It is just after the holiday season but it feels more like divorce season. In the celebrity world, anyways. Even in Hollywood or amongst celebrities not everything has a fairytale ending. 2011 was a big year in celebrity splits. Some were expected (Katy Perry and Russell Brand) while others weren’t. Here is my list of the 10 most shocking celebrity splits of 2011 in no particular order.
1) Debra Messing and Daniel Zelman: The Will & Grace star Debra Messing and her husband quietly separated early in 2011 after being married ten years. When it finally got out the official release through their representative said that the decision was mutual. It obviously is an amicable split as they are still living together in their New York City apartment for the benefit of their 7-year-old son. Messing and Zelman met as students at NYU and married in 2000.
2) Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore: Many thought that this marriage would not last due to the 16 year age difference. The two actors defied predictions by making it work for almost 6 years. After her divorce from first husband Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher began dating in 2003 and got married in an under the radar ceremony in Beverly Hills in the fall of 2005. In November 2011, after plenty of rumours about Kutcher having been caught with another woman, Demi Moore issued a statement saying that she was divorcing Kutcher. It showed great foresight when Moore was earlier quoted as saying that “The truth is you can have a great marriage, but there are still no guarantees.”
3) Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony: Third time was not a charm for JLo. Though her relationship with Marc at 7 and a half years was the longest she’s had with a man. In July, the couple issued a joint statement that they were ending their 7 year marriage. Rumours are that a custody battle will be next. Jennifer and Marc have 3-year-old twins. Lopez seems to have moved on as she is dating her much younger tour dancer. Jennifer and Marc’s wedding took place at her home in Beverly Hills in June 2004.
4) Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger: In July, Maria Shriver filed for divorce from the former Governor of California after they had been married for 25 years. She cited the usual “irreconcilable differences” after it came out that Schwarzenegger had fathered a now-teenage son with a household employee. It was reported in December that the devout Roman Catholic Shriver was having second thoughts about divorce and Arnold was doing everything he could to win back his wife. However, sources close to the family say that they are not reconciling rather are committed to raising their four children together.
5) Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard: People magazine reported in December that actress Jessica Lange and actor/playwright Sam Shepard had ended their relationship sometime in 2009. They managed to keep it quiet for two years. The two had never married, but were together 27 years. The two have two children, a daughter named Hannah Jane and a son named Samuel Walker, born in 1985 and 1987 respectively.
6) Mila Kunis and Macaulay Culkin: Together for 8 years, actors Mila Kunis and Macaulay Culkin confirmed that they had broken up in January 2011. Of course a spokesperson said that the split was amicable and that they remain close friends. The relationship ended a quietly as it was conducted with the two young people managing to stay out of the headlines. Not seeming too upset about the breakup Kunis was quoted as saying “I don’t remember being single. I love coming home, taking a bath, and having a glass of wine. I love my life.”
7) Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant: They met in 1999 when she was 17 and he was 21. It was a fairytale romance. They got engaged when Vanessa was still in high school. The wedding took place in 2001 in California. It wasn’t too long when cracks in the relationship began showing. Bryant was accused in 2003 of sexually assaulting a woman in Colorado. He always has maintained the sex was consensual. The charges brought plenty of unwanted attention on the couple. The charges were dropped in 2004 and in 2005 a civil suit was filed then settled out of court. What remained was the fact that Bryant had cheated on Vanessa. Since they survived this it was assumed that they would always remain married. That isn’t the case. Right around Christmas 2011 Vanessa filed for divorce. The couple has two daughters and no prenuptial agreement. Since the couple was together a decade under California law Vanessa is entitled to half of Kobe’s assets.
8) Zoe Saldana and Keith Britton: They were engaged a year and had been a couple for 11 years when Saldana and Britton ended their relationship. In mid-November they announced that they had called it quits. The two said the split was amicable, blah, blah, blah. A representative also issued the statement that the two would continue acting as business partners for their fashion resource business, myfdb.com.
9) Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly: Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and Esquire’s Sexiest Women Alive Minka Kelly broke up at the end of August. This eliminated the constant rumours about an engagement and wedding. The two were together 3 years. They might have to be eliminated from the list as the 31-year-old actress and 37-year-old baseball player were seen together in Paris around the New Year. They took in the sights together, but stayed in separate hotels. Hard to tell as the couple kept very quiet about their relationship and break up.
10) John Mellencamp and Elaine Irwin: The rocker and former supermodel separated in 2010 and their divorce was finalized in August 2011. Mellancamp was the one who filed for divorce a mere two months after announcing the separation. They were married for 18 years and have two sons. The two were married in September 1992. There are rumours that Mellencamp is dating actress Meg Ryan.
