18 Most Shocking Celebrity Breakups Of 2017
Published on November 21, 2017. Updated April 15, 2019Although Hollywood is notorious for fleeting celebrity relationships, the year of 2017 has definitely seen a surprising amount of shocking breakups! 2016 was the year of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, while 2015 was the year of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, but who was the most shocking split of this year? Follow along to see all the celebrity splits that completely blindsided us in 2017:
18. Janet Jackson & Wissam Al Mana
Janet Jackson was shocking fans left, right and center in the past year or so culminating in her split from husband Wissam Al Mana. First the singer decided to postpone her world tour in April 2016 stating she wanted to focus on “planning her family” but did not confirm her pregnancy. Only one month later, reports indicated she was in fact pregnant and on January 3, 2017 at 50 years old, Jackson welcomed her first child son Eissa with her husband of three years. As the pair had always been extremely elusive it was assumed they were enjoying their new journey as parents, but then unexpectedly only three months later, it was reported the Jackson and Al Mana had split! It was a whirlwind of events for the famous singer which has still left fans reeling.
17. Jennifer Hudson & David Otunga
Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga had been together for so long, all fans were waiting for was a wedding and definitely did not see their breakup coming! After almost 10 years together, nine of which they were engaged, Hudson released a statement in November 2017 stating that she had split from Otunga. What made the breakup even more shocking was that she had also requested a protective order against him. “They have been in the process of ending their relationship for a number of months,” the statement read. “Today, Jennifer requested and received a protective order against her ex-fiancé. Jennifer’s actions are solely taken in the best interest of their son.”
Photo by MediaPunch/REX16. Olivia Munn & Aaron Rodgers
Actress Olivia Munn and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers dated for almost three years before they abruptly split in the spring of 2017. Those who followed their relationship were most shocked by the breakup because only two months before they sparked engagement rumors a Munn rocked a large diamond ring on her left ring finger. Of course, in the months before their split, they had been in the public eye more than ever before as Rodgers’ estranged brother, Jordan, competed on The Bachelorette and opened up about his family’s strained relationship with Aaron. As Jordan talked more about his family’s issues, rumors flew that Munn was the dividing force between Aaron and his family. Despite all the talk about their personal life, the pair insisted it had nothing to do with Aaron’s family and it was a “clean breakup” with neither party “looking back.” All of it was truly surprising because if anything, the two seemed to be on the track to marriage.
Press Association15. Scarlett Johansson & Romain Dauriac
Although Scarlett Johansson and her husband reportedly split in the summer of 2016, the news didn’t break until January 2017 when the actress officially filed for divorce. Leading up to the split, the pair led such a secretive life that there were no signs that anything was wrong, so while fans were surprised to hear of their divorce two years after their secret wedding, what was most shocking was how nasty it got. Johansson and Dauriac engaged in a tense custody battle over their young daughter rose with Dauriac making public statements pleading with Johansson to withdraw her divorce papers. For two people who kept their personal life so quiet, the publicity of their split is what shocked everyone the most.
Stewart Cook/REX14. Tyra Banks & Erik Asla
Much like Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana, iconic supermodel and buisnesswoman Tyra Banks kept her relationship with her boyfriend Erik Asla out of the public eye. Then Banks surprised everyone when she revealed she and Asla welcomed a son, York Banks Asla via surrogate, seemingly completing their family. Unfortunately, over a year after welcoming their son, the pair called it quits in late 2017, shocking everyone. Despite their breakup, the two remained amicable, and continued to work together on America’s Next Top Model.
13. Shannon & David Beador
It is certainly not uncommon for couples on the Real Housewives franchise to call it quits, but one split fans did not see coming was between Shannon and David Beador. After 17 years of marriage the Real Housewives of Orange County star and her husband called it quits in late 2017. “It’s heartbreaking for me and my daughters that this is the road that had to be taken but it’s the only way,” Shannon told PEOPLE. “I felt alone in my marriage. You can do what you can to keep your family together, but you have to have willing parties. You need two people to make a marriage work, and that just wasn’t happening in our relationship.” The pair shared three daughters: Sophie, 15, and twins Stella and Adeline, 12.
Charles Sykes/Bravo12. Ben Stiller & Christine Taylor
Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor announced their split this past May after seventeen years of marriage. The news most definitely caught fans by surprise and a slew of shocked fans took to Twitter to express their remorse over the split. Stiller and Taylor met on the set of Fox’s Heat Vision and Jack, a TV series pilot that never ended up airing. “With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate. Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time,” the duo said in a released in a joint statement at the time.
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11. Gina Torres & Laurence Fishburne
Suits star Gina Torres and her husband Laurence Fishburne called it quits after 14 years of marriage this past September. “With heavy hearts, Laurence and I quietly separated and began the dissolution of our marriage in the early fall of last year,” Gina shared in a statement to PEOPLE at the time. “There are no bad guys here. Only a love story with a different ending than either one of us had expected. Happily, however, our family remains intact and we will continue to raise our daughter together with love and joy and awe. As well as raise each other up with respect and love and the continued understanding that we’re in this together, if not side by side.” The exes remain amicable and are committed to successfully co-parenting their 10-year old daughter Delilah.
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10. Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom
Picture perfect couple Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom decided to call off their relationship for good this past February after months of being on-and-off. The duo instantly hit it off at a 2016 Golden Globes after party but eventually realized “they make better best friends than they do partners” which played a factor in their decision to part ways. At the time of the split, the duo’s reps released a statement: “Before rumors or falsifications get out of hand, we can confirm that Orlando and Katy are taking respectful, loving space at this time.”As of August 2017, these two are reportedly giving their relationship another go. They were spotted at an Ed Sheeran concert kissing and holding hands. We’ll see how long this reunion lasts!
Photo by Buckner/Variety/REX/Shutterstock
9. Audrina Patridge & Corey Bohan
The Hills star Audrina Patridge most definitely did not have an amicable split from her ex-husband Corey Bohan! Patridge filed for divorce from her husband of 10 months back in September and immediately after news broke that she had requested a temporary restraining and child abduction order against Bohan due to previous violent outbursts. Bohan denied Patridge’s claims of abuse and the two attempted to remain civil for the sake of their young daughter Kirra. “He is Kirra’s father and he is going to be spending time with her. But they are definitely not getting back together. This whole thing is extremely hard for Audrina. She really wants to get back to some normalcy,” an inside source revealed at the time.
Photo by REX/Shutterstock
8. Luann De Lesseps & Tom D’Agostino
Real Housewives of New York star Luann De Lesseps broke the news on Twitter that she and her husband of seven months Tom D’Agostino had decided to split. “It’s with great sadness that Tom & I agreed to divorce. We care for each other very much, hope you respect our privacy during this sad time,” she wrote on Twitter at the time. Following the split, rumors swirled that Luann had slapped Tom during a public outing, according to multiple eyewitnesses. “I didn’t slap him. What I did was grab his face,” she claimed, countering the rumors. “It was in the heat of the moment. I was hurt about something. I wanted his attention, so I grabbed his face. It wasn’t really a slap.”
Photo by Clint Spaulding/WWD/REX/Shutterstock
7. Mel B & Stephen Belafonte
Former Spice Girl band member Mel B and her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte called it quits earlier this year after a 10-year marriage. Despite gushing over each other on social media just weeks before, the duo announced they were separating in March 2017 and news surfaced that Mel had filed for divorce due to “irreconcilable differences.” Many rumors swirled following the shocking news, one of which claimed Belafonte had impregnated the duo’s 26-year old nanny Lorraine Gilles and that the two had an ongoing sexual relationship.
6. Jesse Williams & Aryn Drake
In April 2017, Jesse shocked everyone when he filed for a divorce from wife Aryn Drake after nearly five years of marriage. The details of the split seemed quite messy as Williams claimed Drake was restricting the amount of time he was able to spend with his children while she contested that Williams was an absentee parent that focused more on his career than his children. Shortly following news of the split, Jesse Williams was spotted out with his costar Minka Kelly and it was later confirmed by inside sources that the two are dating.
5. Ben Higgins & Lauren Bushnell
Bachelor golden couple Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell called it quits this past May after getting engaged in 2015 on the reality dating show and even going on to star on Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce our decision to go our separate ways,” the statement announcing their split said at the time. “We feel fortunate for the time we had together, and will remain friends with much love and respect for one another. We wish nothing but the best for each other, and ask for your support and understanding at this time.” The duo’s split was first speculated when Bushnell was spotted celebrating her 27th birthday in Nashville without Higgins or her engagement ring.
Photo by MediaPunch/REX/Shutterstock
4. Selena Gomez & The Weeknd
Selena Gomez and The Weeknd quickly became one of Hollywood’s “it” couples after taking their relationship public at the 2016 Met Gala. The relationship seemed stronger than ever based on their tendency to gush about one another over social media, but it was revealed in late October that this duo was officially calling it quits. Just prior to the news of the breakup, Selena was spotted grabbing breakfast with her ex-Justin Bieber but an insider revealed that it was strictly as friends and no romantic feelings were involved in the meetup. An inside source revealed that the long distance took a toll on Gomez and The Weeknd’s relationship and the duo had been struggling for months preceding the official news of their split.
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3. Rachel Bilson & Hayden Christensen
Actors Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen shocked everyone when news surfaced that the duo had decided to call it quits after 10 years together and giving birth to daughter Briar Rose in 2014. The duo’s problems allegedly rooted from their desires for different lifestyles and following the split Bilson relocated to Los Angeles full-time while Christensen stayed in Toronto. Rumors were also leaked that a factor that played into their split was that Rachel allegedly uncovered text messages between Christensen and Emma Roberts that insinuated infidelity had occurred between the two.
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2. Fergie & Josh Duhamel
Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced their split after eight years of marriage this past September and shocked fans everywhere. The news came to the public after the two quietly separated months earlier in an attempt to try to find their footing first before the news hit the headlines. Prior to their decision to part ways the duo had openly discussed the possibility of having another child which made the news of their breakup all the more shocking. Allegedly Fergie was not as interested in expanding the family and Josh “felt she wasn’t doing normal mom activities” which frustrated him while trying to raise his child to have as normal of an upbringing as possible.
Photo by Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock
1. Chris Pratt & Anna Faris
Of all the splits and heartbreaks in the world of Hollywood this year, the most shocking of all was when back in August Anna Faris and Chris Pratt announced their separation. “Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating,” their joint statement read. “Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward,” the statement continued. The news came after eight years of marriage and rumors claimed that Chris’ skyrocketing fame took a toll on their relationship. More details into Anna’s personal life and relationships are detailed in her latest memoir, Unqualified.
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