From Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin to Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson: Celebrity breakups from Hollywood and Bollywood that shook fans

Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone and his wife Jennifer Flavin of 25 years are getting divorced. People magazine reported that Flavin filed a petition “for dissolution of marriage and other relief” from Stallone on August 19 at a court in Palm Beach, Florida. Flavin told People: “I’m sad to announce that after 25 years of marriage I have filed for divorce from my husband Sylvester Stallone. While we will no longer be married, I will always cherish the more than 30-year relationship that we shared, and I know we are both committed to our beautiful daughters. I ask for privacy for our family as we amicably move forward.”

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson made headlines with their loved up relationship, and with their breakup. As per People, the duo, who were first romantically linked in October 2021, ended their relationship in early August. “Part of the reason they split was because of their busy schedules. They both travel all the time and it was hard,” a source informed People. Kardashian, 41, hosted Saturday Night Live in October 2021, where she and 28-year-old Davidson, then a cast member on the long-running NBC comedy series, shared an on-screen kiss. Media reports circulated later that month about a budding romance after they were photographed holding hands at Knott’s Berry Farm theme park in Buena Park, California.

The New Year started on the shock announcement that Tamil star Dhanush and Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth were parting ways after 18 years of marriage. The actor made the announcement on social media in the late hours of January 17. “18 years of togetherness as friends, couple as parents and well wishers to each other. The journey has been of growth, understanding, adjusting, and adapting. Today we stand at a place where our paths separate. Aishwaryaa and I have decided to part ways as a couple and take time to understand us as individuals for the better.” He ended the statement with asking fans to respect their decision and their need for privacy at this time. Film director Aishwaryaa, who is the elder daughter of megastar Rajinikanth, also shared a similar statement. News of their split has taken many by surprise considering Aishwaryaa put up a post less than three months ago with her famous father and her husband posing together with their Indian National Awards, while writing: “They are mine … and this is history #prouddaughter #proudwife.”

Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet also fell victim to the New Year blues, announcing on January 12 that with the “revolution unfolding” they were announcing their split after 16 years together. The ‘Aquaman’ star made the announcement official through a joint statement he released on his Instagram page. “We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times… A revolution is unfolding — and our family is of no exception… feeling and growing from the seismic shifts occurring,” the statement read. “And so — We share our Family news — That we are parting ways in marriage. We share this not because we think it’s newsworthy — But so that as we go about our lives we may do so with dignity and honesty.” The couple further stated that even as the love between them carries on, “evolving in ways it wishes to be known and lived,” they were choosing to free each other “to be who we are learning to become.” Momoa and Bonet maintained that decided the split, they remain devoted to their children, 14-year-old Lola Iolani Momoa and 13-year-old Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.

On February 17, news broke that Hollywood actress Shailene Woodley and NFL player Aaron Rodgers split up a year after getting engaged, sources have said. “It was an amicable split; it just wasn’t working,” People magazine quoted a source as saying. “They’re very different people with busy careers and there were obstacles that they couldn’t surmount. They will remain friendly; there’s no bad blood and no drama. It just didn’t work out for them.” Neither Woodley or Rodgers have made an official statement about their alleged break-up.

One of the most high-profile splits in 2021 was that of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. The reality TV star filed for divorce from the rapper in February after almost seven years of marriage. The couple known as Kimye got married in 2014 and have four children together. They were one of the biggest celebrity couples in Hollywood, however, their relationship took a hit due to West’s emotional outbursts and his unsuccessful bid to be elected US President.

Love songs and social media PDA don’t always reflect reality, and that was the case for Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes. In November, the singers announced they were breaking up after two years of dating. “Hey guys, we’ve decided to end our romantic relationship,” the statement read, “but our love for one another as humans is stronger than ever. We started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends.”

Singer Jennifer Lopez and former baseball player Alex Rodriguez broke off their engagement in April after four years together. Their formal announcement about the split came a month after rumours spread that they had ended their two-year engagement due to Rodriguez’s alleged affair. They initially denied it and were even spotted taking a holiday together before the final statement in April. (JLo has since moved on to ex-fiance Ben Affleck!)

One of the first big breakups of the year was that of actress Zoe Kravitz and actor Karl Glusman, who announced their split in January after less than two years of marriage. They started dating in 2016 and got engaged two years later. While neither star made statements about the split, Kravitz touched upon in during an interview about her music. “I got married. I got divorced,” she told Another magazine in September. “Separations, breakups are sad, but are beautiful things, too. It’s about the bittersweetness, that beginning and that end. It’s so complex, that space, when you’re in between heartbroken and mourning the loss of something and excited for what’s ahead of you.”

While this news is yet to be confirmed by either party, reports have said that former One Direction member Zayn Malik and his partner, model Gigi Hadid, have broken up following the surprising news of an alleged assault. In October, TMZ reported that Malik had struck Hadid’s mother Yolanda during an argument. Malik told TMZ: “I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid. For the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details.” The couple had an on-and-off relationship for years and share daughter Khai, who was born in September 2020.

Actress Kate Bosworth announced her separation from her husband, director Michael Polish, after almost eight years of marriage in August. She wrote a touching post on Instagram commemorating their relationship saying “our hearts are full, as we have never been so enamored and deeply grateful for one another as we do in this decision to separate. Together, over the last ten years, Michael and I have chosen love, every time. We hold hands as tightly today as we entangled fingers on our wedding day.”

Singer Grimes and Tesla founder Elon Musk broke up in a unique way after three years together. Musk told PageSix in September that they were “semi-separated” but that they “still love each other, see each other frequently and are on great terms.” He also said they would also raise their son X Æ A-Xii together.

‘The Big Bang Theory’ actress Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook announced in September they were breaking up after being married for three years. “Despite a deep love and respect for one another, we have realised that our current paths have taken us in opposite directions,” Cuoco and Cook said in a statement. They had dated since 2016 and got married in 2018.

The big Bollywood breakup that no one saw coming was the split between Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao. The veteran actor and film producer announced in July that they had been separated for a while but decided to formalise their divorce. “In these 15 beautiful years together we have shared a lifetime of experiences, joy and laughter, and our relationship has only grown in trust, respect and love. Now we would like to begin a new chapter in our lives — no longer as husband and wife, but as co-parents and family for each other,” their statement read. They share a son, Azad Rao Khan.

South Indian star couple Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya announced in October that they would be separating after four years of marriage. “To all our well-wishers, after much deliberation and thought Chay and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths,” a joint statement posted on their social media read. “We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans, well-wishers and the media to support us during this difficult time and give us the privacy we need to move on. Thanking you for your support.”