On a personal level, we wouldn't know most celebrities from a bar of soap. But with every sparring moment of their existence broadcasted and splashed over social media, it's hard to avoid empathising with their ongoing relationship woes.
Copping the dagger of their divorces can be surprisingly shattering.
Naturally, we decided to open up old wounds, and relive the trauma of some of the most shocking celebrity breakups over the past six decades.
1960s – Frank Sinatra and Nancy Barbato
The original Casanova, Frank Sinatra shared three children with Nancy Barbato, though he also shared many more marital affairs. Ava Gardner won his hand after Nancy filed for divorce, but she eventually broke his heart by packing it in, as well. Three more failed marriages lead to his wedding with Barbara Marx – the only one that lasted 'till death do they part'.
1970s – Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
Elizabeth’s love life was arguably more reputable than even her professional life, with seven marriages and a likely number of affairs up her sleeve. Her track record of husbands include the heir to the Hilton Hotels chain, a man 20 years her senior, a theatre and film producer, his friend (a singer), a co-star, a Republican politician, a Mexican lawyer, and a construction worker. Her relationship with the co-star, Richard Burton, was often referred to as the ‘marriage of the century’ by the media, and even she later stated that “all men after Richard were really just company”.
1980s – Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue
Even recently, Jason Donovan has revealed to the media that he still struggles to talk to his former flame, admitting the breakup was ‘a pretty big punch to take’. He and Kylie Minogue started dating while starring together as teenagers in 'Neighbours'. They split unexpectedly in 1989 when she left him for INXS singer Michael Hutchence. Guess he could ‘never tear them apart’.{youtube}v=aGuNsiSZ9RI{/youtube}
1990s – Princess Diana and Prince Charles
What was widely described as a ‘fairy-tale wedding’, watched by a global television audience of 750 million, fell apart as equally grandly. Within only five years of the marriage, Diana began publicly firing cheating accusations about Charles’ and Camilla Bowles – who were swiftly married following the divorce.{youtube}v=l6TDNm0VbrE{/youtube}
2000s – Rihanna and Chris Brown
It was HOW they broke up that truly shocked the public – a domestic violence episode in 2009 that left Rihanna bruised and bloodied, and forever tainted Chris Brown’s career. She blamed his control issues for the aggressiveness, while he strangely compared their relationship to Romeo and Juliet. Don’t you remember how that one ended, Chris?
2010s – Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Brangelina, one of the world’s most visually striking couples, parents to six children (three of which are adopted) and together for over ten years – everybody is unsurprisingly shaken by Angelina’s recent file for divorce. While Brad’s left battling allegations of affairs with the co-star in his upcoming movie, we just can’t help but wonder what Jennifer Anniston’s thinking.Of course there have been a huge number of tragic splits over the years, but we had to keep it short and sweet.
What celeb separations have shocked you?
