Christmas celebrity splits: Ryan Reynolds, Katy Perry and more heartbreaking marriage breakdowns

Linda Robson secretly split from her husband Mark Dunford earlier in 2023, but she only announced it while discussing her Christmas plans on Loose Women in November.

The former couple got married in 1990 and welcomed two children together Louis and Roberta before ending their 33-year marriage. Linda addressed their split during an interview with Woman magazine, stating: “He’s a really good dad and we had some good years, but enough is enough.

“I’ve got my family and my kids around me. And I’m going on a cruise with Lesley Joseph in November. I’m keeping busy. I feel fine. I’m just going away on trips all the time.”

Linda’s co-star Jane Moore also recently went through a marriage breakdown, announcing live on Loose Women in December 2022 that she had ended her relationship with Gary Farrow.  

The TV star had been married to her “best friend” Gary for 20 years but they had been discussing their split for a long time before finalising it.

Jane explained. “We’ve been processing it for about a year. So we’re both quite private people. We had discussed it last year,” she said, adding they delayed their separation so she could look after him after he broke his leg.

“I would hope he would say I’m his best friend. And I’m keen we don’t lose that element,” she said.

California Gurls singer Katy Perry married comedian Russell Brand in India in October 2010 but they confirmed they had gone their separate ways the following year. They got divorced in 2012 but Katy admitted that she was informed of their divorce via text message on New Year’s Eve.

“He’s a very smart man, and I was in love with him when I married him,” Perry told Vogue in 2013. “Let’s just say I haven’t heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011.”

Before marrying Blake Lively and Colin Jost, Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson were wed from 2008 to 2011. They exchanged vows in Canada but kept their relationship very private before revealing their split in December 2010.

At the time, they released a statement that read: “After long and careful consideration on both our parts, we’ve decided to end our marriage. We entered our relationship with love and it’s with love and kindness we leave it. While privacy isn’t expected, it’s certainly appreciated.”

Scarlett later told Vanity Fair: “I mean, the first time I got married I was 23 years old. I didn’t really have an understanding of marriage. Maybe I kind of romanticized it, I think, in a way.”

Flip or Flop stars Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall got married in 2009 but after a seven-year marriage, they ended their relationship in December 2016. They cited an incident that happened in May 2016 as partially responsible for their split.

“Like many couples, we have had challenges in our marriage. We had an unfortunate misunderstanding about six months ago and the police were called to our house in an abundance of caution. There was no violence and no charges were filed,” a statement read.

“During the process, we are committed to our kids and being the best parents we can be. We will continue to work through this process civilly and cooperatively, and plan to continue our professional life together.”

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore met in 2003 and hit it off despite their 15-year age gap, marrying two years later. In 2011, the That 70s Show actor released a statement confirming the end of their marriage. “I will forever cherish the time I spent with Demi. Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail. Love and Light, AK,” it read.

He later told Esquire: “Nothing makes you feel like a failure like divorce.”

Following seven months of marriage, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton and actor Lukas Gage reportedly filed for divorce in November, according to People.

They had tied the knot in Las Vegas in April 2023 with Chris’ friend and client Kim Kardashian officiating the ceremony. However, the documents obtained by People revealed they cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split.