Hollywood heartbreaks of 2021
Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Ben Affleck and more faced breakups this year
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With celebrity relationships come celebrity breakups.
Each year, fans are encapsulated by their favorite stars pairing up and beginning romances, and while some last forever, some also fall apart.
Whether it's amicable, bitter, public, private, divorce or a simple split, stars are not immune to the heartbreak of a relationship ending.
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Here's a look at the biggest celebrity breakups of 2021:
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
One of Hollywood's most famous power couples, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, split up early this year.
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Since the early days of their marriage, rumors of strife have plagued the couple, but they seemed to always overcome any issues.
However, in February, the now-41-year-old socialite filed for divorce from her rapper husband. The split seemed amicable enough with the two easily agreeing that Kardashian would keep the Hidden Hills, California home they once shared.
Things got a bit sticky after Kardashian jabbed West, 44, during her "Saturday Night Live" appearance, claiming she divorced him over his "personality."
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West has since expressed interest in reconciling their relationship though, Kardashian appears to have since moved on, filing documents to drop West from her name.
They share four children: North, 8, Saint, 5, Chicago, 3, and Psalm, 2.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez
Yet another couple that people believed would withstand the test of time was Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez.
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However, things fell apart early in the year and the two announced their breakup in April.
The two were engaged to be married and had several joint business ventures together, but have reportedly taken steps to dissolve such partnerships.
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The reason for their breakup was never publicly confirmed, but many speculate that it was related to a rumor that Rodriguez had some sort of relationship with "Southern Charm" star Madison LeCroy. He denied the relationship.
Lopez has famously moved on from the pairing and is now dating Ben Affleck, who she previously dated and was once engaged to in the early 2000s.
Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook
"Big Bang Theory" alum Kaley Cuoco announced earlier this fall that she and her husband, Karl Cook, would divorce.
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"Despite a deep love and respect for one another, we have realized that our current paths have taken us in opposite directions," the two said in a joint statement to Fox News. "We have both shared so much of our journey publicly so while we would prefer to keep this aspect of our personal life private, we wanted to be forthcoming in our truth together. There is no anger or animosity, quite the contrary."
"We have made this decision together through an immense amount of respect and consideration for one another and request that you do the same in understanding that we will not be sharing any additional details or commenting further," their statement concluded.
The actress' marriage to Cook was her second, as she was previously wed to tennis pro Ryan Sweeting.
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Aaron Carter and Melanie Martin
"I Want Candy" singer and his fiancée Melanie Martin split just a week after welcoming their son.
The musician, 33, confirmed the news on Twitter.
"I’ve never felt more devastated and betrayed and lied to in my entire life this is such a horrible situation considering prince doesn’t deserve any of this and now it’s my job to just be a single father and that’s what’s gonna happen," Carter wrote.
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According to the singer, Martin said she's moving to Las Vegas with their son.
"She told me she’s leaving to Vegas with her friend Carmen from ‘90 Day Fiancé’ … seems she’s had a backup plan this whole time oh and said I’ll never see my son again," Carter continued.
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Carter later alleged Martin had been working with his estranged family behind his back to leave him.
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes
Known for often packing on perhaps too much PDA, pop stars Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes split up in November after over two years of dating.
They announced their breakup on Instagram.
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"Hey guys, we've decided to end our romantic relationship but our love for one another as humans is stronger than ever," their statement read at the time. "We started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends. We so appreciate your support from the beginning and moving forward."
When exactly the breakup occurred is unclear, but the morning of their announcement, a source spotted Mendes, 23, at a coffee shop looking sad.
"He definitely looked sad. He was listening to music and keeping to himself," an insider told Fox News Digital.
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Vicki Gunvalson and Steve Lodge
"Real Housewives of Orange County" star Vicki Gunvalson split from her fiancé, former California gubernatorial candidate Steve Lodge in September.
Their breakup surprised fans, but the reality star later took to Instagram to explain the reason for their split.
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"He used me, he lied to me, he's been dating a 36-year-old and is not what he portrays. himself to be," Gunvalson alleged in a comment on a friend's Instagram post. "No Christian man would do what he's done."
Elon Musk and Grimes
About a year and a half after welcoming their son X Æ A-Xii, billionaire Elon Musk confirmed that he'd split from his girlfriend Grimes.
He told Page Six in September that they were "semi-separated but still love each other, see each other frequently and are on great terms."
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He said that his work keeps him in Texas or overseas while his musician ex is based primarily in Los Angeles, which led to their split.
Pete Davidson and Phoebe Dynevor
While Pete Davidson is currently in headlines for striking up a surprising relationship with Kim Kardashian, he received similar attention for his relationship with Phoebe Dynevor earlier this year.
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The two first sparked dating rumors back in March before confirming their relationship over the summer.
They reportedly split in August.
Paulina Porizkova and Aaron Sorkin
Longtime Hollywood fixtures Paulina Porizkova and Aaron Sorkin struck up a relationship earlier in the year and made their debut as a couple at the 2021 Oscars.
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The model, 56, confirmed her split from the screenwriter, 60, in an Instagram post in mid-July.
"I’m so grateful for his presence in my life. He helped heal me and reclaim myself. There truly may be no better man, no man who’s more genuinely ‘good,’" she began in the caption. "He’s brilliant and witty and funny and sexy. But it doesn’t matter how much we may wish we were birds of a feather - we’re still a duck and a goose."
She went on to thank a media outlet for a "slightly goofy paparazzi shot" that she used to confirm that they were no longer together. She concluded her post by asking for privacy, not for her sake, but for his.
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"As unfiltered as I usually am, this involves someone else’s privacy- so this is all I’ll ever say on the subject," Porizkova wrote.
Braunwyn Windham-Burke and Sean Burke
Another "Real Housewives of Orange County" breakup occurred when star Braunwyn Windham-Burke announced her "trial separation" from her husband Sean in July.
News of the split came several months after the reality star publicly came out as gay, which happened in December 2020. At the time, she said that she and Sean had no plans to divorce despite her also having a girlfriend.
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In June, Windham-Burke, 44, confirmed that she was in a relationship with fellow "Real Housewives" alum Fernanda Rocha.
She's since seemingly moved on from the relationship and was recently seen with model and dancer Victoria Brito.
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Matthew Perry and Molly Hurwitz
"Friends" alum Matthew Perry and his fiancée Molly Hurwitz announced in June that they'd ended their relationship.
"Sometimes things just don't work out and this is one of them," Perry, 52, said in a statement at the time. "I wish Molly the best."
Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik
Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid, 26, share a daughter, whom they welcomed in September 2020.
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The two stars began an on-again-off-again relationship in 2015, though People magazine reports that they have split once again following an October incident in which Malik, 28, was accused of striking Hadid's mother Yolanda.
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The singer has denied the claim.
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Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas
Before reuniting with Lopez, Affleck dated actress Ana de Armas.
The two began their relationship in 2020 but had split by early 2021.
A source told Us Weekly at the time that "the breakup was amicable, [but] she was the one who called things off."
The insider added: "Ben and Ana were moving in different directions in their lives and stopped seeing eye to eye. The two couldn’t work through their differences and have decided to end their relationship."
De Armas has since been linked to Tinder exec Paul Boukadakis.
Joe Exotic and Dillon Passage
"Tiger King" star Joseph "Joe Exotic" Maldonado-Passage is known for playing the field when it comes to his love life, having two husbands at the height of his scandalous ordeal chronicled in the Netflix docuseries.
Also mentioned in the series was the speedy development of his relationship with a man named Dillion Passage after one husband left him and another died. The two quickly wed before Exotic was arrested in 2018.
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In March, Passage announced that he and his husband, who is serving 22 years in prison, are "seeking a divorce."
Jana Kramer and Mike Caussin
Country singer and actress Jana Kramer and former football pro Mike Caussin had a troubled marriage in the past when it was revealed that he was unfaithful, but the duo worked through their struggles.
However, in the spring, Kramer, 38, announced that she was splitting from Caussin, 34, for good.
Their divorce was finalized in July.
Lala Kent and Randall Emmett
"Vanderpump Rules" star Lala Kent and her fiancé Randall Emmett split in October after being engaged for three years and welcoming a daughter in March.
Kent, 31, and the producer/director, 50, first met in 2015 and went public with their relationship in 2018.
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The reality star said during a recent podcast appearance that her film producer beau cheated on her, prompting her to leave. She also recently said on her own podcast "Give Them Lala" that she had her engagement ring appraised and was given an estimate that its worth was "in the teens," as opposed to the $150,000 value she was previously told.
Tiffany Haddish and Common
Comedian Tiffany Haddish and rapper Common made headlines in 2020 when they struck up a relationship, with the actress gushing over her man frequently.
Things eventually went south, however, and the two split after seemingly growing apart when their work picked up again after a months-long stall due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"It really didn't allow for us to spend as much time and put as much energy into our relationship. I don't think the love really dispersed ... we weren't feeding the relationship ..." Common, 49, said during an episode of "Hollywood Unlocked With Jason Lee Uncensored," per People.
Scott Disick and Amelia Hamlin
For nearly a year, Scott Disick, the 38-year-old father of Kourtney Kardashian's children, dated model Amelia Hamlin, the 20-year-old daughter of actors Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin.
Their breakup was confirmed to Fox News in September.
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It seems that the split made Rinna, 58, rather happy, as she commented a simple smiley face on an Instagram post about the breakup. The soap star had also bashed Disick on "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
Rebel Wilson and Jacob Busch
"Pitch Perfect" star Rebel Wilson and her boyfriend, Jacob Busch, broke up in February, just four months after confirming their relationship.
The pair made their red carpet debut in late September 2020 at the Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health. He's also been spotted on her Instagram a number of times.
A source told People magazine at the time that Busch was "just not the one for her long-term."
Valerie Bertinelli and Tom Vitale
TV star Valerie Bertinelli filed for legal separation from her husband, Tom Vitale, in November after nearly 11 years of marriage.
The Food Network star, 61, he listed "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split, according to TMZ.
Bertinelli asked the court that neither of them receive spousal support moving forward since the former pair had a prenuptial agreement in place to tie up any loose ends pertaining to how their assets might be divvied up. They don’t share any children together.
Bill Gates and Melinda Gates
Tech pioneer Bill Gates and his philanthropist wife Melinda Gates rocked fans with the announcement of their divorce in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage.
Their split was muddled by rumors of infidelity on Gates' part and drew a great deal of attention as the pair had to divide a famously massive fortune.
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Their divorce was finalized in August.
John Mulaney and Anna Marie Tendler
Another split that came as a surprise came when comedian John Mulaney and his wife Anna Marie Tendler announced the end of their marriage.
The split was announced in May, several months after news broke that the former "Saturday Night Live" writer had entered rehab to treat addiction.
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Mulaney, 39, is now dating actress Olivia Munn, with whom he is expecting a child.
Fox News' Jessica Napoli, Julius Young and Melissa Roberto contributed to this report