Top 20 Exact Moments We Knew A Celebrity Couple Would Break Up

#19: Pamela Anderson Calls Police on Tommy Lee

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s rollercoaster marriage was full of ups and downs. They got married to each other just four days after meeting – no courtship, no hesitation. Crazy right? Even crazier, they almost divorced a few months after their first baby but patched things up and even welcomed a second child. But it seemed truly over when Anderson called the police on Lee, accusing him of domestic abuse in 1998. Lee was arrested, later convicted of spousal abuse and sentenced to six months in prison. That same year, Anderson filed for divorce again and followed through with it this time. Though the relationship remained off and on for years, it appears the magic eventually died at some point during their tumultuous relationship.

#18: Katy Perry & Russell Brand Holiday Apart

The holiday season is usually when couples double down on family and togetherness. But when distance takes the place of that, there might be trouble in paradise. That was exactly the case with Katy Perry and Russell Brand’s short-lived marriage. Fans started whispering when the pair spent Christmas apart in 2011. For a couple who built their marriage on a whirlwind romance, the gap raised eyebrows. As many suspected, something was really wrong. In December, Brand filed for divorce, ending their 14-month union. Even more shocking, the “Roar” singer revealed she first learned about it through text. Looking back now, that quiet holiday apart wasn’t just coincidence, it was a subtle sign that their love story was about to unravel.

#17: Gisele Bündchen Criticizes Tom Brady's Unretirement

Even before supermodel Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady officially divorced, speculation had been simmering. Inside sources had revealed the pair were living apart and that things were tense between them. But the real turning point and media frenzy came when Gisele gave a candid interview about Brady’s dramatic return to football after an initial retirement. In it, she admitted she wished he could be more “present” at home. That moment felt like a glaring spotlight into deeper problems that many had sensed but hadn’t fully connected. In October 2022, the couple finalized their divorce after 13 years of marriage. As many had suspected, it was largely shaped by the tension between Brady’s unrelenting football career and their family life.

#16: Ashton Kutcher & Demi Moore's Social Media Silence

Speculation about Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore’s marriage’s downfall started swirling in 2011 after allegations of Kutcher’s infidelity surfaced. Even before they officially announced their separation that November, fans had noticed a shift. The once hyper-visible couple were silent online. For years, the pair were known for cheeky exchanges on Twitter that blurred the line between public and private life. But when Moore unfollowed the “That 70s Show” actor, that move spoke volumes. Ashton eventually got back to tweeting, but this time, without Moore in the picture. For those watching closely, the distance online was the clearest indication that reconciliation wasn’t forthcoming. By 2013, the couple finalized their divorce.

#15: Nicki Minaj & Meek Mill's Friction

Let’s be honest - from the very start, many didn’t think this high-profile couple’s relationship would last. Then before their breakup, subtle signals hinted at friction between Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill. Nicki had posted cryptic messages about self-worth, which had fans speculating that trouble was brewing. Then around the same time, Meek cranked up the heat when he shared a photo of a mystery woman’s lingerie-clad behind. Many saw it as a subtle jab at Nicki. The dots finally connected when Nicki announced in 2017 that she was a single woman. Years later, the drama reignited with a massive twitter feud that saw the exes air their dirty laundry in public. That huge post-breakup clash? We certainly did not see that coming.

#14: Arnold Schwarzenegger & Maria Shriver's Infidelity Scandal

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver were married for 25 years before his infidelity scandal exploded in 2011. It was revealed that he cheated with the family’s longtime maid, Mildred Baena. Even more devastating, “The Terminator” star had fathered a son with her, which he kept a secret for years. With a betrayal of this magnitude, their marriage was bound to collapse. Sure enough, after this revelation, they announced they were going their separate ways and were even living apart. Months after the separation announcement, Shriver filed for divorce. Though it wasn’t finalized until 2021, the damage was irreversible. From the moment the truth came out, we knew there was no coming back from a secret that big.

#13: Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth’s Post-Marriage Behavior

Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus’s divorce may have shocked some but not those paying close attention. Their love story was always a rollercoaster, marked by breakups, reconciliations and speculations. After nearly a decade of being on and off, they tied the knot in 2018, a decision many hoped would bring stability. But the cracks began to show almost immediately. Just months after her marriage, Miley was spotted without her wedding ring and even shared a public kiss with Kaitlynn Carter in Italy. The newlyweds also spent long stretches apart, with Miley on tour and Liam often retreating to Australia. By August 2019, less than a year after saying “I do,” they announced their separation. The red flags were there all along.

#12: Emma Roberts Arrested After Fight With Evan Peters

When a relationship reaches the point of domestic abuse, it’s usually a sign that things are beyond repair. Emma Roberts’ and Evan Peters’s relationship is a telling example. In 2013, Roberts was arrested after an altercation left Peters with visible injuries. Though the charges were dropped and the two even got engaged, the scandal cast a long shadow on their romance. Over the years, their relationship became a cycle of breakups and reconciliations. For those who saw the writing on the wall, the damage from the incident wasn’t a minor one. It made it pretty clear the relationship wasn't healthy and may not last. Sure enough after years of turbulence, the two finally called it quits for good.

#11: Tristan Thompson's Repeated Cheating Scandals

NBA star Tristan Thompson’s multiple cheating scandals made it painfully clear that his relationship with Khloe Kardashian was on borrowed time. The first major sign came in 2018, when he was caught with a mysterious woman just days before Khloe gave birth to their daughter. Though she tried to forgive him, his behavior didn’t change. In 2019, the Kardashian cycle was rocked by the news of Thompson hooking up with Jordyn Woods, Kylie’s best friend. In 2021, things hit rock bottom again when a paternity lawsuit revealed that he’d fathered a child while still involved with Khloe. With that kind of pattern, it was obvious to many watching that the relationship couldn’t survive. Still, they went on to welcome a second child as exes.

#10: “A Star Is Born” Feeds the Rumor Mill

The Internet was rife with speculation about the nature of Bradley Cooper’s relationship with Lady Gaga around the release of their award-winning film. The chemistry was just undeniable — so much so that Cooper’s relationship with model Irina Shayk was called into question. While the “A Star Is Born” actors maintained that there was nothing romantic about their connection, the rumors got a lot of play. Media coverage can put a lot of stress on a celebrity relationship, and somewhere in the middle of the noise, Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk’s partnership really did come to an end. However, we’re pretty sure Lady Gaga had little to do with it.

#9: Kim & Kanye Fight Over a Band-Aid

It seems like the Kardashians never shy away from the cameras. Basically every component of their family and romantic relationships are a matter of public record. This soared to new heights when Kim Kardashian married controversial rap superstar Kanye West, whose eccentricities marked a lot of their on-screen drama. In a 2018 episode of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” Kim tells her sister, Khloe, about an argument the couple had over West’s bandage preferences. Although it’s clear the fight is about more than Band-Aids, it’s also evident that if this is the kind of thing they’re fighting about, it doesn’t bode well for the future. Kim and Kanye finalized their divorce in 2022.

#8: Pete Davidson’s Ariana Grande Tattoo

Although it’s not clear when exactly the relationship between the comedian and the popstar began, it all seemed to happen very fast. Too fast, some might say. Two weeks after their relationship went public, Davidson was seen getting tattoos supposedly inspired by his new love. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but given how fresh it was, it seemed like asking for trouble. It all reeked of too much, too soon. Between the endless coverage and their seemingly constant and very public declarations of love, it seemed only inevitable that it would end just as quickly. Less than six months later, the two called off their engagement.

#7: Britney & Kevin’s Reality Show

It was the 2000s, and everyone was making their own reality show. But seeing as Britney Spears was one of the most famous pop stars of the era, it seemed like a step in the wrong direction. She and new beau Kevin Federline had already raised eyebrows for their fast engagement and Federline’s recent split with the mother of his child. But “Britney and Kevin: Chaotic” didn’t shed a positive light on the two. In fact, it revealed Britney’s team’s general discomfort with K-Fed. Years later, Spears would admit the show was the probably biggest mistake of her career.

#6: Argument on “Newlyweds”

Most married couples bicker. But Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey didn’t seem to do anything else. “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica” viewers were initially charmed by some aspects of the show. Simpson’s confusion about whether tuna was chicken or fish made the reality show an early viral success. But the couple’s constant fights over the littlest things became increasingly troubling. In the very last episode, Lachey seems completely over being around his wife altogether. It was no surprise then that the couple filed for divorce less than a year after their show ended. Lachey would later say that the parts they played up on their reality show helped cause their split.

#5: Justin Bieber & Selena Gomez Coachella Spat

To be fair, this supernova couple seemed to constantly break things off, only to get back together. In 2014, they were on again until an argument the two allegedly had after the popular music festival went public. Rumors of infidelity and bad behavior flew, and everyone seemed to have an opinion. They got back together after this, but hope for their future had taken a major hit. Things were more than rocky for a few more years. They broke up again in 2018, and Bieber married Hailey Baldwin the same year.

#4: Jada Pinkett Smith's Entanglement

In 2020, the Internet was captivated and confused when Jada Pinkett Smith confessed to a relationship with musician August Alsina. The story of her so-called “entanglement” with Alsina inspired all kinds of speculation about the Smiths’ marriage. Plenty were convinced this spelled doom for the couple. Apparently, they were right — just not in the way anyone expected. Despite their years of keeping up the pretense that they were still together, apparently, the two had split in 2016. This was around the time the entanglement allegedly took place. However, they did not get divorced. Jada was quoted in 2023 saying she would “never leave” Will.

#3: Tiger Woods' Multiple Indiscretions

In 2009 and 2010, scandal rocked the world of professional golf. Trophy-nabbing pro Tiger Woods is destined to go down in history as a titan of the sport. But he earned another, less savory reputation when his infidelity was revealed. Stories about his encounters outside of his marriage to Elin Nordegren eventually ballooned into a full-on scandal that included several alleged affairs, a car accident, and plenty of tabloid headlines. Issuing apology after apology, the whole thing spelled doom for his relationship. As a result, Woods not only lost his marriage, but a number of lucrative sponsorships as well.

#2: Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson’s Public Breakup

Millions of “Twilight” fans were rapturous about its stars’ decision to carry their romance into real life. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart became a Hollywood “it” couple almost immediately. Then, in 2012, suggestive photos leaked of Stewart and Rupert Sanders, who was directing her in “Snow White and the Huntsman.” The public fallout was swift and merciless. Sanders was married, and Stewart was destroyed by the press. It would be a hard thing for any relationship to survive, but the intense public scrutiny turned it into a full-on crisis. It was pretty clear the relationship was over. Stewart and Pattinson called it quits for good in 2013.

#1: The Documentary

We were all rooting for them. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s love was a sensation, but the postponement of their 2003 wedding had lots of people raising their eyebrows. They split soon after. But in 2021, the very public rekindling of their romance had fans everywhere believing in love and reveling in the early 2000s nostalgia of it all. Just when it seemed like they were destined to be together, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” documentary painted a pretty bleak picture for a lot of viewers. Affleck’s evident unhappiness was pointed out throughout the film, even by Lopez’s “Monster-in-Law” co-star Jane Fonda. Affleck and Lopez divorced less than a year after the film’s release.

Which of these celebrity breakups did not shock you? Let us know in the comment section.