As 2023 comes to a close it is hard to ignore the memorable events that have happened this year. In the entertainment world, the most noteworthy event would be the numerous celebrity divorces that occurred. More than a dozen high-profile couples have called it quits whether it be for long distance, their busy schedules or personal differences. Many couples we thought would live happily ever after have sadly closed the book on their relationships.
Believe it or not, some couples who divorced this year were only together for one year like actress, Sophia Bush and researcher, Grant Hughes. Bush and Hughes “… were friends for 10 years and bonded through COVID through their love of community service,” a source told People magazine. The pair split shortly after celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary, but the reason is unknown. Actors, Hugh Jackman and Deborra Lee-Furness were married for 27 years, but 2023 would be the year their relationship would end, too. The two told People magazine “We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”
Alongside the couples mentioned above, many more have ended their relationships. Couples such as Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez, Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello, and Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner all fall on the list of highly unexpected celebrity divorces that happened this year. Most recently (and to much of our surprise), actress Jada Pinkett Smith revealed in her tell-all memoir that she and her husband, Will Smith have been separated since 2016. Although Jada insists the couple are “ … still figuring it out,” this separation was just as shocking to Will as it was to non-celebs. In an interview with E! News, Will says “When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life a sort of emotional blindness sets in.”
This year’s list of breakups and divorces can seem disheartening to a hopeless romantic like myself. In film and television, viewers are sold the idea of a once-in-a-lifetime love and that it is the best thing one can obtain. As time progresses it becomes easier to see that idea isn’t always true and society has become more accepting of unconventional relationships. All of these celebrity divorces should be a reminder that it is natural for people to outgrow each other. These celebs have shown that sometimes love isn’t enough and they’re normal people with imperfections and relationship troubles, too.
References
Caruso, S. (n.d.). Celebrity couples who broke up in 2023. Peoplemag. https://people.com/celebrity/celebrity-breakups-of-2023/
Celebrity Break Ups and divorces 2023 – cosmopolitan. (n.d.-b). https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/g44441257/celebrity-break-ups-divorces/
YouTube. (2023, October 16). Will smith breaks silence on Jada Pinkett Smith’s Bombshell memoir | e! news. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3r_N90hR0c