Breaking up is never easy…especially when you’re calling it quits with your bestie. Forming long lasting relationships and finding true friends can sometimes be a struggle, but if a friendship can survive the ins and outs of Hollywood then it can probably endure just about anything. In the land of synthetic smiles and silicone body parts, it can be tough figuring out who is in your life for the right reasons. While some celebs have seemingly mastered the art of forming a bulletproof bond despite living in the spotlight, others have had very public breakups (and breakdowns) with their one-time besties. Just look at Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler…they know what exactly it takes to make a friendship work. These other combative couples could use some tips on how to keep their biggest allies from turning into even bigger enemies. Here are 15 famous former BFFs who broke up.
15 Justin Bieber & Floyd Mayweather
We’re certain that no one ever expected Floyd Mayweather and Justin Bieber to become best of friends but for some reason their friendship just worked. While they might not have had anything remotely in common on paper, they’re both worth a ridiculous amount of money and enjoy pushing boundaries when it comes to being reckless. The undefeated heavy-hitter and the rebellious pop star were often spotted together partying until the wee hours of the morning in Vegas and Bieber would always be front and center at Mayweather’s highly-publicized boxing matches, but the dynamic between these bros recently went south and they’re no longer the BFF’s they once were. Leading up to the megawatt multimillion dollar fight between Mayweather and UFC star Conor McGregor, Justin was nowhere to be found when it came time to support his buddy in the ring.
A major indicator that there was trouble brewing in paradise was when Justin unfollowed Floyd on Instagram. According to reports, Bieber had recently found faith after a couple of tumultuous years in the spotlight and he decided to give his entire life an overhaul. The singer’s church had allegedly advised him to remove all negative influences from his life, and due to his hard-partying ways and bad boy behavior Floyd Mayweather was one of the first to be given the boot from the Biebs. After finding out about Justin’s decision to end their five year friendship, Floyd referred to his former friend as a “traitor”. One thing is for sure – Bieber probably doesn’t want to feel the inevitable pain of being on Floyd Mayweather’s bad side. Is it too late now to say sorry?
14 Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie
The hilariously endearing duo of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie became household names when they starred on The Simple Life together in 2003. The socialites had been BFFs for years and they were so close that they were more like sisters than friends. As their hit reality show took off and Paris and Nicole were catapulted into superstardom, their unbreakable bond started to show some unexpected cracks. By 2005, Paris publicly spoke out about breaking up with her former best friend, stating, “It’s no big secret that Nicole and I are no longer friends”. The heiress was quick to place blame on her new nemesis, telling the press, “Nicole knows what she did, and that’s all I’m ever going to say about it.” Later that same year, Nicole made an appearance on the Today show insisting that she and Hilton simply “grew apart” and that all of the drama was “just not part of my life.” Many assumed that Nicole’s desire to straighten out her life and settle down played a major role in the demise of her friendship with Paris, who was (and still is) a notorious party girl. To make things even more awkward, The Simple Life was still at the height of its popularity and the women were still slated to film the series together even though they couldn’t stand each other. While Paris and Nicole appeared to patch things up for the cameras, it’s been a decade since their show ended and their friendship is still practically non-existent.
13 Paris Hilton & Kim Kardashian
Nothing can seem to keep Paris Hilton’s attention for more than a matter of months. The girl is constantly going through new boyfriends and adopting designer pets like it’s her job, so it only makes sense that she would plow through an ever-changing Rolodex of BFFs, too. Who could forget the good old days when people only knew Kim Kardashian as being one of Hilton’s lesser-known sidekicks? There was a time when Paris reigned supreme in terms of being the biggest star on the block for doing literally nothing but partying, shopping, and coining lame catch phrases like “that’s hot”. Kim would follow Paris along to award shows and high-profile events like a loyal puppy, but in 2009 the Kardashian machine (better known as Kris Jenner) was hard at work behind the scenes trying to make Kim the next big thing. That year, Paris was still considered an A-list celeb until Kim knocked her off her throne. Kardashian decided to follow in her best friend’s footsteps by releasing an explicit “home movie” that turned her into an instant star overnight. Not long after, Keeping Up with the Kardashians made its debut and Paris slowly faded into obscurity. Never one to be upstaged, Hilton took many public jabs at her former lackey, like the time she referred to Kim’s butt as “gross” and said, “It reminds me of cottage cheese inside a big trash bag.” After all these years, Paris and Kim still never really made amends but Kardashian remains one of the biggest celebrities in the world while having zero talent. We’re pretty sure that Paris is just jealous that Kim stole her business model in their quest for fame and fortune.
12 Jay-Z & Kanye West
Jay-Z and Kanye West were once thick as thieves, but somewhere along the line, the rappers had a falling out that led to their friendship crashing and burning while the whole world watched in awe. The two had been close friends for many years but in 2016 Kanye started to throw shade during his concerts that was obviously directed at Jay. West really aired out all of his dirty laundry at his shows, telling crowds "Our kids ain't never even played together” and “Don't call me, after the robbery, and say 'how you feelin?” in reference to his wife Kim’s infamous Paris heist. As tensions mounted between the former friends, Jay-Z decided that it was his turn to fire back at Kanye on his recently released studio album, 4:44. To make things even messier, West alleged that Jay’s music company, Tidal, owed him a whopping $3 million and severed all ties with the company. In August of 2017, Jay finally discussed the last straw between him and Kanye, insisting that West made things too personal to mend fences. The rapper told reporters, “What really hurt me; you can’t bring my kid or my wife into it. We’ve gotten past bigger issues, but you brought my family into it, now it’s a problem with me”. It doesn’t sound like these two are going to build a bridge and get over their ongoing feud anytime soon, but we’ll surely hear even more about their beef the next time Kanye releases a rebuttal.
11 Katy Perry & Taylor Swift
It may seem strange to think about now, but at one point Katy Perry was so close to Taylor Swift that she easily would have had one of the top spots in her celebrity squad of girl friends. The two singers were often photographed hanging all over each other at A-list events and neither of them could stop talking about their friendship every time they took to Twitter. Obviously things have changed a lot since they had a major spat in 2011 and they went from besties to enemies with some serious bad blood between them. Although Swift and Perry's feud started over six years ago it's something we're still hearing about non-stop to this day. According to Katy, their beef began brewing when Taylor allegedly 'stole' several of Katy's backup dancers out from under her and enlisted them to go on tour with her instead. While that may be a small part of the problems between the two stars, it probably didn't help that Katy went on to date John Mayer, who was one of Taylor's (many) famous exes. We all know by now that both Swift and Perry have made their conflict public knowledge because each of them penned songs about their hatred for one another. Taylor infamously shot to number one with her hit "Bad Blood" while Katy clapped back with her diss track "Swish Swish" earlier this year. Taylor and Katy are the true definition of frenemies and by the look of things, neither one of them are willing to budge and bury the hatchet once and for all.
10 Demi Lovato & Miley Cyrus
Demi and Miley both got their start as squeaky-clean Disney stars but everyone knows that once puberty hit both of them couldn’t wait to break free from their immaculate image. From starring in their own G-rated TV shows to going on tour as budding teen pop stars, the pair clearly shared a lot of similarities. For a while, Demi and Miley went together like peanut butter and jelly but things went awry between the two future divas and their friendship went caput. In 2008, Miley put out a video on Youtube that poked fun of Demi and she didn’t take the joke lightly. In 2009, Cyrus posted a throwback photo of her and Lovato with the caption, ““Now this is what true friendship looks like. None of that Hollywood crap.** @ddlovato I miss you” Demi was less than amused and responded with ““Yeah... it’s just kind of hard to miss somebody that I don’t know anymore.” When asked about their friendship again in 2014, Lovato was fast to tell everyone that they were no longer BFFs, saying, “We’re like, we’re acquaintances. It's life and people change and, you know, I don’t have anything in common with her anymore.” And just like that, the fairytale friendship between Demi and Miley was over. Can’t we all just get along?
9 Demi Lovato & Selena Gomez
Let’s not forget that long before Demi and Miley even crossed paths, she and fellow Disney starlet Selena Gomez had been BFFs since childhood. Prior to both landing life-changing gigs with Disney, Demi and Selena co-starred together on the popular children’s series, Barney & Friends. During their simultaneous rise to the top, Demi and Selena were two of a kind and they had the kind of friendship most people would envy. However, things took an unexpected downhill turn in 2010 and the once close BFFs became more like total strangers. Like most big Hollywood break-ups, things didn’t end amicably between the two starlets. Later that year when asked about the state of their friendship, Demi told the press, “We’re both busy, and I wish the best for her”. She probably should have stopped there, but the outspoken entertainer took the opportunity to throw shade at Selena, saying, “True friends don't let their friends or family be mean to you. If you can’t trust somebody, you can’t be friends with them.” The hot and cold divas briefly reconciled but in 2014 things were off once again when Demi boldly unfollowed Selena on multiple social media platforms. When Andy Cohen questioned her decision to defriend her longtime sidekick Demi simply stated, “People change and people grow apart.” We don’t know whether these two will ever be BFFs again, but at this point, they should probably just change their relationship status to “it’s complicated.”
8 Lauren Conrad & Heidi Montag
In the early years of The Hills, Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag were about as close as BFFs can be. They always hung out together, they lived together, they even dated another set of best friends (Brody Jenner and Spencer Pratt) while the cameras were rolling. Of course, we all know now that Heidi and Spencer would do absolutely anything for the sake of fame, but back in 2007, it was slightly shocking to see how low they would go in order to stay relevant. That year, Montag put her friendship with Conrad in jeopardy when she spread the rumor that the reality star had filmed herself and then-boyfriend Jason Wahler getting it on. News of Lauren’s alleged adult vid spread like wildfire and she was quick to shut down any talk of its existence. Heidi and Spencer were relentless with their attack on Lauren and their drama played out on the show. In 2015, she told the press that her entire friendship with Lauren was all a carefully orchestrated act, saying, “I spent years pretending to like her for a living. It was literally my job to deal with her, and it wasn’t pleasant… I had nothing to do with her problems. I even tried to help her. The fact is, she lied about me and tried to destroy my life, yet I was the one painted as the villain so the show could have her as the good guy.” Needless to say, it’s been ten years since Lauren and Heidi’s friendship crumbled but it’s still one of the most talked about reality TV beefs there ever was. That's gotta count for something, right?
7 Kathy Griffin & Anderson Cooper
Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper made it no secret that they were a tight-knit pair and that their friendship was the real deal. The comedian and the famed news anchor often spoke of each other fondly to the press and they even co-hosted CNN’s annual New Year’s Eve show together since 2007. Then Griffin took things too far when she took a swipe at Donald Trump that resulted in a major media firestorm. After posing for a series of photos that featured her holding a severed head of the POTUS, Griffin received ample backlash for her poor taste that left her losing pretty much every job she had lined up all at once. Aside from getting the ax from various endorsements and having her upcoming comedy tour shut down, Kathy’s biggest blow was from CNN who fired her from her recurring role as a New Year’s Eve correspondent. Of course, Anderson was put between a rock and a hard place when he was uncomfortably put between his best friend and the network who keeps him gainfully employed. Cooper let it be known where his loyalty lied with a simple tweet that said, "For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate." Following the wake of the scandal, Anderson appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen to say that he and Kathy were still friends despite their difference of opinion. Apparently Anderson didn’t get the memo from Griffin saying that she was done with him, but she candidly told New York Magazine “Our friendship is over.” Ouch. Looks like these two are never ever getting back together. Like, ever.
6 Denise Richards & Heather Locklear
Everyone knows the first rule of girl-code is to never date your friend’s ex, but apparently Denise Richards didn’t think of that before pursuing her BFF’s ex-husband. Denise and Heather Locklear were longtime friends for what seemed like forever. The blonde 90’s icons were practically attached at the hip until Locklear announced her plans to split from Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in 2006. The two had been married since 1994 and shared a daughter together but that certainly didn’t stop Heather’s best friend from moving in on her man before their divorce was even finalized. Regardless of the situation, pursuing your friend’s former flame is always a major no-no but Richards tried to rationalize her decision by saying that she and Heather’s friendship ended prior to her romantic involvement with Sambora. In a 2008 interview with Redbook, Denise tried to set the record straight by saying, “I was no longer friends with Heather months before Richie and I got together. I don't want to say what caused the split, but she and I weren't even speaking then. It wasn't ever like we'd be shopping and go back to her house and I'd flirt with her husband.” While we don’t know the real reason behind Denise and Heather’s breakup, we’re confident that Denise’s ultimate betrayal only solidified the end of their friendship once and for all.
5 Madonna & Gwyneth Paltrow
There once was a time when Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow were a match made in BFF heaven, but things have since soured between the famous former friends. The pop music legend and the well-known actress hit a rough patch in 2010 around the same time that Madonna had a falling out with their mutual friend and personal trainer, Tracy Anderson. We don’t quite know the specifics of their feud but Gwen clearly sided with Tracy and things between her and Madonna were officially over. Gwen and Tracy are still super tight, but both of them have a shared disdain for the singer. While neither star ever directly addressed what really went down that led to their messy breakup, Paltrow did have a few thinly-veiled remarks to say about her one-time friend in the wake of their rift. The outspoken actress told Vogue magazine,” I can be mean. I can cave in to gossip. I can ice people out and I can definitely harbor revenge. In fact, I’m having a situation right now with a friend where I’m feeling pretty angry. But revenge is corrosive and it doesn’t make me feel good.” While Gwen once likened Madonna to “an older sister,” the current state of their friendship is completely unsalvageable.
4 Drake Bell & Josh Peck
Drake and Josh were two names that went together like Kenan and Kel, but the former Nickelodeon stars hit a major roadblock in their eighteen-year friendship this past summer. Most people know that Drake Bell and Josh Peck got their big break with recurring roles on The Amanda Show and their popularity earned them a sitcom of their very own called Drake & Josh. The two breakout stars remained a very unified front over the years and remained close long after their days on the children’s network had ended. While Peck managed to score some pretty substantial movie roles and even landed a lead role in a short-lived sitcom starring John Stamos, Bell endured a few-run ins with the law and received some serious backlash for a string of odd tweets he had put out. Despite their careers going in different directions, Drake and Josh were still BFFs and Josh and helped his buddy out by giving him guest roles on projects he was working on. Everything seemed normal for the pair until Josh tied the knot this past June and Drake was nowhere to be seen. Turns out, Drake wasn’t actually invited to the wedding at all and though there was never any bad blood between the boys and that they had lost touch in recent months. Drake was obviously hurt by Josh not extending an invite and he took to Twitter to let the world know how he really felt. In a series of telling tweets, Drake said things like “True colors have come out today” and “Message is loud and clear. Ties are officially cut. I’ll miss you brother”. Of course, the outraged actor wasn’t done yet, stating, “Loyalty is key. ALWAYS remember where you came from.” This is one breakup we never saw coming, and hopefully these two can find a way to salvage what’s left of their deep-rooted friendship.
3 Lindsay Lohan & Tara Reid
What do you get when two of Tinseltown’s biggest train wrecks join forces and form a friendship fueled by partying and making bad decisions? The answer is simple: a recipe for disaster. Despite their nine year age difference, Lindsay Lohan and Tara Reid were BFFs bounded by their love of booze and chain smoking during the early 2000’s. Both of them once had successful acting careers, but they had become staples on the Hollywood party scene and their careers both became nonexistent. While you might be scratching your head wondering what could have possibly gone wrong between these former BFFs, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that two explosive personalities result in one super volatile relationship. When asked about Lohan in 2013, Reid didn’t mince words telling reporters, “We don’t really like each other that much”. Tara went on to insinuate that Lohan has a problem with alcohol, stating, “If I get drunk, I'm happy drunk. When she [Lindsay] gets drunk, she's just mean.” During that same interview, Tara vented about Lohan crashing one of her friend’s cars and showed frustration that she continually gets “chance after chance” to get her life back on track while Reid herself gets branded with a bad reputation. Maybe these two parting ways is actually for the best after all.
2 Jennie Garth & Tiffani Thiessen
When Tiffani Thiessen initially joined the cast of 90210 during the show’s fifth season, she wasn’t exactly given a warm welcome by her fellow female cast mates. After realizing that she was playing the part of a mean girl even when the cameras weren’t rolling, Jennie Garth apologized to Tiffani for her cold as ice behavior. After that, the actresses became virtually inseparable. They went on to become such close BFFs that Tiffani served as Jennie’s maid of honor during her 2001 wedding to Peter Facinelli. It seemed like nothing could possibly come between this dynamic duo but at some point, their relationship hit a rough patch after a major disagreement. In an interview with Howard Stern in 2012, Thiessen spoke of her former friend-turned-foe, stating, “We had a falling out and we grew apart. I was the one who was hurt, let's just say that. I was the one who was hurt.”
While the star refused to go into further detail about what actually caused their friendship to fracture, Garth jumped at the opportunity to throw some shade at her ex best friend on an episode of Ru Paul’s Drag Race that aired earlier this year. Jennie appeared in an episode alongside Tori Spelling and when the subject of their former co-star came up the two women got super catty. Rudely referencing Thiessen, Jennie bluntly blurted out, “As Ti -, how do you say it?” While Tori quipped back, “Yes, we know her as ‘That which we don't speak of.’ Although we might never know what really went down between Jennie and Tiffani that caused them to part ways, it’s pretty clear that their relationship ended on the same sour note that it began on.
1 Rachel Zoe & Brad Goreski
Rachel Zoe had been an in-demand fashion designer and celebrity stylist in Hollywood for years, but when she was given her own reality show on Bravo, her popularity really shot through the roof. Fans of The Rachel Zoe Project will surely remember Brad Goreski being Rachel’s BFF and trusted right-hand man. The two were stuck together like glue and Brad credits Zoe for teaching him the ins and outs of the fashion world, but the dynamic duo unexpectedly parted ways after the show’s third season. While Rachel insists that Brad had suggested he wanted a life away from the spotlight, his career path following his breakup from Zoe showed a much different motive for leaving his bestie high and dry. Speaking of their split, Rachel stated, “After three years of working together, Brad sat [my husband] Roger and I down and said, 'I need to make a change. I want to be at home with my dog and my boyfriend. I want my personal life. I want to get out of the limelight.' And of course, within a week of us parting, when Brad went out on his own as a stylist; he started to pursue our clients, starting going to all these events and doing all the things he said he had no interest in.” Rachel told the press that Brad’s decision to sever ties left her feeling “used” but he did move on to much bigger and better endeavors once he finally set out on his own. The hurt of his success surely only hurt Rachel even more. Immediately after their friendship went out the window Goreski was given his own spinoff show and he landed himself a spot as a co-host Fashion Police. Needless to say, it doesn’t look like Rachel and Brad will ever see eye to eye about where things went wrong in their relationship.
Sources: DailyMail.co.uk, People.com, UsMagazine.com, HollywoodReporter.com
