The 10 NASTIEST Celebrity Divorces
Kevin Costner & Christine Baumgartner
Top 20 Hilarious Kevin Hart Moments
In May 2023, after nearly 19 years of marriage, model and handbag designer Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce from Hollywood actor Kevin Costner. The proceedings quickly escalated, as the former couple disagreed over everything from child support payments to Baumgartner leaving their Malibu home. The designer was eventually forced out of the property, a condition stipulated in their prenup agreement. Subsequently, Costner insisted on a reimbursement of the legal costs he incurred during Baumgartner's challenge to their prenup, amounting to nearly $100,000. The exes eventually settled their child support dispute in September, when a judge ordered Costner to pay about $100,000 less than what Baumgartner requested. Later that month, they managed to reach an amicable agreement, officially concluding their divorce proceedings.
Denise Richards & Charlie Sheen
The union between Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen began to unravel in March 2005 when Richards filed for divorce while pregnant with their second daughter. Despite attempts to reconcile, the couple ultimately proceeded with the divorce in 2006. Richards alleged that Sheen was in possession of explicit material involving apparent minors, and that he had made several threats on her life. This led her to seek a restraining order against him. Their divorce was finalized in November 2006, with Sheen ordered to stay 300 feet away from Richards and their daughters. Nearly a decade later, Richards sued Sheen for $1.2 million, alleging that he kicked them out of their home and failed to provide financial support.
Sandra Bullock & Jesse James
Top 10 Moments That Made Us Love Sandra Oh
In early 2010, while actress Sandra Bullock received acclaim and awards for her performance in the sports drama “The Blind Side,” sordid revelations about her husband, Jesse James, emerged. Several women alleged that James had engaged in illicit affairs with them while married to Bullock. James admitted to his infidelity and publicly apologized to Bullock and their children, although he maintained that many of the allegations were false. The scandal became a huge embarrassment for Bullock, leading her to cancel multiple public appearances due to “unforeseen personal reasons”. Bullock filed for divorce from James in April 2010, citing his infidelity as the reason their marriage could not continue. The divorce was finalized two months later.
Alec Baldwin & Kim Basinger
After seven years of marriage, Hollywood actors Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger separated in December 2000. That marked the end of their union and the beginning of a nasty custody dispute over their daughter, Ireland, that lasted about as long as the marriage itself. The two dragged each other to court in a legal battle that cost millions of dollars and significantly affected both of their careers. Things came to a head in 2007, when a voicemail from Baldwin leaked to the public, in which he called Ireland a “rude, thoughtless little pig” for not answering his call. The incident drew widespread attention, intensifying the already severe public scrutiny around the former couple’s bitter dispute.
Debbie Reynolds & Eddie Fisher
The scandalous love triangle that ended this celebrity marriage was, ironically, the stuff of Hollywood movies. Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher tied the knot in 1955 and maintained a close friendship with fellow celebrity couple, Elizabeth Taylor and Mike Todd. After Todd passed away in a plane crash in 1958, Fisher soon began an affair with Taylor. He ultimately left Reynolds and their two children, and married Taylor the following year. The scandal attracted widespread attention, resulting in intense public backlash against Fisher and Taylor. So negative was the publicity that Fisher’s variety TV show was canceled. Despite the fallout, Taylor and Reynolds reconciled years later, humorously addressing the scandal in their 2001 TV film “These Old Broads”.
Arnold Schwarzenegger & Maria Shriver
For 25 years, action star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was married to TV journalist Maria Shriver. However, in May 2011, their union ended abruptly when Shriver moved out of their shared home. The reason for this sudden separation was revealed a week later: Shriver had discovered that Schwarzenegger fathered a son with their housekeeper 14 years earlier. In fact, this son had been born just days after Shriver gave birth to her youngest child with Schwarzenegger. Although this revelation triggered a media frenzy, the divorce proceedings between the two remained largely quiet and free of tensions. In 2021, ten years after Shriver initially filed the papers, the divorce between the former couple was finalized.
Tiger Woods & Elin Nordegren
In November 2009, legendary golfer Tiger Woods was involved in a car crash just outside his Florida home. Although Woods only sustained minor injuries from the incident, it triggered a series of revelations that inflicted lasting damage on his marriage. Over the next few weeks, several women came forward with claims that Woods had cheated on his wife, Elin Nordegren, with them. The professional golfer eventually owned up to these allegations, publicly apologized to his family and went on an indefinite hiatus from the sport to focus on his marriage. Despite these efforts, their union officially came to an end in August 2010. The scandal cost Woods several sponsorship deals and resulted in a divorce settlement of about $100 million.
Johnny Depp & Amber Heard
Top 10 Lawyer Moments From The Johnny Depp Amber Heard Trial
The marriage between Hollywood actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard had lasted just over a year when Heard filed for divorce, citing Depp’s alleged violent behavior. She was granted a temporary restraining order against him but eventually settled the divorce, seemingly on amicable terms. However, in 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post implying that she had experienced domestic violence from Depp. Consequently, Depp sued Heard for defamation, asserting that he was the actual victim of domestic violence in the marriage. Heard countersued Depp, setting off a highly publicized defamation trial in 2022. In the end, a jury ruled that Heard had defamed Depp, while dismissing all but one of the claims in her countersuit.
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
Does Thor 4 Deliver? Christian Bale Returns As Batman? Brad Pitt To Retire?
Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie officially began their relationship following the dissolution of Pitt’s marriage to actress Jennifer Aniston. After 12 years together, including two years of marriage, Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016. The former couple were declared legally single in April 2019, but have remained in a bitter legal dispute over custody of their underage children. In 2022, Jolie revealed allegations of domestic violence from Pitt, including violent behavior towards their child, which led to an FBI investigation in 2016. Their divorce proceedings have been further complicated by Jolie’s sale of her shares in a French winery co-owned with Pitt to a Russian billionaire. This move was reportedly perceived by Pitt as retaliatory. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Kim Kardashian & Kanye West Even After Separating, West Verbally Attacked Kardashian and Then-Boyfriend, Pete Davidson Kelly Clarkson & Brandon Blackstock The “American Idol” Winner Paid $1.3 Million to Blackstock, Plus Monthly Child Support of About $45,000 Paul McCartney & Heather Mills Their Bitter Divorce Resulted in a Massive Nearly $50 Million Settlement for Mills Jon & Kate Gosselin At the Height of Their TV Fame, the Gosselins Shockingly Decided to Part Ways
Princess Diana & Prince Charles
How Elizabeth Debicki Prepared to Play Princess Diana in The Crown
This royal couple first met in 1977 and exchanged vows in a lavish fairytale ceremony four years later. However, their marriage faced challenges stemming from their age difference and Charles’ rekindled romance with ex-girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles. Diana also engaged in extramarital affairs, further straining the marriage. Despite Queen Elizabeth II’s efforts to mend their relationship, Diana and Charles decided to separate in 1992. Three years later, Diana gave a bombshell TV interview, in which she addressed Charles’ infidelity and her own mental health struggles. This was the final nail in the coffin. The couple officially divorced in 1996, with Diana retaining widespread public sympathy. Tragically, she met her untimely demise in a car crash one year later. What other messy celebrity divorce did not make our list? Let us know in the comments below.
