The Messiest and Most Dramatic Celebrity Divorces Ever
The Messiest and Most Dramatic Celebrity Divorces Ever
Stephanie SengweMon, April 27, 2026 at 9:30 PM UTC
0
Brad Pitt, Cardi B, Kelly ClarksonCredit: Mike Marsland/WireImage; Kevin Mazur/Getty for The Recording Academy; Kevin Mazur/Getty for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Divorce is a hard thing for any couple to go through, and the process can be that much more grueling when there are millions of dollars and high-profile reputations at stake.
From name-calling and monumental payouts to drawn-out custody battles and the full-out refusal to meet a baby on the way, here are 16 of the most dramatic celebrity divorces of all time, including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Christina Haack and Josh Hall, Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner and many more.
01 of 15
Cardi B and Offset
Cardi B, OffsetCredit: Francis Specker/CBS via Getty
Cardi B and Offset seemed like a match made in hip-hop heaven. The pair first sparked romance rumors in February 2017 when they attended Super Bowl LItogether. In October of that year, Offset would propose to the "Bodak Yellow" rapper during Power 99's Powerhouse concert in Philadelphia, but it was later revealed the couple had secretly wed on Sept. 20, 2017.
The two would embark on an on-again-off-again journey that was filled with cheating scandals, social media spats and, eventually, Cardi filing for divorce in September 2020. They reconciled months later and had
By December 2023, the two were broken up again after the Migos rapper accused his wife of cheating, then retracted his statement. They made several appearances together in the months that followed, leading fans to assume another reconciliation was on the horizon, but on July 31, 2024, Cardi B once again filed for divorce. (And over the course of all of this, they welcomed their second and third children together.)
Things continued to get messy between the pair as the Bronx native alleged that her estranged husband had been stalking and harassing her amid their divorce, during a March 29 live X Spaces conversation. The alarming messages apparently led Cardi to contact Offset's girlfriend.
On May 29, 2025, TMZ reported that Offset filed an amended divorce response asking Cardi for spousal support. Offset’s reps did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment at the time.
The following morning, Cardi took to X to express her anguish over the situation in some very colorful terms that included "I want you to die slow."
"The only reason why I'm still married is because somebody wants me to pay for their taxes," she told fans in September 2025 of why proceedings were still ongoing. "On a contract, I'm practically still married, because somebody [wants to] hold me hostage if I don't give them millions of dollars to get out of it."
Their divorce is still ongoing.
02 of 15
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
Credit: Ethan Miller/WireImage
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie went public with their relationship in 2005 and wed in 2014, in a private ceremony that involved their six children.
Their happily ever after was short-lived, however, as Jolie filed for divorce from the Troy actor in 2016, shortly after their second wedding anniversary. In 2019, a judge declared the pair legally single as they continued to work out the terms of their divorce behind the scenes.
Amid their ongoing custody dispute, acrimony spilled into public view as Pitt lost previously awarded time with their children after a three-judge panel disqualified Judge John Ouderkirk —who was serving as a temporary judge over their case — because he failed to disclose his business relationships with Pitt's attorneys.
Pitt also sued his ex in February 2022, after she sold her stake in their shared wine business. In legal documents obtained by PEOPLE, Pitt alleged that Jolie sold her interests in Château Miraval despite their prior agreement that neither would do so unless the other person approved.
Things continued to escalate. That August, under the anonymous "Jane Doe," Jolie requested FBI documents, later obtained by PEOPLE, shedding light on the plane trip that led to their split. The FBI report included allegations of Pitt grabbing and shaking Jolie during a fight while their children were present, and punching the plane's ceiling.
The Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services concluded its investigation into the incident in November 2016 with no findings of abuse. The FBI also closed its investigation that month with no charges. Pitt has denied allegations of physical abuse and told GQ in 2017 he had stopped drinking.
The former couple continued to duke it out over legal issues pertaining to the $164 million French estate and winery that they shared, Château Miraval.
After eight years of battling each other, Jolie and Pitt finalized their divorce in Dec. 2024.
03 of 15
Christina Haack and Josh Hall
Josh Hall and Christina HallCredit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Christina Haack's divorce from her husband of two years, Josh Hall, was acrimonious from the get-go.
Hall filed for divorce from the Flip or Flop star in July 2024 and they sniped at each other several times on social media. Haack called her ex-husband "an insecure man with a big ego," and also revealed that her kids, Taylor, 15 and Brayden, 10 — whom she shares with ex Tarek El Moussa — urged her to leave Hall after a fight at one point.
For his part, Hall previously called out HGTV for "manufacturing drama" after they showed a clip from their show, The Flip Off, in which he was seemingly reprimanding Haack.
On Jan. 1, 2025, he also made an Instagram post that appeared to reference his divorce, stating that while "tough situations can change you," they can also help you become a "better version of yourself."
They engaged in yet another public squabble via social media the same month. After Haack told Radio Andy’s Jeff Lewis Live that they may be going to trial because Hall “doesn’t want to do mediation," a spokesperson for Hall issued a statement to Life & Style saying it was "sad Christina must resort to low blows about her ex Josh to promote her new show. ... She should focus on her new boyfriend and stop talking about Josh. As the great Mariah Carey once sang, ‘Why you so obsessed with me?' We wish Christina the best."
Haack then shared part of the statement to her Instagram Stories, writing, "I just threw up in my mouth. Quoting a Mariah Carey song is a new low.. even for you. Trust me idgaf about Josh's life. I do however care about his bts tactics. Narcissism at its finest."
Their divorce was settled in May 2025.
"Christina is pleased to confirm that a settlement has been reached through mediation," a representative for Haack told PEOPLE. "She extends her sincere appreciation to her attorney, Laura Wasser, and her team for their professional guidance and support throughout the process."
04 of 15
Kevin Costner & Christine Baumgartner
Kevin Costner and ex-wife Christine BaumgartnerCredit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
News that Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce from Yellowstone actor Kevin Costner first broke on May 2, 2023, though their date of separation was listed as April 11 in documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The split was difficult and negotiations were drawn-out. Both parties lobbed accusations against one another, with Costner claiming his ex wouldn't move out of their house, per the terms allegedly agreed to in their prenup. Baumgartner's lawyer responded, saying The Horizon director had no "legal basis" to kick her off the property. She was ordered to move.
The former couple, who share three kids — Cayden Wyatt, Hayes Logan and Grace Avery — were also arguing over child support: Baumgartner requested $248,000 per month, while Costner claimed $51,940 was sufficient, calling his ex-wife’s figure "highly inflated and unsubstantiated” and “designed to primarily benefit the supported parent." (A judge awarded her $129,000 per month.)
And wasn't just astronomical payouts they argued over; the two also publicly hashed it out over bowls, TVs and pots and pans.
They settled their divorce in February 2024 and she has since remarried.
05 of 15
Amber Heard & Johnny Depp
Amber Heard and Johnny DeppCredit: Jason Merritt/Getty
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's love story ended in lawsuits.
The Aquaman actress filed for divorce from Depp in 2016 after only 15 months of marriage and she was awarded $7 million in the settlement. The split became contentious when both parties accused the other of domestic abuse.
Depp filed suit against the U.K.'s The Sun newspaper in 2020 after the publication labeled him a "wife-beater." Depp lost the suit and the appeal, and Heard responded on Instagram.
In 2022, they were in court again, this time for a defamation trial Depp brought against Heard over a 2018 op-ed she penned for the Washington Post. In it, she detailed discrimination she said she faced in the wake of her domestic abuse allegations against Depp, without naming him, to "ensure that women who come forward to talk about violence receive more support."
Proceedings for the case began on April 11, 2022, in a highly publicized trial that saw both actors making bombshell allegations of physical, emotional and mental abuse against each other. On June 1, a seven-person jury reached a verdict, deciding that Depp proved ex-wife Heard defamed him.
The jury awarded Depp with $15 million in damages, but Heard would only have to pay $10.35 million due to Virginia law cap on punitive damages (the judge reduced the amount). In her countersuit, Heard won one of the three defamation counts, and she was awarded $2 million in damages. Both parties appealed, but in December, Heard announced she'd settled with her ex. He donated the $1 million he received from her to charity.
06 of 15
Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev
Nikki Garcia and Artem ChigvintsevCredit: Anna Webber/Getty
It seemed as though Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev were living happily ever after. The former wrestler married the former Dancing with the Stars pro in August 2022 after having welcomed son Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev in July 2020.
On Aug. 29, 2024, however, Chigvintsev was arrested on accusations of corporal injury to a spouse in Napa, California. He was booked in the Napa County Jail and given a $25,000 bail before being released in less than an hour, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE. (The charges were dropped that September.)
Two weeks after the incident, Garcia filed for divorce in Napa Valley on Sept. 11, and Garcia's rep confirmed the divorce news to PEOPLE, saying, "Nikki Garcia has filed for divorce. She continues to ask for privacy for her and her family at this time."
Chigvintsev and Garcia were granted restraining orders in October, both making claims of physical harm against the other.
Their divorce was settled in a private mediation on Nov. 21, 2024 as a rep for Garcia revealed, "both parties decided to drop the domestic violence restraining orders against each other in an effort to move on with their lives and effectively co-parent their son."
On a May 2025 podcast, Garcia revealed that she had paid him $200,000 in the settlement ("a steal") and said they had found peace in their relationship. “We are co-parenting…and it makes Matteo's life so amazing," she said. "I don't want hate towards Artem. We're in a good place right now. I hope we stay in that great place for Matteo because it makes Matteo so happy."
07 of 15
Denise Richards & Charlie Sheen
Credit: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Another volatile celebrity divorce came in 2006 courtesy of Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards.
The two tied the knot in 2002 and welcomed their first daughter, Sami in 2004. While six months pregnant with their second child in 2005, Richards filed for divorce from the Two and a Half Men actor.
In May 2006, the two came to a temporary custody agreement that permitted Sheen supervised visitation, though required him to stay 300 feet from Richards at all other times.
In November that year, Sheen and Richards' status as a married couple came to an end after a judge declared the two were legally able to marry other people, though the divorce was not formally complete as they still had to sort out asset distribution and child custody.
During their custody battle, Richards launched accusations against her ex-husband, asking the court to protect their children from Sheen and remove his overnight privileges. In court documents, she alleged that Charlie was abusive, slept with prostitutes during their marriage and tried to prevent his daughters from receiving common vaccinations. Sheen denied the claims and retaliated, calling Richards a "sad jobless pig."
Richards and Sheen's relationship has since improved. While she admitted there was "no discord" between them, she told Jana Kramer in 2025, "I have kids with him, and I'm not really — I'm friendly with Charlie, but I wish we were friends and that we could talk all the time and be able to be there really for each other with our girls. But that's just not the relationship we have. Maybe one day. But, I mean right now, there's nothing."
Advertisement
In March 2026, the Red Dawn actor shared a mirror selfie on Instagram, posing alongside Richards and their daughter, Lola after an outing together. "Guess I had to get off that thing behind me, to reconnect with what's around me," Sheen captioned the photo.
"Awe dad!!! I love you so much, today was so special to me 🥹❤️ and I love this photo," Lola wrote in the comments.
08 of 15
Madonna & Guy Ritchie
Credit: Mike Marsland/WireImage
Madonna and Guy Ritchie's 2008 divorce was one of the biggest stories of the early aughts. The two had been married for seven years when they filed for a divorce which saw the Like a Virgin singer pay her ex between $76 million to $92 million in the settlement.
Their split also resulted in a custody battle for the couple's son, Rocco, who was 15 years old at the time. At one point, Madonna reportedly filed legal proceedings in London under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, alleging Rocco had been illegally detained in the U.K. after visiting his dad. She later decided to stop the litigation to concentrate solely on the U.S. proceedings.
The transatlantic back and forth finally came to a close in 2016, the New York Supreme Court ruled that Rocco was to remain with his dad in London.
09 of 15
Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann
Kroy Biermann, Kim Zolciak-BiermannCredit: Paras Griffin/GC Images
Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann were such a tight-knit couple, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star often got flack for bringing him everywhere while on the show.
Their romance came to an end when TMZ reported the couple had split in May 2023, after 12 years of marriage. In the filing obtained by TMZ, Housewives star described her marriage as "irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation." Zolciak was also seeking primary physical custody of their children and joint legal custody; as well as spousal support and the restoration of her maiden name.
In July of that year, it seemed the couple was trying to make things work as a source confirmed to PEOPLE that they were calling off their divorce.
By August, the divorce was back on and Biermann refiled for divorce for the second time.
Since then, the reality TV stars have faced issues with the sale of their Georgia home, had some domestic disputes and Bierrmann has slammed his ex in court docs.
Their divorce is ongoing, with Biermann filing for sole custody of their young kids as recently as March 31, 2026.
10 of 15
Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston
Credit: Evan Agostini/Getty
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were America's golden couple, so when they split, the nation collectively gasped. Add Pitt's alleged affair with Angelina Jolie to the mix, and the entire ordeal became international news.
Pitt and Aniston were married for seven years before the Friends actress filed for divorce in 2005; not long after, Pitt was seen playing with Jolie and her eldest son Maddox on the beach, and accompanied Jolie to Ethiopia to adopt her daughter Zahara (he would legally adopt Zahara and Jolie's eldest son, Maddox, shortly after that). Stores sold "Team Aniston" and "Team Jolie" shirts, and Jolie and Pitt posed for a W magazine spread that portrayed them as a married couple. ("There's a sensitivity chip that's missing," Aniston said of the photos.)
"It's sad, something coming to an end. It cracks you open, in a way — cracks you open to feeling," Aniston told Vanity Fair of the demise of her marriage. "When you try to avoid the pain, it creates greater pain. I'm a human being, having a human experience in front of the world. I wish it weren't in front of the world. I try really hard to rise above it."
The exes have since found friendship with each other, and in 2019 Pitt attended Aniston’s 50th birthday party at the Sunset Tower Hotel in L.A.
11 of 15
Tiger Woods & Elin Nordegren
Credit: Andrew Redington/Getty
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren lived a relatively quiet life until news broke that the pro golfer had several extramarital affairs throughout the course of their marriage.
At the height of the scandal, reports came out alleging that the mom of two had smashed Woods' window with a golf club, following a car crash in front of their home.
Nordegren vehemently denied those rumors, telling PEOPLE, "This was one of the things I had the hardest time with people thinking. There was never any violence inside or outside our home. The speculation that I would have used a golf club to hit him is just truly ridiculous."
Following the scandal, Woods copped to his mistakes, writing on his website, "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect.”
Nordegren walked away from the marriage with a $100 million divorce settlement payout.
12 of 15
Kim Basinger & Alec Baldwin
Credit: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
Basinger and Baldwin's divorce drama lasted for four years, mostly due to a custody battle over their daughter, Ireland.
The two were married in 1993 and split in 2002 when Ireland was only 7 years old.
Their split was full of name-calling; some of the insults thrown out included "black widow" and "tin pot tyrant." Baldwin's voicemail recording lambasting Ireland for not calling him back went viral and caused a long rift with his daughter.
Though they had a rough divorce, the two have since made amends, as Basinger told Net-A-Porter's The Edit that she and her ex are "cool now" in a 2016 interview. Basinger even sent the actor a special birthday message on Instagram when he turned 68 on April 3.
"A big happy birthday to Alec my costar," she wrote underneath the post, which also marked the 35th anniversary of The Marrying Man, on which they met. "Wishing him health… laughter…. and many more wonderful years with family and friends……always 🙏✨🥰"
Alec and Ireland are also in a good space now. For his special day last year, she shared a sweet photo of the actor in grandpa mode, playing with her daughter, Holland: "Happy birthday to Peepaw. I’m so glad you were born. Because of your born-ness, I was born-ed. I love you!" she wrote.
13 of 15
Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock
Brandon Blackstock and Kelly ClarksonCredit: Kevin Mazur/Getty
Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock married in 2013 and welcomed two children — River Rose and Remington Alexander in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
It seemed the couple was living in marital bliss until the Since You've Been Gone singer filed for divorce in 2020. A legal battle between the former couple erupted amid their divorce proceedings in September 2020, when Starstruck — Blackstock's management firm — sued Clarkson, claiming she owed over $1.4 million in unpaid commissions.
The singer then responded by filing documents accusing Blackstock, Starstruck and his associates of violating the Talent Agencies Act, which states that "a manager, like any person without a talent agency license, cannot procure or attempt to procure employment for artists." Blackstock served as Clarkson's manager from 2017 to 2020.
In Nov. 2023, Blackstock was ordered to pay Clarkson $2,641,374 for unlawfully procuring deals as her manager that should've been handled by a talent agent. Clarkson filed another lawsuit against her ex and the management company, claiming she should get paid more than the amount allotted. Blackstock's team responded that her appeal was outside of the allotted window of time and her suit should be dismissed.
Outside of their management lawsuits, the two also fought bitterly in court over their Montana ranch (Blackstock argued it was marital property and would not move out; in the end, Clarkson paid him a portion of the value to exit) and their prenup (Blackstock argued that he should be entitled to any of Clarkson's earnings during their marriage). In the end, she was ordered to pay him a $1.3 million sum, plus $45,601 in child support and $115,000 in spousal support until January 2024.
The former couple settled their lawsuits in May 2024. Details were confidential and undisclosed.
Blackstock died in August 2025 following a three-year battle with cancer. He was 48.
14 of 15
Sherri Shepherd and Lamar Sally
Sherri Shepherd and Lamar SallyCredit: getty
Sherri Shepherd and ex-husband Lamar Sally were married for three years and were determined to start a family, so the couple enlisted the help of a surrogate. They conceived a baby through the surrogate's egg and Sally's sperm.
Things took a turn, however, when in May 2014, Sally filed for legal separation from the comedian and requested he get full legal and physical custody of the baby. Additionally, Sally also asked that Shepherd only get “reasonable” visitation rights and for an order preventing her from interfering with the baby being given to him after he’s born.
Shepherd, who had no biological connection to the child, tried to back out of the surrogacy agreement, but was ruled as the legal mother to the boy, and ordered to pay child support. Though she had not met the baby, by 2015, the former View co-host was ordered to pay $4,100 per month in child support for Lamar Jr. until he turned 13, at which point her payments would increase to $4,600.
In Dec. 2015, Sally filed for a modification of child support, due to Shepherd's increased earnings, according to court documents, but a rep confirmed to PEOPLE that the judge denied Sally's request.
It's unclear if Shepherd has met Lamar Jr. since.
15 of 15
Kelly Rutherford and Daniel Giersch
Kelly RutherfordCredit: Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images
Kelly Rutherford's divorce from ex-husband Daniel Giersch, became a media sensation as the pair got into a six-year-long custody battle over their two kids.
The two were married in 2006 and welcomed son Hermés the same year. However, things began to go south in 2008 and Rutherford filed for divorce. Making the situation even more difficult was the fact that the Gossip Girl actress was three months pregnant with their second child, daughter Helena, who was born June 2009.
Rutherford and Giersch would embark on a six-year-long custody battle. At the time of their split, a judge granted the exes 50-50 joint custody of the children. However, because Giersch's work visa had been revoked, and he couldn't return to the United States, the judge ruled that the children were to live full-time with their father in Monaco, and that Rutherford would either have to move or travel to Monaco if she wanted to see her kids.
Rutherford tried to get the judge to amend the decision, but was unsuccessful.
In the summer of 2015, the actress decided not put them back on a plane to Monaco after a six-week visit. At the time, neither California nor New York were claiming jurisdiction over the kids, which left her uneasy about flying them to another country.
“It’s been very hard for the kids and I, it’s been kind of cruel, in a way, because we just want to see each other and be together, and they’re very young,” she said while on Good Morning America. “It put me as a parent in an odd place, because if nobody’s taking jurisdiction, how do you put your children on a plane to a foreign country not knowing what’s going to happen?”
Giersch accused her of abduction through his attorney, and the kids were court-ordered back to Monaco.
After racking up nearly $2 million in legal fees and declaring bankruptcy, Rutherford decided to move Monaco to be close to her kids.
With her kids now 20 and 17, the actress has been pursuing work again, and has even been accompanied by Hermés to several high profile events.
"My kids are getting older, and they're sort of like, 'Okay, get on with your life,'" she told PEOPLE in 2024. "They're teenagers now, and they've got their friends and their stuff. So my day to day has recently been more about me and my dogs, working and traveling."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
