair was together for almost a decade, but their relationship wasn’t exactly an easy-going one. Cyrus and Hemsworth broke up several times, dated other people, got married to each other in late 2018, but ultimately parted ways in 2019. Their divorce was officially finalized in January 2020.

Cara Delevingne & Ashley Benson

The rumors that the top-model and the Pretty Little Liars star were dating first appeared in 2018 when Cara and Ashley were spotted together after meeting on the set of the film Her Smell. Delevingne herself confirmed their relationship in 2019.

Although the pair was quite private about their relationship, fans still considered them ‘couple goals’, as it was obvious that Cara and Ashley were completely in love with each other, and looked really cute together. Safe to say we were shocked when they reportedly split earlier this year, after two years of dating.

Kacey Musgraves & Ruston Kelly

In 2019, Kacey Musgraves released her highly-acclaimed album Golden Hour, which earned the country star 4 Grammy awards. One of the reasons why the album resonated so well with fans and with the critics alike was because the album was filled with beautifully-written love songs.

Kacey most likely wrote the songs on her album while thinking of her then-husband. And the love she felt was crystal clear through her records, which is why fans couldn’t believe it when the couple unexpectedly announced their divorce in early July 2020, after almost three years of marriage.

Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck

At some point in time, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck were one of the power couples in Hollywood. Similar to most couples in our list so far, the pair met on the set of the movie Pearl Harbor, in 2000.

The pair worked together for a second time in the movie Daredevil, and this was when the game changed for them. By 2005, Jennifer and Ben got married, and later that year, their first child was born. 10 years, 3 children, and many turbulent moments later, the power couple announced that they were getting divorced.

Jenna Dewan Tatum & Channing Tatum 

Another popular Hollywood couple that got together after meeting on set is Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. After scoring the lead roles of the movie Step Up, the pair hit it off right away and were dating before the premiere of the film.

Approximately two years after their first encounter, Channing proposed to Jenna in front of their friends, on the beautiful island of Maui. Their relationship seemed perfect, and the public swooned whenever the pair made public appearances together or professed their love for each other on social media. That is why their divorce announcement, which happened almost 12 years after they got together, came as a shock. 

Anna Faris & Chris Pratt

Yet another couple who first met on-set was Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. The Scary Movie franchise star and the Parks & Rec star were the definition of a match made in heaven, with similar goofball personalities and sharing a peculiar love for dead bugs.

However, the couple’s fairy-tale soon began shattering, as Pratt gained worldwide recognition for his role in the hit movie Guardians of the Galaxy and his schedule became too busy — he’d be on the road for 14 months at a time! Eventually, the time apart and the rumors of infidelity that were circulating in the media took their toll on the couple’s marriage. They announced their divorce in 2017, after 8 years of marriage.

Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin

Another couple whose divorce made it to the headlines was Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow. The notoriously private couple met backstage after a Coldplay concert and hit it off right away; their bond was pretty strong from the get-go, as Chris helped Gwyneth cope with her father’s passing.

It took the couple one year to get married and another year to welcome their first child together. Over the course of their relationship, Paltrow and Martin often had to deal with false rumors that their marriage was hitting a rough patch. However, the couple announced their “conscious uncoupling” — as they referred to their divorce — in 2014, shocking all of us. 

Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony

Two Latin stars meet for the first time backstage on Broadway and become good friends. Both the stars had significant others at the time, but love worked its magic and six years later the two married each other. That’s the love story of power couple Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.

In 2008, four years after their secret wedding ceremony, Jennifer and Marc welcomed their twins. So far, so good. The power couple continued making public appearances together; however, it is believed that their relationship wasn’t as sweet behind cameras, with J-Lo herself admitting that she wasn’t very happy in her marriage. In 2011, after seven years of marriage, the couple announced their divorce.

Selena Gomez & Justin Bieber

Perhaps one of the most popular celebrity couples of all time, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber, lived the romance that virtually every teenage girl dreams of. The pair dated for two blissful years — Bieber even went as far as renting a stadium so that they could have a movie date!

As all good things come to an end, so did their relationship. Back in 2012, it was reported that Bieber and Gomez had parted ways, but the public soon learned that it wasn’t an amicable separation. Amidst social media wars and new relationships, Jelena — their ship name — got back together in 2017. However, less than a year later, they were over again; for good, this time.

Lady Gaga & Christian Carino

It’s safe to say that Lady Gaga had a great 2018/2019 as she launched her career as a movie star. However, we can’t say the same about her love life. After the end of her engagement to actor Taylor Kinney, Gaga was spotted with talent agent Christian Carino less than a year later.

The couple was together for two years. During this time, they were seen together on different occasions, acting secretive about their relationship at first, and eventually showing all of their affection in public. In late 2017, it was announced that the happy couple was engaged. However, after the success of Gaga’s film, A Star is Born, her relationship with Christian started deteriorating, and their split was officially announced in February 2019.

Irina Shayk & Bradley Cooper 

Gaga’s romantic lead in A Star Is Born also suffered from the loss of his relationship in 2019. Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk were first spotted together in April 2015 and were reportedly engaged by the end of the following year.

In 2017, the couple welcomed their daughter, Lea, and looked happier than ever. However, sources claim that, just like Lady Gaga and Christian Carino’s relationship, Bradley and Irina’s engagement started going downhill after the massive success of the 2018 film. In June 2019, the couple’s four-year relationship officially ended.

Khloé Kardashian & Tristan Thompson

Rumors that reality star Khloé Kardashian and basketball player Tristan Thompson were dating first started when the pair were spotted together in 2016. Around a year later, the couple was still going strong, and buzz of her being pregnant started circulating.

In 2018, however, Us Weekly reported that Tristan was spotted having an “inappropriate encounter” with two women. The couple stayed apart for a while, but were back together months later, though sources claimed that things weren’t going that well for them. A year later, Tristan was spotted making out with Jordyn Woods. That’s right. He allegedly cheated on Khloe with her sister’s best friend. Safe to say that the relationship ended for good right there.

Emma Roberts & Evan Peters 

Another on-again, off-again relationship that took over Hollywood’s spotlight was the dramatic romance of movie and TV stars Emma Roberts and Evan Peters. The couple, who met in 2012, broke up three different times and was involved in a domestic violence incident before ending things for good.

Their first breakup happened in 2015, around one year after their engagement. They were reportedly together before the end of the year. Nine months later, the couple broke up again, but it only took them four months to start dating again. Things seemed okay for the pair for a while, but their final — and permanent — break-up happened in early 2019.

Camila Cabello & Matthew Hussey

Fans were positively surprised when Camila Cabello was spotted getting cozy at the beach with the British dating coach Matthew Hussey, in early 2018. At the time, Cabello had only been in one public relationship in 2015 when she dated singer Austin Mahone; thus, the public was happy to see that Camila had found herself a new beau.

Ironically enough, Cabello’s relationship with the love guru lasted for less than two years. While the pair was never involved in public scandals, unlike many other celebrity couples, they split up during the promotions of Señorita, Cabello’s successful collaboration with fellow singer and current boyfriend, Shawn Mendes.

Adele & Simon Konecki

Adele has a career to die for. She has sold over 100 million records, won 15 Grammy awards so far, she has had eight Top 10 hits, and she has had sold-out concerts all over the world. A successful career indeed. But when it comes to love, perhaps Adele is not as fortunate.

Adele and businessman Simon Konecki announced their relationship back in 2012. Half a year later, the happy couple revealed that they were expecting their first child together. In 2017, Adele and Konecki were spotted wearing wedding bands, indicating that they had gotten married. However, in April 2019 the couple announced their divorce after being together for seven years.

Solange Knowles & Alan Ferguson

After Solange’s 2007 divorce to Daniel Smith, singer Janelle Monae, and Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz introduced her to music video director Alan Ferguson. The couple hit it off right away and soon started dating. In 2014, the pair tied the knot.

Solange and Alan Ferguson’s partnership went beyond their romantic relationship, as the couple worked together on a few of Solange’s music videos. The pair was quite private and seemingly happy during the course of their relationship, and that is why their divorce announcement took us all by surprise in 2019.

Demi Burnett & Kristian Haggerty

We were all positively surprised when a same-sex ship sailed in a spin-off of The Bachelor. Since its debut in 2002, the popular reality series had never once had two women or two men pairing off — the show is called “Bachelor” for a reason. Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty decided that it was time for a change.

Burnett and Haggerty started seeing each other non-exclusively before Bachelor in Paradise aired. Burnett went on to participate in the show and Haggerty was later invited by the production to join her beloved. During the season finale, Demi proposed to Kristian. Unfortunately, their relationship didn’t last and the couple announced in late 2019 that they had broken up.

Katie Holmes & Jamie Foxx

Around a year after her divorce from Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes was spotted with Jamie Foxx, whom she had met in 2006 through her ex-husband. Pictures of Holmes and Foxx in the Hamptons elicited rumors of a possible relationship, which was later denied.

In 2015, the pair were seen holding hands, but they said nothing about a relationship. Through the next years, Katie and Jamie remained extremely secretive about their romance, only making as little as two public appearances together. In May 2019, celebrity tabloids reported that they had broken up. Three months later, Foxx was seen with another woman.

Zachary Quinto & Miles McMillan

Although there’s an ever-increasing number of celebrities coming out as LGBTQ+, it’s not often that we get to see same-sex celebrity couples in long-term relationships. Star Trek actor and model Zachary Quinto and painter Miles McMillan were one of the very few.

The couple was first seen together in 2013, confirming their relationship later that year. Around two years later, Quinto and McMillan moved together into a beautiful $3.2 million apartment in New York City. The couple was never involved in public scandals, nor did they ever hint at a possible break-up. In early 2019, however, the couple separated after being together for six years.

Sofia Richie & Scott Disick

Scott Disick and Sofia Richie’s relationship shocked the internet more than once. First of all, the age difference between the two of them was quite astounding — when they were first spotted together, Scott was 34 while Sofia was only 19 years old!

From late 2017 to May 2020, the couple shared many cute moments of their relationship on social media. They even lived together for a while and sparked rumors of a proposal, though Sofia’s father, singer Lionel Richie, was never too fond of the relationship. In 2020, just like many other couples in quarantine, sources announced that Disick and Richie had broken up.

Rachel Bilson & Bill Hader 

Another couple that 2020 took away from us was funnyman Bill Hader and actress Rachel Bilson. The pair, who went public with their relationship earlier this year at the Golden Globes, was first seen together in December at Hader’s hometown.

The couple met for the first time in 2013 when they co-starred in the film The To-Do List, which was coincidentally directed by Hader’s wife at the time, Maggie Carey. In July 2020, a source told People that the couple had parted ways amicably after less than a year together.

Kourtney Kardashian & Younes Bendjima

After a turbulent 9-years-long relationship with Scott Disick, Kourtney Kardashian seemed more than ready to move on with her life and find love again. And she did find love with Algerian model Younes Bendjima. The pair were seen hanging out in Cannes in mid-2017, fueling the rumors that they had been together since December 2016.

Kourtney and Younes were relationship goals not only because they looked incredibly nice together, but also because they had a lot of fun together — all over the world! Around a year after they started dating, Younes was spotted with another woman, and Kourtney was seen with Luka Sabbat, indicating that their relationship was over. Though sources claim that Kourtney and Younes got back together in December 2019, nothing has been confirmed yet.

Elizabeth Chambers & Armie Hammer 

Actors Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers were certainly one of the cutest couples in Hollywood. They met through mutual friends back in 2007, but Chambers had a boyfriend at the time. One year later, Armie and Elizabeth got together and set their beautiful story in action.

The couple got married in 2010 and welcomed their first child in 2015. Hammer and Chamber’s second child was born two years later. The lovebirds continued posting pictures and love messages to each other on social media up until one month before their divorce, making the announcement of their split even more shocking.

Shayna Taylor & Ryan Seacrest 

Ryan Seacrest and Shayna Taylor met back in 2013 through mutual friends. The radio personality and the chef/model dated for a while before parting ways in 2014. They spent some time apart before they moved in together for the first time in 2017.

The couple stayed out of the headlines for two years before breaking up once again and telling the public that they would remain friends. This second split lasted a shorter time than their first, and Seacrest and Taylor were back together by September 2019. However, Ryan himself agreed that their relationship was like a rollercoaster, and the couple broke up once permanently earlier this year.  

Kelly Clarkson & Brandon Blackstock

If we’re talking about shocking breakups, then we absolutely must talk about Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s divorce — whose process just got started last month. The couple, who met through Blake Shelton back in 2012, was married for seven years.

Kelly and Brandon wasted no time getting their life started as a family. Shortly after getting married in October 2013, Kelly was pregnant with the couple’s first baby; their second child was born two years later, in 2016. In June 2020, Kelly surprisingly filed for divorce, catching us all by surprise.

Lili Reinhart & Cole Sprouse

They say that life imitates art, right? Well, Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart’s lives certainly did, as the young couple started dating after co-starring in CW’s hit show Riverdale back in 2017. Though it took the pair a while to confirm anything, fans rooted for their relationship from the very beginning.

Notoriously known for being really private about their relationship in interviews, the couple never missed an opportunity to post pictures of each other and goof around on social media. However, cheating rumors have been around since April, and the couple hasn’t been spotted together for a while, and sources say that they are no longer together.

Jaime King & Kyle Newman

Actress Jaime King and film director Kyle Newman first met on the set of the movie Fanboy, in 2005. Shortly after meeting, the couple, who had shared an instant connection, moved in together; they were married two years later.

King and Newman were together for 15 years, which is kind of rare to see in Hollywood. The couple seemed happy until Jaime not only filed for divorce earlier this year but also filed a domestic violence petition against her ex-husband. 

Kristin Cavallari & Jay Cutler

Though the “Hills” star wasn’t initially interested in dating Jay Cutler, Kristin Cavallari couldn’t deny the attraction she felt for the quarterback when they first met. In fact, she liked him so much that less than a year later, the couple got engaged.

Three months after getting engaged, the couple split. Kristin revealed in her book that she wanted some things to change, and she had to break up with Jay so that he could see how serious she was. By November 2011, the couple was engaged once again. After 10 years of being together, and three children later, the pair announced their divorce in April 2020.

Caterina Scorsone & Rob Giles

The Grey’s Anatomy star and her husband, musician Rob Giles, have always been very private regarding their private lives, only speaking publicly about their daughters. All we know is that the couple got married in 2009 and that Caterina filed for divorce in March this year.

In October 2019, the couple announced they were expecting a third child, and that was the last time we saw Caterina posting anything that included Rob Giles. Their last public appearance was in January this year before Scorsone filed for divorce in May 2020.

Francesca Farago & Harry Jowsey

Netflix’s reality show Too Hot to Handle featured a group of sexy people who had no experience in long-term relationships and presented the group with the challenge of getting to know each other — with no funny business allowed!

Francesca and Harry were one of the first couples to get together on the show. Throughout the 9-episodes series, the pair couldn’t keep their hands off each other, which led the public to believe they were deeply in love. However, the couple broke up in June this year, after Harry proposed to Francesca in May — via Zoom, may we add!

Tana Mongeau & Jake Paul

During the past decade, the public has watched as YouTube stars started gaining recognition and building large empires thanks to their success on the video streaming platform. Jake Paul and Tana Mongeau are only two of the hundreds of popular YouTubers of the moment.

The stars started getting their fans’ attention when Tana uploaded a mukbang video with Jake Paul in April 2019, and the pair kissed at the end of the video. Shortly after, it was revealed that Jake proposed to Tana on her 21st birthday. After their July wedding, it was revealed that they hadn’t obtained a wedding license. The couple split in January 2020.

Chrishell Stause & Justin Hartley

Although we know the This Is Us star all too well, not many people knew that Justin Hartley’s wife Chrishell Stause was a bombshell realtor in Los Angeles and would feature in Netflix’s upcoming reality show Selling Sunset. The luxury realtor even mentioned her husband a couple of times on the show!

The couple met in 2013 and started dating shortly after. They got married in 2017, over a year after Justin proposed to Chrishell. The realtor recently revealed that Justin Hartley allegedly ended their 2-year marriage via text message in November 2019. 

Liza Koshy & David Dobrik

Unlike Tana Mongeau and Jake Paul — who were both controversial —,  Liza Koshy and David Dobrik were one of the most beloved couples on YouTube. The pair started dating in 2015 and soon they had won over their audiences’ hearts.

It’s safe to say that fans were shocked and heartbroken when the adorable couple uploaded a video titled “we broke up” on David’s YouTube channel, in June 2018. The internet personalities revealed to fans that they had actually broken up six months prior to releasing the video but were still trying to come to terms with the separation.

Jennifer Garner & John Miller

The 13 Going On 30 star and businessman John Miller first sparked rumors of a possible relationship in late 2018, when Jennifer Garner had already finalized her divorce from actor Ben Affleck. Sources claimed that the pair hit it off pretty quickly, having a lot of things in common — including being parents.

The pair kept their relationship well under the radar and were rarely spotted in public together — John Miller is not in the entertainment industry, so it could be that he likely didn’t want the attention. Earlier this year, reliable sources informed the media that the couple was still together. However, this week it was revealed that the couple has called it quits after less than two years of dating.

Miranda Kerr & Orlando Bloom

Yes, we know it happened in 2013 and that’s a lifetime ago — in Hollywood years, that is. Still, the power couple Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom shocked fans when they announced they would be divorcing after only 3 years of marriage.

The Victoria’s Secret model and the Lord of the Rings actor started dating in 2007. Three years later, it was announced that they had gotten married in a private ceremony. The couple welcomed their son Flynn in 2011, and everything seemed just fine between the lovebirds. In 2013, however, sources confirmed that Bloom and Kerr had parted ways amicably months prior to the divorce.

Tracy Morgan & Megan Wollover

Tracy Morgan met Megan Wollover through mutual friends back in 2011. Morgan had just gotten out of a 23-year relationship with ex-wife Sabine Morgan. After a successful blind date, the pair quickly got together and announced their engagement in the same year.

The comedian and wife Megan welcomed their daughter Maven in 2013, and both announced how they were overly excited to meet their baby girl. When Tracy Morgan was involved in an accident that left him in a wheelchair for months, Megan stayed by his side. The couple got married in 2015, but announced their divorce last month, after 5 years of marriage.

Miranda Lambert & Blake Shelton

Before Blake Shelton engaged in his uber-cute relationship with The Voice judge Gwen Stefani, the singer was married to fellow singer Miranda Lambert for about 4 years, and they were one of the most powerful couples in country music.

The country superstars met for the first time in 2005 when they performed a duet at the Country Music Awards. Blake, who was married at the time, divorced his wife a few months later. The couple dated for almost five years before tying the knot. In 2015, however, the couple announced their divorce — though they never announced the reason behind it.

Jordana Brewster & Andrew Form

The Fast and Furious star and husband Andrew Form met Jordana Brewster for the first time in 2005, on the set of the film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Two years later, the pair got married in a private wedding in the Caribbean.

The pair welcomed their two children, Julian and Rowan, in 2013 and 2016, respectively. Due to infertility issues, both of their sons were born via surrogate. The happy couple was together for 13 years before announcing their divorce in July this year.

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe

This lovely couple met for the first time at Reese’s 21st birthday party, in 1997. They hit it off right away and, according to Witherspoon herself, Ryan Phillippe was her birthday present that year. The following year, Reese and Ryan announced they were expecting their first daughter, Ava.

Witherspoon and Phillippe were definitely one of the best-looking couples Hollywood had ever seen, and their beauty passed onto both their children, Ava and Deacon, who was born in 2003. Reese and Ryan announced their divorce in 2007, both claiming that they were too young when they first got together — which may have led to their subsequent breakup.

Jennifer Grey & Clark Gregg

Another couple that divorced this year was Dirty Dancing actress Jennifer Grey and actor Clark Gregg. The pair announced their separation via social media, where they published a joint statement explaining that they were parting ways amicably after almost two decades together.

The couple first met in the year 2000 and got married in July 2001. Later that year, the married lovebirds welcomed their only daughter, Stella Gregg. Grey and Gregg were a relatively private couple and were never involved in scandals. The pair announced their split last month but were separated since the beginning of the year.

Dr. Dre & Nicole Young

Dr. Dre, the richest rapper in the world, met his wife, lawyer Nicole Young, in the mid-90s, when his career in the music industry was just about to explode the way it did. The couple got married in 1996 and welcomed their first son a year later.

Five years after their wedding, Dr. Dre and Nicole Young had their second child together. For the past two decades, the couple nurtured a healthy family and displayed a very strong relationship in public. They even made a red carpet appearance together earlier this year! That’s why the announcement of their divorce a couple of months ago came out as shocking. 

Megan Fox & Brian Austin Green

The Transformer star and the 90210 actors first met on set back in 2004, when Brian Austin Green was 30 and Megan Fox was just 18. The attraction between them was instant, and the pair got engaged in 2006. However, their relationship wasn’t exactly smooth.

Fox and Green’s engagement was called off in 2009, but then the couple reconciled the following year and got married in a secret ceremony in Hawaii. Everything seemed okay for the couple as they welcomed their sons Noah and Bodhi. However, Fox filed for divorce in 2015. The couple reconciled once again and welcomed their third child in 2016. In May 2020, Green confirmed that they had permanently split this time.

Mary-Kate Olsen & Olivier Sarkozy

The Olsen twins have been on the spotlights for all of their lives, basically. Consequently, the world has always been interested in everything they do, including their relationships. Mary-Kate Olsen and French banker Olivier Sarkozy met at a party in 2012 and soon started dating.

Two years after the couple got together, Sarkozy proposed to Mary-Kate and the couple got married in November 2015 — their wedding was so private that guests were asked to hand over their phones as they arrived at the venue! Earlier this year, Mary-Kate filed for divorce in New York City. According to sources, the couple’s disagreement over children was one of the causes of the separation.

Disclaimer: All the information in this article was correct on the date of publication.