15 Celeb Break Ups That Destroyed Us

When you love a celebrity, it’s very easy to become emotionally invested in their personal life. And by easy, we mean inevitable! The coming together of our favorite celebrities can sometimes fill us with more joy than the relationships we have in our own lives (sad, but true!) But by the same token, when the famous couples we worship break up, it shatters our hearts. It’s been a few years since some of the lovers on this list called it quits, but that doesn’t mean we’re over all the sad feelings. In some cases, the news that they were parting ways was so shocking, that we’re not sure we’re ever going to get over it! The following break ups absolutely destroyed us, sometimes because these couples truly seemed like soulmates, and sometimes because the news broke so suddenly that we just couldn’t adjust. Are you over these celeb splits yet? We still need some time!

15 Britney Spears & Justin Timberlake

Yes, it has been years and no, we’re not over this one yet. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake couldn’t NOT date back in the early 2000s. They were both young, blonde former-Mouseketeers on the top of the pop world for goodness’ sake! Britney and Justin were #relationshipgoals before #relationshipgoals was a thing. So what went wrong? It was implied that Brit had gotten a little too close to one of her backup dancers, and for the next few years after the break up, Justin didn’t seem to be her biggest fan. We hate that these guys broke up because we loved them and their matching denim outfits, but their split also sparked the beginning of Britney’s Kevin Federline era, which ended up leading into her 2007-breakdown phase. We just like seeing Britney at her best, and she was really on top when she had J.T. by her side. Both are doing well today, though!

14 Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie

If you say that you saw this break up coming, you are so lying! Brad Pitt and Angelina were the power couple of Hollywood, with more status than Jay-Z and Beyoncé and more labels that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian put together. Together, they were more of a brand than a couple, and with six children and twelve years between them, it seemed like they would stay together forever, even if they didn’t want to. But Ang did file for divorce in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. They were married in August 2014, and officially separated on September 15, 2016. Angelina asked for joint custody over their brood, with Brad given visitation rights and her having solo physical custody. Her manager released a statement to E! News, saying, “Angelina is doing what's best in the interest of taking care of her children. She appreciates everyone's understanding of their need for privacy at this time."

13 Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston

If there’s one break up that hurt us more than Brad Pitt and Angelina, it’s the break up of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Though we loved Angelina and Brad together, if nothing else than for the sheer influence they had, we will always be Team Aniston. She had him first, guys. End of story! The Friends star married the movie star in 2000, after dating him for two years. Brad and Ang might have been the top power couple, but Brad and Jen were the original power couple. Then Mr. and Mrs. Smith came along, and Brangelina was born on set. There wasn’t really a vicious public battle between the stars involved, but just about everybody else in the world had an opinion, with celebrities and fans alike choosing a side. And to be honest, it would probably be awkward if these three found themselves stuck in an elevator together.

12 Rachel McAdams & Ryan Gosling

Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling seemed like they were destined to find each other. All the elements of a great love story were there—they didn’t get along when they first met, but then fell in love as they filmed the most romantic movie of all time, The Notebook, became household names together and then stood by each other’s side through international fame. It doesn’t get any more perfect than that! Add in the fact that they’re both Canadian, and we can no longer deal. These two stuck at it for two years, and a piece of all of us felt like we were seeing Noah and Allie together in real life. But those sentiments turned to dust when the two stars called it quits. They’ve both moved on, and they both seem happy which is the main thing. You can definitely still catch us mourning this fairytale romance, though!

11 Vanessa Hudgens & Zac Efron

What can we say? We have a thing for couples who are together on screen and then fall in love in real life. It’s just as close as we’re going to get to a real fairytale! When High School Musical blew up, so did its two main stars, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. He was the tall, tanned, handsome athlete who could also sing and dance, and she was an itsy-bitsy stunner who was full of talent and had an impossibly pretty face—people like that are just meant to find each other! They were inseparable for a while there, on and off screen, but eventually it all got too much and they decided to end it. In hindsight, they were both so young when they became a couple that it probably wasn’t healthy for them to stay tied to each other forever. But are we open to a Zannessa reunion? Hells to the yeah!

10 Rachel Bilson & Adam Brody

The break up between Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson absolutely killed 2006-us. The O.C. to this day remains one of the most iconic teen shows of our generation, and when we found out that our favorite couple from Newport was actually together in real life, we could barely contain our excitement. Adam, who played Seth Cohen, and Rachel, who played Summer Roberts, actually started dating in 2004 and this was epic. Unlike their characters, it turns out they weren’t soulmates after all, and called it quits in 2006, before the show ended. Honestly, their relationship was so much more exciting than if Ben McKenzie and Mischa Barton had started dating in real life; it may be a decade since this show finished, but Seth and Summer will always beat Ryan and Marissa at the best Newport couple award. We wish it had worked between Rachel and Adam, but both have since happily moved on!

9 Demi Lovato & Wilmer Valderrama

The break up between Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama only happened in 2016, which is maybe why our wounds are still fresh! The two were together for nearly six years, during which Demi rose to international fame as a pop star. You never know what really goes on inside a relationship that you’re not part of, but from the outside looking in, we thought these two were perfect for each other; they always looked happy when photographed together, and aesthetically, they’re both hot to trot. Sadly, they announced that they were parting ways in June of 2016 on Twitter, which destroyed a lot more people than just us. In her official statement, Demi said, “We have realized more than anything that we are better as best friends.” We suppose you can’t argue with that! Demi was briefly linked to MMA fighter Guilherme Vasconcelos in 2017, but is currently thought to be back on the market.

8 Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck

The split between Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, who were commonly known as “Bennifer”, was less shocking than some of the others on this list. When they got together, JLo had been married a few times and was already linked to famous names like Diddy, and you couldn’t so much as take a step outside your front door without hearing about their amazing relationship, which is never a good sign! However, that doesn’t mean we were any less saddened when we heard that the end had come for these two. They did look unbelievable together and would have made exceptionally gorgeous children. Plus, there was that saucy music video they starred in together, not to mention the movie Jersey Girl, where Jen made a brief appearance as Ben’s wife. In the movie, Jen’s character dies tragically before the movie gets going, so we guess they weren’t destined to be together in any universe!

7 Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher

Ah, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. We’ve wanted Demi Moore to find her happily ever after ever since it was robbed from her in Ghost, and Ashton Kutcher is too cute and funny not to root for. So yes, we were thrilled when these guys got married! Ashton seemed like such a contrast to Bruce Willis, whom Demi was with before, and his playfulness balanced out her serious demeanor. We really thought this one was going to work, which is why it was devastating when it didn’t. In 2011, they separated and divorced, which was later attributed to infidelity claims and irreconcilable differences. The worst part about this break up was that it was clearly hell for Demi, who ended up hospitalized and then in rehab. Ashton is with Mila Kunis now, and we do approve of that relationship too. Can we ship Ashton and Mila and still wish he were back with Demi?

6 Helena Bonham Carter & Tim Burton

If anybody was a match made in heaven, it was these two. Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton were like the film industry’s quirky power couple of oddballs—as individuals, they are both wonderfully weird and undeniably talented. Frequently working together as actress and director, these two were naturally drawn to each other and just seemed to get each other, in a world where few other people did. They really seemed like each other’s missing halves, so to speak. Marriage wasn’t their thing, and instead they lived in two adjoining houses so they could be together but still maintain their own space and a sense of individuality. Now, is that #lifegoals or is that #lifegoals? But even though they had a fool-proof system and all the makings of a strong relationship, they didn’t last. There was no drama, but the split was still tragic for fans who aspired to have their own adjoining houses someday.

5 Johnny Depp & Vanessa Paradis

Johnny Depp has gotten himself in quite a bit of trouble since he split from longtime partner, Vanessa Paradis. With alleged domestic violence charges against him and other issues with the law, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the actor, who broke up with Vanessa in June 2012. So we miss Johnny and Vanessa together, but we also miss the man Johnny was when he was with her! The two met in 1988 when Johnny noticed her sitting at the bar of Costes Hotel in Paris. Dining with colleagues, he had a friend invite her over and they spoke for hours. He was totally smitten, and fell so deeply in love with her that he gave Hollywood up and moved to the south of France to raise a family with her. The couple share two children, and Vanessa has voiced support for Johnny during his nasty split from Amber Heard.

4 Will Arnett & Amy Poehler

When two of the world’s funniest people can’t make things work, what hope is there for the rest of us?! Will Arnett and Amy Poehler seemed like the epitome of happiness, and like another couple who was destined to end up together. Both hilarious, happy, and successful, these two really seemed like they were going to make it. When the divorce was announced, fans were in total shock, scratching their heads as they wondered what the heck went wrong. Amy opened up about the divorce in her book Yes, Please, and to say the least, it’s utterly heart-breaking: “When you are a person going through a divorce you feel incredibly alone, yet you are constantly reminded by society of how frequently divorce happens and how common it has become. You aren't allowed to feel special, but no one knows the specific ways you are in pain." Cue tears! Comedians secretly in pain is the worst thing ever.

3 Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson

The more we think about it, the more we realize that the relationship between Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson was a pretty unhappy place to be for all involved. At the time, though, we just saw two sparkly vampires whose relationship was like a fantasy come to life for us, so we were totally bummed when they split. Many don’t rate Twilight as a love story, but many more do, and they were all broken when Bella and Edward, or Kristen and Robert, revealed that their love wasn’t going to be an immortal thing. Kristen admitted to cheating on Rob, and then it was reported that he moved out but he also may not have, and the whole split was just confusing and messy. K-Stew has opened up about feeling pressured to be in that relationship in the first place, saying it felt it was about pleasing other people than the feelings they had for each other.

2 Orlando Bloom & Miranda Kerr

Will there ever be a couple as attractive as Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr? Probably not. The Victoria’s Secret model and Pirates of the Caribbean actor were one of the hottest couples in the world, not just because they were both aesthetically blessed (but mostly that), but also because they were both so successful and seemed to get along so well. What could there possibly be to fight about when you’re that rich, good-looking, and established? As it turns out, a lot. After having son Flynn Bloom, the two split in 2013, which caused Miranda to spiral into depression. It’s not totally clear what caused the break up, but some sources claim Orlando’s drinking became too much for Miranda to handle, as he would reportedly get blackout drunk too often. After being amicably split for six months in 2013, they formalized their separation, which came as a huge shock to fans.

1 Katy Perry & Russell Brand

This is one split that definitely didn’t end on good terms, but while they were going strong, we were loving it! After meeting in 2009, Russell and Katy married in an Indian wedding in 2010, but were divorced by 2012. She was a global superstar embarking on a world tour in 2011, and he was one of the most well-known comedians in the world with several hit films under his belt. They seemed so passionate together and we really wanted this one to last just a little longer! We’re unsure what really provoked the split, but Katy hinted many times that Russell wanted to have a baby, and she felt she wasn’t ready. What we do know is that Russell asked for a divorce via text message on New Year’s Eve of 2011, and yikes—that’s one way to do it! Katy said that after that, she didn’t even speak to Russell again until 2015.