The end of the year is fast approaching so it seems fitting to take a moment and look back at some highlights in the world of celebrity divorces and break-ups. Here, in no particular order, are some of the most notable:
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren – she stands to get as much as half a billion (yes that’s with a B) dollars!
Jon and Kate Gosselin – a new reality for them!
Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins – sad to see that relationship end after 23 years
Amy Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil — not so civil after all
Sean Penn and Robin Wright – they finally divorced after several attempts
Mel Gibson and wife Robyn – after 28 years and seven children
Avril Lavigne and Deryck Whibley – so much for their happy ending
North Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and wife Jenny – don’t cry for them Argentina
It’s November and Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. Visions of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce begin to fill our heads. The holiday is also an opportunity to reflect on all that you have to be thankful for. If you’re recently divorced, in the midst of a divorce, or contemplating divorce, the holidays can be an emotionally difficult time and it may not seem like you have much to be thankful for. But think about it, there is definitely something to be thankful for. Maybe it’s something big, like the chance at a new beginning, or the realization that you are finally rid of that turkey you’ve been married to. Maybe it’s something small, like being thankful for a good night’s sleep, uninterupted by his snoring, or being able to come home and not have to talk about her day.
Divorce is never easy, so it can’t hurt to try to focus on the positive things and be thankful for whatever good you can find in such a dificult situation.
You may have heard about the JK Wedding Entrance Dance video that exploded onto YouTube with over 14,000,000 views and made celebrities out of newlyweds Jill Petersen and Kevin Heinz. Well now there is the JK Divorce Entrance Dance created by Indigo Productions. The parody doesn’t take place in a church, but in a courtroom complete with dancing bailiffs, jiggy judge, flipping groom, and a slow-motion fight scene.
I recently came across this article about a divorce lawyer in La Jolla, CA who is accused of trying to have his wife killed. It struck me as pretty ironic — even a divorce lawyer doesn’t want to go through all the legal hassles of a divorce! He’d rather hire a hit man than hire a lawyer? Wait, he didn’t even have to hire a lawyer, he could have represented himself. It’s a pretty sad commentary on the legal system — there’s got to be a better way.
Nobody wants to see marriages fail. And what kind of person would actually cheer as the number of divorces rise? (Divorce lawyers and Wedding Ring Coffin salespersons excluded.) But I’ve noticed an interesting trend. This past month there has been a higher level of celebrity divorces; Pete Townshend and Karen Astley, Robyn and Mel Gibson, and most recently Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn.
When times are tough, as they have been now for the past couple of years, divorce levels seem to go down. It’s too expensive to breakup! So then, could the inverse be true? If the economy is improving, do more people file for divorce? Is financial stability the last straw that empowers the broken-hearted to break the chains of a bad marriage?
Maybe this trend is a signal that the worst is behind us and we can look forward to a better tomorrow.
There have been recent news reports of the upcoming divorce between Kate Walsh and her husband, Mr. Walsh. Well, his name is actually Alex Young and he’s an executive with 20th Century Fox. Not a bad gig, but not quite as high profile as his wife’s career. Kate Walsh first became well known with her role in “Grey’s Anatomy.” Now she’s starring in “Private Practice.” Just as her career is really taking off, she and her husband of 15 months have decided to call it quits.
Then there’s the upcoming divorce of “Medium” star Patricia Arquette. She and her actor husband, Thomas Jane, are seeking to end their two year marriage. Actor Thomas Jane—never heard of him? Exactly.
I still remember watching Hilary Swank accept her Academy Award for her role in “Million Dollar Baby” while her husband, actor Chad Lowe, looked on proudly. You know Chad Lowe, he’s the brother of actor Rob Lowe as well as the husband of an Oscar winning actress. I swear, I predicted that marriage was doomed. Sure enough, Hilary and Chad announced their intention to divorce only months after she won the Oscar.
I can’t help but wonder—are men still theatened by succesful women? How many men have egos that can handle being the less successful spouse? Especially when they have careers in the same field.
What do you think? How many of you men could handle it?
It’s been almost two years since I had a divorce party and it’s incredible to see how much more mainstream they’ve become. More and more women (and men) are realizing the need to acknowledge such an important event in their lives and a whole industry has been growing around them—-divorce party invitations, divorce cakes, and divorce gifts (like the Wedding Ring Coffin!!!!). And now finally, a divorce party song! “You’re Free” was written by Carrie Johnson and is destined to become a classic. To celebrate the launch of the song, our friends at LuvemOrLeavem.com are having a video contest. Women (sorry, guys) are invited to submit a video by themselves or with friends singing the Divorce Party song.
Go to http://luvemcontests.blogspot.com for all the details. But hurry, videos must be submitted by December 15 so get out your video cameras and start singing!
A new reality show for a major cable network is looking for newly single women all across the US who are recently divorced (within the last year), or currently going through a divorce.
We’re looking for attractive, outgoing women with vivacious personalities who want to celebrate their re-introduction into the single life; additionally, we’re looking for women who are going to receive or have received a large amount of money from their former other half.
The women we’re looking for would love to plan or are already planning a party to “celebrate” their divorce…Whether it’s a ski trip with the girls to Vail, a trip to Miami with VIP table service and limos, or a girls’ trip to Vegas or the Big Apple, we’re looking for the right woman and her fun-loving group of supportive friends. If you fit the bill, email beckyscasting@gmail.com and tell us why you’d be good for the show, a little bit about yourself, a photo, and in which city you live.
