10 Of The Most Candid Remarks From Celebrities About Divorce

We all know that Hollywood has some of the greatest love stories of all time, as well as some of the saddest. In fact, anyone who keeps up with the love lives of the rich and famous knows that often, highly publicized marriages end up in divorce. Some blame the scrutiny of the spotlight and conflicting work schedules, while others simply acknowledge they have grown apart. And over the years, plenty of A-listers have shared their experiences with the public.

From how to work through the grieving process of a divorce to just why they ended up parting ways, stars like Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Adele, and more have shared some candid thoughts on their breakups. At the end of the day, they might be rich and famous, but when it comes to love and relationships, they still go through all of the same emotions as the rest of us.

While Hollywood stars Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are among the celebs who have co-parenting down to a science, as the two share three children, the truth is that divorce wasn't easy for them. The two married in 2005 and separated a decade later, and Garner revealed to Vanity Fair that the divorce broke some of her dreams. "I lost the dream of dancing with my husband at my daughter's wedding," she said, adding that their children adore Affleck and that the two remained friends. 

Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt got married in 2014 after a highly publicized relationship. In 2016, Jolie filed for divorce, and soon after, news broke of Pitt's alleged physical and verbal abuse of his wife and children. In a conversation with Harper's Bazaar, Jolie said, "I was also very concerned about the health of our children, and so, for approximately two years, I declined work so that I could focus my attention on caring for our children and their recovery." And in the years to come, Angelina Jolie's Kids helped her get her fighting spirit back after her divorce.

Actors Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise tied the knot in 2006, and six years later, Holmes filed for divorce. Unlike many other divorces that don't happen quickly, Holmes and Cruise, who share daughter Suri, reached a settlement in just 11 days. After that, Holmes moved to New York City, and she admitted that being in the spotlight right after her separation wasn't easy. "That time was intense. It was a lot of attention, and I had a little child on top of it." Holmes shared with InStyle.

Actor Eva Longoria and former basketball star Tony Parker got married in 2007 and divorced in 2011. During an appearance on "The Dr. Oz Show," Longoria shared that the separation has a significant effect on her mental health. "I was not eating. I was depressed. I was sad. My diet was coffee," she explained (via Page Six). "So people kept saying, you look amazing. Divorce agrees with you. And I was like, I don't feel good. I have no energy."

Supermodel Heidi Klum and musician Seal tied the knot in 2005, and together they share four kids (including Klum's daughter from a previous relationship, whom Seal adopted). In 2012, the couple's divorce became news, and Klum admitted that going through such a personal thing so publicly wasn't easy. "I don't want to talk positively or negatively about the ups and downs that we had. Every couple goes through things," she shared with Elle, adding, "I feel like I'm in the eye of the tornado. It's emotions inside of your body that are a tornado" (via CBS News).

Singer Adele married entrepreneur Simon Konecki in 2018 after having dated him since 2011. However, the couple, who share a son, separated a year later, and in 2020 they got divorced. Speaking to Vogue, Adele reflected on her decision to part ways. "I was just going through the motions and I wasn't happy," the singer revealed. "Neither of us did anything wrong ... It just wasn't right for me anymore." Luckily, Adele was never the same after her divorce, in the best way. 

In 2016, musician Mary J. Blige separated from her husband of 12 years, manager Martin "Kendu" Isaacs. "The breaking point was when I kept asking over and over and over again for respect and to be respected," Blige revealed on "Good Morning America" (via ABC News). "If I can't get respect in the relationship, then I have to move on and save myself," she said. Blige added that having a support system around her was essential, and that music helped her cope with the divorce, which was finalized in 2018.

Actor Gwyneth Paltrow and musician Chris Martin's divorce caught many off guard, as the two were married for more than a decade. Paltrow and Martin tied the knot in 2003, and in 2014, news broke of the couple's separation. Speaking to Marie Claire, Paltrow — who shares two kids with Martin — said that the separation came naturally. "I really had the sense that I wasn't allowed to have needs, and I had to prove my specialness or self-worth by doing all this stuff and taking care of everybody else, and I just sort of hit a wall," she explained.

Hollywood stars Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe tied the knot in 1999, after which they had two children. In 2006, the couple separated, and two years later they were officially divorced. Speaking to Elle, Witherspoon shared that taking equal responsibility for the divorce was important. "Blame, blame, blame. You know," she said, adding that self-reflection was crucial at the time. "What part of this do I need to own? Which part of this is my responsibility? And that's the painful work that you have to go through to hopefully get some real-life knowledge out of it" (via People).

Former Disney star Hilary Duff tied the knot with former ice hockey player Mike Comrie in 2010, and two years later they welcomed their son. However, their marriage didn't last much longer, as they separated in 2014 and officially divorced in 2016. On the podcast "The Love Bomb," Duff opened up about the reasons. "It is a sacred thing, obviously, it's something to be taken very seriously," she shared, adding, "I think we handled it very consciously and with a lot of love, but marriage is sacred and marriage is not for everyone. Marriage is work."