I Was a Terrible Wife: 23 Forgotten Celebrity Marriages (24 photos)
It's common knowledge that creative couples rarely last. Some stars have admitted they were too young for marriage. Others said they decided to marry to resolve relationship issues. Sometimes their marriages lasted only a few weeks, so don't be surprised if you haven't heard of them. Let's take a look at 23 celebrity marriages that didn't stand the test of time. 
1. Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum 
Gina and Jeff married in 1987 and divorced in 1991. They first met on the set of the 1985 film "Transylvania 6-5000," but their feelings for each other blossomed while working together on "The Fly."
"Gina is loving, seductive, and irresistible," Jeff said of his then-wife in an interview with GQ. "Of course, I'm madly attracted to her. Madly."
Last year, the former spouses met again on stage. It happened at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Gina called her marriage to Jeff "a magical chapter" in her life.
2. George Clooney and Talia Balsom 
The couple met onstage at a local theater. They married in 1989 and were together for four years, until 1993.
Recalling their relationship, Clooney admitted he wasn't ready: "I'm responsible for the failure of that marriage."
In a 2016 interview with People magazine, the actress called her ex-husband "charming." Since 1998, she has been happily married to John Slattery, with whom she has a son. George, in turn, is married to British lawyer Amal Clooney, with whom they have two children.
3. Uma Thurman and Gary Oldman 
Uma and Gary met when she was eighteen and he was thirty. They married after filming State of Grace in 1989.
"He's 12 years older." "It was a wild romance that ended the way it was supposed to," the Pulp Fiction star told Vanity Fair in a 1996 interview. "He was my first love."
Uma and Gary's marriage collapsed after his arrest for drunk driving. The couple divorced in 1992.
Uma later married Ethan Hawke, her Gattaca co-star. They have two children together. In 2021, it was revealed that Uma was dating Justin B. Smith, CEO of Bloomberg Media Group.
Oldman himself married for the fifth time in 2017, to Gisele Schmidt. He has a son with Lesley Manville and two sons with Dona Fiorentino.
4. Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson 
Ryan and Scarlett were one of Hollywood's most vibrant couples. Their romance began in 2007, just two months after Ryan's split from Alanis Morissette. The following year, they married on Vancouver Island, Ryan's native Canada.
In 2009, Scarlett admitted that their busy schedules were taking a toll on their relationship: "We work, we come home, and—at least for me—we just stare at the wall for a few hours before bed."
The following year, they announced their separation, noting that "love and kindness" had always reigned between them.
5. Elton John and Renata Blauel 
Elton John and his girlfriend Renata Blauel, a sound engineer, married on Valentine's Day 1984. Their marriage lasted only three years.
"She was the most wonderful woman I've ever met, but it wasn't meant to be," the musician admitted. "I was living a lie."
Since 2014, John has been in a relationship with Canadian film director David Furnish.
In 2020, Renata filed a lawsuit against her ex-husband. She claimed that his memoir, "I Am Elton John: The Party of a Lifetime," violated the terms of their divorce. The dispute was settled that same year.
Blauel lived secluded in the UK until the early 2000s. Then she returned to Germany to care for her parents. Nothing is known about her life today.
6. Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller 
Angelina's first husband was English actor Jonny Lee Miller. At their wedding in 1996, the bride wore black leather pants and a white T-shirt with the groom's name written in blood. Their relationship ended the following year.
"Suddenly you become someone's wife. And suddenly you realize, 'I'm part of a couple now. I've lost myself,'" the Oscar-winning actress shared.
Angelina took the blame for the breakup. In an interview with the Calgary Sun, she admitted that she tried her best to be closer to her husband, but it was unsuccessful.
The "Trainspotting" star confirmed in a 2017 interview with the Brampton Guardian that they had amicably separated and remained friends.
7. Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere 
Cindy and Richard married in 1991 and divorced in 1995. They reportedly met in the 1980s at a photographer's barbecue.
"People often ask if it was love at first sight. I always say it was interest at first sight. We talked, then we went on a date, and then another," the supermodel explained.
The couple lived in a $5 million mansion in Bel Air. According to Cindy, they broke up because they didn't spend enough time together.
8. Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett 
The beauty and the country singer met through mutual friends. They dated for only three or four weeks before deciding to tie the knot in 1993.
Their relationship lasted two years. After the divorce, Julia admitted that they simply weren't meant to be together: "I don't think staying was the best option."
Julia is married to filmmaker Daniel Moder, and they have three children. Lyle is married to music producer April Kimble, and they also have three children.
9. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Esposito 
Jennifer and Bradley married in December 2006, but she filed for divorce just five months later.
In 2014, Jennifer released a memoir, Jennifer's Way. In the book, she described one of her former partners, presumably Bradley, as "brazen" and "a master manipulator."
She wrote: "I didn't always find him so attractive, but I figured I could enjoy his sense of humor for a while. We had fun together, but he also had a cold, mean side. His personality could change in an instant."
Since 2023, the Oscar-nominated actor has been in a relationship with model Gigi Hadid. The Blue Bloods star is married to fitness trainer Jesper Westerstro.
10. Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon 
The actress and folk musician met while Carrie was filming the first Star Wars film. They married in 1983 and divorced by July 1984.
In an interview after their separation, Paul admitted he was "exhausted" by the end of their relationship.
"What was I thinking? Marriage is hard," he said, attributing the divorce to "a lot of mistakes."
Carrie also admitted that marriage was a mistake.
After the divorce, they continued to see each other for several years before finally separating. The breakdown in their whirlwind romance was often attributed to depression, self-doubt, and Carrie's substance abuse.
11. Drew Barrymore and Tom Green 
The actress and comedian met on the set of Charlie's Angels in 2000. They exchanged vows of eternal love in 2001, but separated six months later.
On his ex-wife's talk show, Tom said they "laughed a lot" and "hit it off right away." On their first date, they bought lobsters and released them back into the ocean.
The comedian admitted: "We had a lot of amazing moments that I'm grateful for and cherish."
Drew has two children with art consultant Will Kopelman. The former MTV host got engaged to his girlfriend, Amanda Nelson, last year.
12. Sandra Oh and Alexander Payne 
The "Grey's Anatomy" star dated director Alexander Payne for five years. They married in January 2003. It was the first marriage for both of them. The couple divorced amicably in late 2006.
In 2015, Alexander married Maria Kontos. They met in Greece. In 2017, the couple had a daughter, but they divorced five years later.
Sandra has been seen in public several times with artist Lev Rukhin.
13. Alex Kingston and Ralph Fiennes 
The actors fell in love while studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. They married in 1993.
The Doctor Who star admitted that their marriage was an attempt to resolve serious relationship issues.
"We were like strangers, vulnerable," she recalled. "His mother was ill, and we naively believed that marriage would change everything. But it was madness."
Two years after their wedding, Ralph began an affair with Francesca Annis, who played his mother in a stage production of Hamlet. He divorced her in 1997. She later married German writer Florian Hertel. She then married television producer Jonathan Stamp. Fiennes split from Francesca in 2006.
14. Nicolas Cage and Patricia Arquette 
Nicolas and Patricia married in 1995. After nine months, their passion faded. Although they separated, they continued to appear publicly as a couple. In February 2000, Nicholas filed for divorce. He later married Lisa Marie Presley, then Alice Kim, and then Erika Koike. His current wife is Rico Shibata.
Patricia later married actor Thomas Jane, but they divorced in 2011.
15. Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds 
Eddie and Tracey Edmonds exchanged vows in 2008 in a ceremony on the island of Bora Bora.
Two weeks after their wedding, the couple announced their separation, explaining that registering their relationship was unnecessary.
The statement read: "Our symbolic union in Bora Bora was an expression of deep love, friendship, and respect for each other. However, we have decided to remain friends."
The 64-year-old actor is currently married to Australian model Paige Butcher. They have two children together. Murphy has 10 children in total.
Tracy, a successful Hollywood producer, is raising two sons with singer Kenneth Edmonds.
16. Cher and Gregg Allman 
Cher and Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers were married for four years in the 1970s. They met at an Allman concert, where the "Believe" singer attended with another man.
"I was terrible," Allman recalled in his memoirs. "I didn't say hello, I didn't say anything, I was blinded by her." Despite her impoliteness, the singer left him her phone number, and he called her the next day.
In 1976, Cher, née Cheryl Sarkeesian, and Gregg had a son, Elijah Blue Allman.
Gregg filed for divorce after his wife signed a contract for a new show, "Sonny & Cher," featuring her ex-husband.
17. Meghan Markle and Trevor Engelson 
Before becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan was married to actor and film producer Trevor Engelson. The couple married in Jamaica in 2011 and separated two years later, citing irreconcilable differences.
Engelson later married nutritionist Tracy Kurland, with whom he has three children.
Meanwhile, Meghan lives with Prince Harry in Montecito, California, along with their son Archie and daughter Lilibet.
18. Helen Hunt and Hank Azaria 
Helen Hunt and Hank Azaria were married from 1999 to 2000. Hank became famous for voicing characters on The Simpsons.
Before their wedding, they worked together for four years on the television series "Mad About You."
It was Helen who filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences."
Hank later married actress Katie Wright, and they had a son. Helen has a daughter with producer Matthew Carnahan.
19. Jenna Fischer and James Gunn 
Jenna and James fell in love while reading the script for the film "The Extraordinaries" together. Their marriage lasted from 2000 to 2008.
The couple announced their split in true 2000s style, publishing a joint statement on MySpace. "We've been cheerleaders and friends for the past six years and will remain so for the future," they shared.
In 2011, the Guardians of the Galaxy director admitted to St. Louis Magazine that his marriage to Jenna wasn't perfect. He is now married to actress Jennifer Holland. Fisher is married to director Lee Kirk.
20. Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush 
In the 2000s, the actor, known for his role in Freaky Friday, was married to his One Tree Hill co-star, Sophia Bush. In April 2005, Sophia and Chad married, but divorced in December 2006. The reason was his alleged affair with Paris Hilton.
In an interview with Andy Cohen in 2014, Sophia said that she and Chad were stupid kids, and a serious relationship was out of the question.
Chad is married to actress Sarah Roemer, with whom he has three children. Sofia is single.
21. Eva Longoria and Tyler Christopher 
Tyler Christopher, star of the series "General Hospital," was married to Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004.
Eva shared her thoughts about her ex-husband in an interview with Digital Spy: "He was a wonderful man, but I was too young. I didn't know myself and was still struggling as an actress. I was a terrible wife."
In 2007, the "Desperate Housewives" star married Tony Parker, but they separated in 2011. In 2016, she remarried to José Baston, with whom she shares a son, Santiago.
Tyler has two children, Grayson James and Boheme, with his ex-wife, Brienne Pedigo. They were married from 2008 to 2021.
In October 2023, the actor passed away at the age of 50. The cause of his death was positional asphyxia, which was caused by acute alcohol intoxication.
22. Melanie Lynskey and Jimmi Simpson 
Melanie and Jimmy met on the set of Stephen King's Rose Red series in 2002. Their first kiss in a taxi took the actress by surprise. "As soon as it happened, I fell in love with him," she admitted.
Their marriage lasted from 2007 to 2014, but they remained friends after their divorce. This year, Melanie told People that her 6-year-old daughter, whom she shares with Jason Ritter, is "smitten" with Jimmy.
Jimmy married English actress Sofia Del Pizzo in 2019, but they separated in 2021.
23. Mario Lopez and Ali Landry 
The "Saved by the Bell" actor and the former Miss USA were married for just two weeks in 2004.
Why did they break up? Mario cheated on Eli before their wedding. The model said Mario "swore it wasn't true," but she instinctively knew he was lying. Despite her suspicions, Eli went ahead with the wedding because her family had already bought tickets to Mexico for the wedding.
Seven years after the breakup, Mario publicly admitted to cheating. In an interview with Howard Stern, he revealed that he had an affair with another woman at his bachelor party in Mexico. He wasn't ready for family life at the time and couldn't cope with his feelings.
