4 ways celebrity divorces have changed today, from public drama to #MeToo

While most famous couples are keen to release a half-hearted joint statement and hash out the divorce details in private, a few especially messy separations this year have signalled the arrival of a new normal for splitting celebrities – one that no longer follows the established rules of yesteryear – as they try to curry favour among fans and “win” the break-up.

Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner split up this year. Photo: @kevincostnermodernwest/Instagram

Kevin Costner’s drawn-out divorce with long-time wife Christine Baumgartner drew media scrutiny this summer as the couple haggled over eye-popping financial details in court. Meanwhile, obsession over celebrity splits reached a social media fever pitch this fall as Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas battled it out in the court of public opinion following their divorce announcement.

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“Celebrities are just like normal people when it comes to break-ups,” said Holly Davis, a high-net-worth family law lawyer based in Texas. “They’re often hurt and reactive and responsive.”

But in the social media age, as cultural attitudes toward gender roles and relationships are constantly evolving, the celebrity divorce playbook has been forced to adapt in real-time – and some are learning faster than others.

1. Celebrities may be more willing to leak details during divorce proceedings

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari attend the 29th annual Glaad Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, in April 2018. Photo: TNS

Divorce lawyers typically advise their famous clients to keep their mouths shut amid a break-up, according to Christopher Melcher, a California family law lawyer who has experience with high-profile divorces. “When you have a dual celebrity couple, each side understands the need to keep things quiet and private so they’re not destroying each other’s brand in the process,” he said.

Lawyers, likewise, have an incentive to keep the juiciest relationship details a secret until they can strategically reveal that information in a courtroom where it might legally benefit their client in front of a judge, he said.

But in our social media age, that instinct may be an outdated one. And increasingly online and opinionated fan bases may be influencing how celebrities handle their divorces, Davis said, citing the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial last year that delved into the couple’s troubled marriage during televised proceedings that garnered millions of viewers.

Actor Johnny Depp and actress Amber Heard attend the US premiere of 3 Days To Kill in Hollywood, California, in 2014. Photo: AFP

“The country became like the jurors themselves in that case,” Davis said. “I think celebrities are seeing that and hoping for similar reactions by the public and their fan base when going through a divorce.”

Earlier this year, Depp received a seven-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival after a screening of his career comeback film Jeanne du Barry. “The public saw horrible things about Johnny Depp throughout the trial and it didn’t seem to really negatively impact his image in the eyes of his fans or the country,” Davis said.

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A jury found that Depp and Heard both defamed each other, granting Depp US$10 million in damages and Heard US$2 million in damages. The two settled in December 2022.

Actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp watch as the jury leaves the courtroom for a lunch break at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, in May 2022. Photo: AP Photo

Watching Depp emerge relatively unscathed, she suggested, may have convinced celebrities to take on a little more risk in sharing certain facts about their break-up in an effort to not only control, but shape the narrative. Divorce lawyers pointed to the litigious Costner divorce as an example of the trend.

Celebrities are more willing to publicly double down on their version of events amid messy divorces, Davis added: “They’re taking the risk and basically betting the public will be on their side.”

2. Being first doesn’t matter if the public thinks you’re lying

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” exhibition in May 2022, in New York. Photo: AP

As a high-profile marriage falls apart, the celebrities involved want to be the first to file for divorce or release a public statement lest they lose control of the narrative, said Emma Telesca, a senior publicist at Anderson Group PR.

Perhaps the most dramatic celebrity divorce this year – the split between musician Joe Jonas and actress Sophie Turner – quickly devolved into a mess of battling narratives. Soon after Jonas and Turner released a highly polished joint Instagram statement announcing their divorce in September, tabloids began claiming the cause of the couple’s split was Turner’s affinity for partying.

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The TMZ story teased a celebrity marriage undone by “something” captured on the couple’s ring camera, which ultimately convinced Jonas the relationship was over.

Joe Jonas sporting his luxurious Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon. Photo: @sophiet/Instagram

Things only got worse for Jonas as the couple battled in court over where their two young daughters should be living. Turner sued Jonas to return the kids to England where she said the family had made their “permanent” home, accusing her ex of refusing to give over the girls’ passports.

Earlier this month, the couple came to a temporary custody agreement through the beginning of 2024, releasing a joint statement saying they are looking forward to being “great co-parents”.

But it’s possible the damage to Jonas’ reputation had already been done, Telesca said. “Once the public thinks you’re not telling the truth, it’s really hard to convince them that you are again.”

3. Mum shaming doesn’t work like it used to

Actress Sophie Turner is a mum of two. Photo: @joejonas/Instagram

Turner didn’t come out on top simply because she had receipts – the public is also less and less likely to buy into misogynist attacks and “mum shaming”, experts said.

Tabloid stories that highlight Turner’s passion for partying while praising Jonas for doing his fatherly duties came off as blatantly misogynist in a post-#MeToo world, Telesca said. That narrative, however, quickly sparked an online outpouring of support for Turner as fans came to her defence, declaring the Game of Thrones star “Queen of the North” and rejecting the narrative that the 27-year-old actress is anything but a dedicated mother.

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“If someone used that attack 10 or 15 years ago, it would be assumed that the man is right,” she said. “That’s just not working now.”

4. Celebrity divorce drama can be avoided

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her then-husband Chris Martin at the third annual Sean Penn & Friends Help Haiti Home gala in Beverly Hills, California, in January 2014. Photo: AP

The best option for minimising long-term damage to the celebrities’ images and psyches, Melcher said, is for them to agree to present a genuine, united front from the get-go. The most obvious – and memeified – example of the unified statement, Melcher said, was Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s “conscious uncoupling” announcement back in 2015.

“Because everyone has exposure, you may drop a story thinking you’re going to turn the tides,” said Marilyn Chinitz, a matrimonial and family law lawyer. “But that can backfire and turn against you.”

This article originally appeared on Insider

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