Photo illustration: The Cut, Photo: Getty Images
In the decade since Gwyneth Paltrow consciously split from Chris Martin, the mainstream of celebrity divorces has been civility. When announcing a separation, A-list celebrities typically issue a joint statement filled with requests for privacy and a promise to remain loving friends and co-parents. When announcing their divorce this spring, Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth said they were moving forward “with deep love, tenderness and mutual respect for all we have created together.” Toni Collette and ex-husband Dave Galafassi promised that “we will continue to thrive as a family.” Announcing her split with fellow comedian Jo Koy, Chelsea Handler maintained, “This is not an end, it's a new beginning. I take solace in knowing that I still love this man, just as the sun loves the moon and the moon loves the sun.”
These kinds of announcements are now so common and expected that even ordinary people make them when they get divorced. But in recent months, a new, more acrimonious tone has emerged. Something different is in the air. Something nasty!
Perhaps it was sparked by Kevin Costner's wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner, filing for divorce in May. The couple didn't release a joint statement reiterating their mutual respect for one another, assuring us all that it was a joint decision and that they remain best friends. In fact, Costner quickly spoke publicly about being stunned by the divorce filing. “It is extremely unfortunate that circumstances beyond his control have arisen that require Mr. Costner to participate in divorce proceedings,” his rep told the tabloid. Things only got worse from there.
Nearly every element of the separation has been covered by the tabloids, perhaps suggesting that neither party is particularly interested in maintaining privacy. First, there were reports that Costner had cheated, which his rep publicly denied. Then Costner's lawyer, famed celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser, filed legal documents accusing Baumgartner of refusing to leave their $145 million home in Carpinteria, Calif., as per their prenuptial agreement. “Christine feels he should leave,” a source said. Us Weekly“She was very angry with Kevin and feels that that led to the end of their marriage because he put his career above his family.” Yellowstone Author Taylor Sheridan's work is also ongoing.
Since then, accusations have been flying from both sides, with Baumgartner seeking a whopping $248,000 per month in child support, and in legal documents, she claims Costner told their three children, ages 13, 14 and 16, about the divorce “over a 10-minute Zoom call from Las Vegas.”
“This could be a tough legal battle,” another source said. Us Weekly“Kevin is a man of strong convictions and stubborn to the core.”
Costner and Baumgartner aren't the only celebrities currently acting out a public separation, though we haven't seen a celebrity breakup since Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore split in 2011. Also, in May, actress Addison Timlin filed for divorce from her husband of four years, Jeremy Allen White, just as he was gearing up to promote the second season of “Star Wars.” bearTimlin has since posted on Instagram that she is a “single mother” to the couple's two young children, though she later edited the quip to say “joint custody.” The two have not released a joint statement publicly assuring them their continuing love and respect for one another, leaving fans to pore over the details in Timlin's divorce filing, which lists September 2022 as the date of separation. It's odd, considering White had publicly thanked Timlin when he won a Golden Globe for his performance in “Star Wars.” bear While they initially tried to remain civil, a source now tells Page Six that White was “caught off guard” by Timlin's Instagram post and disputed the suggestion that he wasn't involved as a father.
But perhaps no other couple has so subtly embodied this new trend in rudeness. The Real Housewives of Atlanta Former reality TV stars Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann filed for divorce last month. Even by Bravo standards, their breakup was very acrimonious and public. Biermann, a former NFL linebacker, filed first, requesting full legal and physical custody of the couple's four minor children. Zolciak then claimed Biermann smoked marijuana in front of the children and asked the court for a drug test. Biermann demanded Zolciak undergo a psychological evaluation, claiming she has a gambling problem and cannot properly care for her children. Sources on both sides have detailed these allegations in tabloids, suggesting that both are eager to make their side of the story public. Meanwhile, Zolciak's two older daughters from previous relationships have been the subject of controversy after unfollowing and refollowing Biermann on Instagram. Us Weekly The importance of these decisions. Needless to say, no one in this scenario is asking the public to respect their privacy.
Of course, there are still plenty of A-list celebrities who keep the details of their breakups private. Since former couple Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth announced their separation in March, the tabloids have barely mentioned it. Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen's divorce made plenty of headlines last fall, but neither spouse gave a tell-all interview about the other, and they waited to announce the divorce until all property and custody arrangements were finalized. For some celebrity couples, a candid public spat never happens for a number of reasons, including business interests still intertwined, young children they have together, or secrets that could damage both their reputations.
But it's refreshing to see a divorcing couple behave like they're really divorcing. It's getting harder to believe that all of the A-list couples who split up over the past decade were really intent on remaining best friends. Remember that joint statement Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum made when they announced their separation in 2018? They literally described their marriage as a “magical journey” between “best friends” and claimed they just broke up for some reason and were just as in love as ever. “Nothing has changed in how much we love each other, but for now love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us down separate paths,” they wrote. Since then, they've rarely been spotted together, and certainly never called each other BFFs. Maybe all of those kinds of statements were a bit optimistic.
So will more famous couples follow Kevin Costner's lead and go all out when they divorce? It's possible. At least one more dramatic Hollywood breakup is on the way. Earlier this month, Dean McDermott announced on his Instagram that he was ending his 17-year marriage to his wife, Tori Spelling. The problem was that Spelling didn't agree with such an announcement, forcing him to delete it the next day. Then, paparazzi “caught” Spelling (censored by Spelling) showing up to a friend's house with a suitcase and wearing a hoodie with the question “What the hell is going on?” written on it. It looks like the drama is just getting started.
