30 Movies That Ended in Divorce for These Celebrity Couples
/granite-web-prod/b5/3d/b53da25da76b46f7b63c9e49809917f1.jpeg)
Who remembers “Gigli,” the horrible Hollywood misfire that not only was a box office bomb, but also effectively ended Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s relationship? It’s said they were close to finally getting to the altar, but then along came “Gigli.”
Wait, they’re back together again…? Maybe it’s time for “Gigli 2.”
We can all laugh about how the notorious stinker of a film precipitated Affleck and Lopez going their separate ways, but it’s key to remember they hadn’t yet gotten married. The same cannot be said for these 30 films, which served to either sever a Hollywood marriage or finally get it past the breaking point.
"Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
/granite-web-prod/b8/5a/b85a7f39cc6a424d9bd9c464629e06f2.jpeg)
Year released: 1991
Couple that split: James Cameron & Kathryn Bigelow
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/61/21/6121a67374094abe9497d63ee08a966d.jpeg)
It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since “Ahnold” turned from bad guy to good for the “Terminator” sequel, where he did battle with a liquid metal assassin (Robert Patrick). But a whole other battle was brewing behind the camera, as director James Cameron’s marriage to fellow director Kathryn Bigelow was about to go kablooie while he romanced “T2” star Linda Hamilton, whom he would eventually marry.
Despite the infidelity, Cameron and Bigelow remain friendly, and they even sat together when “Avatar” was up for 2009’s best picture against Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” — which won.
"Cleopatra"
/granite-web-prod/e0/b1/e0b1a4a8543a4f4ca7dc4d37c6bff20f.jpeg)
Year released: 1963
Couples that split: Elizabeth Taylor & Eddie Fisher; Richard Burton & Sybil Williams
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/22/27/2227c9946acd43cb91287b7daccd1f18.jpeg)
Richard Burton was as famous for his amazing acting as for his playboy image and rampant boozing and infidelity. Burton was cast in the mega-production “Cleopatra” to portray Marc Anthony to Liz Taylor’s Cleopatra.
The production was infamous for costing a fortune and running way overschedule, which likely gave Burton and Taylor ample time to get much closer on the set. Their affair broke up their respective marriages and led to one of Hollywood’s most notorious unions: Burton and Taylor married and divorced twice.
"Days of Thunder"
/granite-web-prod/cf/71/cf7100005b0141e5860dab8570cb56af.jpeg)
Year released: 1990
Couple that split: Tom Cruise & Mimi Rogers
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/0a/73/0a7394f82b93483d9112814624f50715.jpeg)
It was off to the races for Tom and Nicole on the set of “Days of Thunder,” as fireworks were popping between the couple both on screen and off. Never mind that Cruise was at the time married to actress Mimi Rogers (oops).
Cruise and Rogers’ divorce was official at the start of 1990, “Days of Thunder” came out that summer, and by the Christmas season, Cruise and Kidman became the “it” couple of the decade — both legally and in the tabloids.
"The Misfits"
/granite-web-prod/7e/6c/7e6ca2afe7184ed5994f2bd81eb4d8b4.jpeg)
Year released: 1961
Couple that split: Marilyn Monroe & Arthur Miller
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/e7/1a/e71a4bd4c8c846d0b34a3864b622e137.jpeg)
America’s most famous playwright and most glamorous movie star tied the knot in 1956, becoming an instant power couple. Rumors of a stormy marriage were rampant, and Monroe is said to have unearthed Miller’s diary, in which he wrote of worrying that Monroe’s fame was eclipsing his own.
However, the pair continued to move forward, and Miller wrote the screenplay for “The Misfits,” specifically as a starring vehicle for his wife. The gambit didn’t work, and “The Misfits” pulled down the curtain on their union.
"Mr. & Mrs. Smith"
/granite-web-prod/34/99/3499230566ca4e7ab9ca8d6d7617c10a.jpeg)
Year released: 2005
Couple that split: Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/b6/47/b6478c6f034940198736705d780375a0.jpeg)
In the early aughts, “Bradifer” was one of the hottest celebrity couples out there, with a collective beauty and fortune that was the envy of the world — perhaps also of Angelina Jolie, Pitt’s costar in the action comedy “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.”
Jolie was recently divorced from Billy Bob Thornton, and the chemistry she and Pitt had on screen translated to more in between the sheets. The new couple soon adopted a boatload of kids and married at their chateau in France in 2014. (From all indications, Pitt and Aniston remain amicable.)
"The Last Picture Show"
/granite-web-prod/d7/49/d74924903e14453b8052a66230951b31.jpeg)
Year released: 1971
Couple that split: Peter Bogdanovich & Polly Platt
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/0c/af/0caf011987694505aaac5b5e4d7cd115.jpeg)
Peter Bogdanovich is said to have “found” Cybill Shepherd on the cover of a magazine and knew she had to be the leading lady in “The Last Picture Show,” his seminal black-and-white film about a dying Texas town and its lone movie screen.
Soon enough, Bogdanovich, then 32, commenced an affair with Shepherd, 21 at the time of filming. The scandal broke up his marriage to producer Polly Platt, and Bogdanovich and Shepherd spent most of the 1970s as an unmarried couple.
"Snow White & the Huntsman"
/granite-web-prod/fa/b9/fab9fcbb37ac42a0812a579ca0f57678.jpeg)
Year released: 2012
Couple that split: Rupert Sanders & Liberty Ross
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/54/73/54735728c32044a9b9555ab767a6770b.jpeg)
The dramatic retelling of the Snow White legend starred Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, who became a couple after working together in the “Twilight” films. But unlike their steamy duo in those vampire flicks, their love wouldn’t last forever, as Stewart was photographed sneaking around with her “Snow White & the Huntsman” director, Rupert Sanders, who at the time was married to model-actress Liberty Ross.
Despite trying to reconcile, Sanders and Ross called it quits in 2014. Stewart and Pattinson got back together for a time but also split for good in 2013.
"Proof of Life"
/granite-web-prod/1d/f3/1df34da431b046e194998da72826cd44.jpeg)
Year released: 2000
Couple that split: Dennis Quaid & Meg Ryan
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/81/92/8192f8cbd37740a78eded65ba0524bdc.jpeg)
Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid tied the knot in 1991 after starring together in such ’80s flicks as “Innerspace” and “D.O.A.” Things seemed to be going well for both of their careers, and the couple welcomed son Jack — now also an actor — in 1992.
Then along came Russell Crowe. Ryan and Crowe costarred in the 2000 international thriller “Proof of Life” and commenced a steamy affair. Her marriage to Quaid went belly-up, but so too would her affair with Crowe, which was short-lived.
"House of Wax"
/granite-web-prod/eb/13/eb13210acf464646a330961ddfcedb0d.jpeg)
Year released: 2005
Couple that split: Chad Michael Murray & Sophia Bush
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/8c/75/8c75accc622e4789a36e83b0c2dc0db4.jpeg)
Actors Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush met on the TV show “One Tree Hill.” The pair began dating in 2003 and married in 2005, causing many fans of the show no small amount of joy. Murray was off to Australia for production of “House of Wax,” a remake of a horror movie from the 1950s.
Rumors flew that Murray and costar Paris Hilton were getting rather cozy, though it was never confirmed. Either way, Bush filed for an annulment, and the marriage was kaput five months after it started.
"To Have and Have Not"
/granite-web-prod/6b/82/6b82b9a4c44d43b6a16b9d27d8465a0f.jpeg)
Year released: 1944
Couple that split: Humphrey Bogart and Mayo Methot
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/57/00/5700c3b55a4d4de3b24369baebd9dd34.jpeg)
Appropriately enough, one of Hollywood’s most famous unions began under rather notorious circumstances. Humphrey Bogart was hired by director Howard Hawks to star in “To Have and Have Not,” loosely based on Ernest Hemingway’s short story.
Despite being married to actress Mayo Methot, Bogart, 45, fell head over heels for costar Lauren Bacall, who was just 19. Bogart divorced Methot and married Bacall swiftly thereafter. They were together until he died in 1957.
"The Outlaw Josey Wales"
/granite-web-prod/7a/b3/7ab3b593fb0640ce8ccbe09e1a82fa70.jpeg)
Year released: 1976
Couple that split: Clint Eastwood & Maggie Johnson
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/be/1a/be1a6af13b0544f09afaa47f6e1aa5a2.png)
Clint Eastwood’s marriage to Maggie Johnson was rife with rumors of strife more or less from the get go, and that included numerous affairs by Dirty Harry. In 1976, Eastwood directed and starred as the titular bandido in “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” and he cast the beautiful Sondra Locke for the western.
Eastwood and Locke, who was also married, began an affair that lasted for several years. Eastwood divorced Johnson to be with Locke, who elected to remain legally wed to her husband for the rest of her life in spite of shacking up with Eastwood.
"Shanghai Surprise"
/granite-web-prod/64/f3/64f35aeab3904fbda95787be2310fdac.jpeg)
Year released: 1986
Couple that split: Sean Penn & Madonna
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/81/3e/813ec70c9c3c43ef9fdb16423650812e.jpeg)
No surprise that “Shanghai Surprise” left audiences yawning when it hit theaters in 1986. Costars Sean Penn and Madonna were married at the time, and the couple was tabloid fodder thanks to Penn’s reported temper (though Madonna has since said reports of Penn being physically abusive during their marriage were inaccurate).
Whatever was going on in their marriage, working together on “Shanghai Surprise” spelled the beginning of the end, and Madonna soon filed for divorce.
"Titanic"
/granite-web-prod/e3/bf/e3bf7a0ea375411688cfe20585802513.jpeg)
Year released: 1997
Couple that split: James Cameron & Linda Hamilton
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/19/ec/19ec0b2ff06e4fa7962f47e860ca7334.png)
Recall earlier, we told you about director James Cameron leaving wife Kathryn Bigelow for his “Terminator” star Linda Hamilton? Well, this became a bit of a habit, as during the very, very lengthy production of “Titanic,” Cameron started romancing actress Suzy Amis, who he later married.
Hamilton not only raked in some $50 million in the divorce, but she actually worked with Cameron again on 2019’s “Terminator: Dark Fate.” We guess money can buy off any bad feelings.
"By the Sea"
/granite-web-prod/cb/85/cb8569653edd4eb0ac4a0a1545546a90.jpeg)
Year released: 2016
Couple that split: Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/01/80/0180d8f7745b47ff9284b919eb706dbd.jpeg)
What an interestingly strange trip it was for Brangelina, going all the way back to “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” in 2005, when Brad left Jennifer Anniston for Jolie. Fast-forward nearly a decade when Jolie took a swing behind the camera directing “By the Sea” with her and Pitt, of course, in starring roles.
So get this: The story revolves around a couple (Pitt and Jolie) trying to work on their marriage — and set against the beautiful beaches of Malta. But the flick grossed barely $3 million, critics labeled it a stinker of a vanity project and, very shortly thereafter, Brangelina was no more — mirroring their fictional counterparts.
"Daredevil"
/granite-web-prod/6c/83/6c83eb3be90d4e45aa592a86d304e39e.jpeg)
Year released: 2003
Couple that split: Jennifer Garner & Scott Foley
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/6e/8f/6e8fff5615f4493c94f36d811e5c19c7.png)
No, we’re not talking about the high-quality Netflix series. Rather, let’s look back at the 2003 big-screen iteration of the superhero Daredevil, which paired Ben Affleck with Jennifer Garner.
Yes, Affleck’s character was blind, but he could see well enough to be attracted to Garner, who was at the time married to Scott Foley (her “Felicity” costar). Although Affleck kicked his previous Jen — Jennifer Lopez — to the curb in favor of Garner, Affleck and Lopez might be back together again. Ah, Hollywood.
"Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein"
/granite-web-prod/37/3d/373df1d6c7434fafb1c3f1c32b28df26.jpeg)
Year released: 1994
Couple that split: Kenneth Branagh & Emma Thompson
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/a5/d6/a5d6720e8eb44f718c9d15285b20ccd6.jpeg)
Director-star Kennethy Branagh’s take on the “modern” Prometheus myth, as dreamt up by Mary Shelley, was rather dark and not precisely entertaining. Actually, it’s a bloated mess despite a first-rate cast that includes John Cleese, Tom Hulce and even Robert De Niro as Frankenstein’s Monster.
And unlike James Whale’s 1931 classic, this time, the Monster speaks rather than grunts all the time, allowing De Niro to be, well, De Niro. At the time, Branagh was married to fellow Brit Emma Thompson, but that marriage ended not long after he fell hard for his leading lady, Helena Bonham Carter.
"Green Lantern"
/granite-web-prod/88/ac/88acf9a8b09542619d18e56dbaddef1f.jpeg)
Year released: 2011
Couple that split: Ryan Reynolds & Scarlett Johansson
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/28/e9/28e937e5816a4644b0c96de8be3f04c3.jpeg)
Absolutely nothing good came of “Green Lantern.” For one, the movie was positively panned by critics, who derided its limpid screenplay, uncertain tone and, well, waaaaay too much green. That’s to say nothing of what was going on behind the cameras, as star Ryan Reynolds and wife Scarlet Johansson filed divorce papers a few months after production ended.
He was soon seen canoodling with “Green Lantern” costar Blake Lively, who had only recently broken up with beau Penn Badgley.
"Mind Over Murder"
/granite-web-prod/7d/78/7d78f639d25941e2bd4be1cea22f69d1.jpeg)
Year released: 2005
Couples that split: Tori Spelling & Charlie Shanian; Dean McDermott & Mary Jo Eustace
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/bd/6b/bd6b5b8453d447459d321b079e50baa7.jpeg)
Wowsers, “Mind Over Murder” broke up not just one but two celebrity marriages. It’s true, though, as Tori Spelling (“90210”) and costar Dean McDermott (“Earth: Final Conflict”) started sleeping together almost from the start after meeting on the set of “Mind Over Murder.”
They both divorced their spouses, eloped to Fiji and now have five children. Who says there are no happy endings?
"Northern Lights"
/granite-web-prod/a1/f6/a1f6b8e120e440bdab369462febf0465.jpeg)
Year released: 2009
Couples that split: LeAnn Rimes & Dean Sheremet; Eddie Cibrian & Brandi Glanville
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/a9/6d/a96d41c2c03840be8e71a69ce36c2ca3.png)
Actors are supposed to be good at faking emotions, including love and attraction, but sometimes, it’s more than an act. Music superstar LeAnn Rimes was keen to also try her hand at acting, and she found a vehicle in the TV film “Northern Lights.”
Cast beside her was heartthrob Eddie Cibrian (“CSI: Miami”), with whom she shared romance both onscreen and off. Their respective marriages imploded, and Rimes and Cibrian have been together ever since.
"Zoolander 2"
/granite-web-prod/f7/0a/f70ae8f7869a420ab174d7a6d5ddecee.jpeg)
Year released: 2016
Couple that split: Ben Stiller & Christine Taylor
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/82/45/824503c0683e4dd8be60fb08281476e9.jpeg)
Christine Taylor appeared in a great many of husband Ben Stiller’s so-called “Frat Pack” flicks, always holding her own against Stiller and his man-child buddies. And while we can’t precisely “blame” the underwhelming “Zoolander 2” for causing Stiller and Taylor to call it quits after 17 years of marriage, we can point to it as the last of the major movies the pair made before divorcing.
Word is they remain on friendly terms and share joint custody of their kids.
"Boyhood"
/granite-web-prod/13/d3/13d31838117c462485c4ada2ee299c92.jpeg)
Year released: 2014
Couple that split: Patricia Arquette & Thomas Jane
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/dd/b7/ddb7525ef3004c97810966feb6a3678c.jpeg)
“Boyhood” was an extraordinary cinematic experiment unlike any other, as its main character Mason (Ellar Coltrane) ages not only in the film but in real life. Writer-director Richard Linklater (of the “Before” trilogy and “Dazed and Confused”) filmed Coltrane over the course of 12 years, with Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette playing his parents as he grows up.
And because the shoot took so long, Arquette had enough time to meet, marry and divorce actor Thomas Jane. But she also took home an Oscar for “Boyhood,” so there’s that.
"Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll"
/granite-web-prod/9f/7c/9f7c4dc6162747b4999659757494dbea.jpeg)
Year released: N/A
Couple that split: Marilyn Manson & Dita Von Teese
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/d9/06/d9065609d79b49e5971cd931d8daae84.jpeg)
We all know that the musician Marilyn Manson is out there — as in way, way out there. The shock rocker even cooked up the idea for a surreal exploration of “Alice in Wonderland” creator Lewis Carroll as a movie to be called “Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.”
The trailer was so shocking that the project was immediately canceled, and around the same time, Manson’s wife, Dita Von Teese, filed for divorce. Abuse allegations have surrounded Manson for years, but Von Teese says that Manson was never abusive to her — only unfaithful.
"Stop-Loss"
/granite-web-prod/07/18/0718dfc82b8c4d8ea829f38b0b32dc8c.jpeg)
Year released: 2008
Couple that split: Reese Witherspoon & Ryan Phillippe
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/e9/ad/e9ad6b30774d473bba2ad2f110894999.jpeg)
Things have to be seriously wrong if you step out on Reese Witherspoon, but that’s precisely what happened during the filming of the 2008 military-themed drama “Stop-Loss.”
Phillippe and costar Abbie Cornish were said to have been caught, with Witherspoon unearthing saucy texts between the two. Phillippe claimed the marriage was already on the rocks by that point. Whatever the case, Witherspoon and Phillippe’s nine-year marriage was over.
"Fosse/Verdon"
/granite-web-prod/ec/01/ec0130369c6a4c05b2cfeaf86e64ac9c.jpeg)
Year released: 2019
Couple that split: Michelle Williams & Phil Elverum; Thomas Kail & Angela Christian
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/1a/c1/1ac15c4d66e0461fb26e785009d5b539.jpeg)
Michelle Williams has had a rather stormy love life. She had a daughter with Heath Ledger, who tragically died of an accidental drug overdose in 2008, and spent several years seeking a special someone else before marrying musician Phil Elverum in 2016.
Yet more trouble was on the horizon when Williams began seeing her “Fosse/Verdon” director Thomas Kail. Williams and Kail divorced their respective spouses and then married in 2020.
"Eyes Wide Shut"
/granite-web-prod/c4/99/c499d0f89de848a195e2438d1dcdbe59.jpeg)
Year released: 1999
Couple that split: Nicole Kidman & Tom Cruise
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/04/c3/04c3e60e5d2149c7a246ff90a5b78bcb.png)
The late filmmaker Stanley Kubrick was notorious for his perfectionistic work ethic, requiring take after take after take after take until he got the shot precisely as he wanted. His final film, “Eyes Wide Shut,” was in production for a world record-setting 400 consecutive days, which would take its toll on anyone — including its stars, Cruise and Kidman, who had to live and work in London throughout the mammoth shoot.
Kubrick died mere days after approving the final edits, and “Eyes Wide Shut” opened in the summer of 1999. Tom and Nicole, however, didn’t make it beyond the spring of 2001 — their “days of thunder” were over at last.
"The Getaway"
/granite-web-prod/b4/16/b4165ce6a458424699e46e18b016204e.jpeg)
Year released: 1971
Couple that split: Ali MacGraw & Robert Evans
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/8e/8e/8e8e84607682422f978843f237ac5688.jpeg)
There might never have been as singular a face to hit movie screens as Steve McQueen, the macho man who became the archetype of masculinity for a generation of moviegoers.
He also successfully romanced Ali MacGraw, his costar in “The Getaway,” stealing her away from uber-producer Robert Evans. Rather apropos for a film about a bank heist.
"Dangerous Liaisons"
/granite-web-prod/9a/02/9a0224ec55ff4cc58cc2c204201ccf8a.jpeg)
Year released: 1988
Couple that split: John Malkovich & Glenne Headly
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/b5/62/b5622a945b804b1d97c4d1e46d310a8a.jpeg)
“Dangerous Liaisons” was a sexy, late-’80s flick about power and seduction, and it appears the fireworks of the story weren’t limited to the script. John Malkovich portrayed seductor Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont, who was dared by Glenn Close’s character to seduce a virginal society girl (Uma Thuman) betrothed to Close’s ex-lover.
Malkovich’s character would get to that, eventually, but first, he’s off to bed with the married character played by Michelle Pfeiffer. Life imitated art, as Malkovich and Pfeiffer had a real-life affair that sabotaged his marriage to actress Glenne Headly.
"Planet of the Apes"
/granite-web-prod/a2/5e/a25edd2f8f4941529bc8a647821421bc.jpeg)
Year released: 2001
Couple that split: Helena Bonham Carter & Kenneth Branagh
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/93/c0/93c07ab535be464293cab6e66138adb2.jpeg)
Apparently not content to break up just one celebrity marriage (recall she already stole Kenneth Branagh away from Emma Thompson), Helena Bonham Carter went for the exacta nearly a decade later when she was cast in Tim Burton’s multimillion-dollar “Planet of the Apes” remake.
Bonham Carter’s marriage to Branagh was effectively kaput, and Burton at the time was engaged to model/actress Lisa Marie Smith, whom he had cast in several of his films up to that point. However, thanks to “Apes,” Bonham Carter thereafter became both Burton’s muse and spouse.
"Gone Girl"
/granite-web-prod/80/2c/802c9ea8529348cb9b6d913c9af8180a.jpeg)
Year released: 2014
Couple that split: Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/f7/bd/f7bdfa5202054674a08431a4f1e0416d.jpeg)
Somebody tell Ben Affleck that a big-budget Hollywood set isn’t a dating service! Recall that he hooked up with Jennifer Garner in 2003 on “Daredevil,” and they’d subsequently wed after wrecking both of their respective marriages.
Well, ol’ Ben was at it yet again on the set of the creepy thriller “Gone Girl,” where he was allegedly involved with his much-younger costar Emily Ratajkowski. Whether the supposed affair was the proximal or eventual cause, Affleck and Garner were divorced by 2018.
"Underworld"
/granite-web-prod/ea/9b/ea9be789ab4c4efb91713ac117bb3b98.jpeg)
Year released: 2003
Couple that split: Len Wiseman & Dana Wiseman
How the Movie Ended in Divorce
/granite-web-prod/4f/ec/4fecfe81eabf4ebf86c071ca079a5050.jpeg)
Beneath the scenes of “Underworld” was a hidden world of drama and gossip. Star Kate Beckinsale came to the set attached to actor Michael Sheen, with whom she already had a baby, and director Len Wiseman had been married for several years, too.
Beckinsale and Wiseman went swapsies, embarking on a union not only personally but for the “Underworld” series, too. They married in 2004 but by 2016 were on the outs.