The Messiest and Most Dramatic Celebrity Divorces, from Christina Haack's Social Media Sniping to Kelly Clarkson's Astronomical Payout

Mar. 15, 2025

Kevin Costner, Christina Haack, Kelly Clarkson.Photo:Jesse Grant/Getty; Michael Tullberg/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty

Jesse Grant/Getty; Michael Tullberg/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty

01of 14

Christina Haack and Josh Hall

Josh Hall and Christina Hall.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Christina Haack’s divorce from her husband of two years,Josh Hall, has been acrimonious from the get-go and doesn’t seem to be improving.

Hall filed for divorce from theFlip or Flopstar in July 2024 and they’ve sniped at each other several times on social media since then. Haack has called her ex-husband “an insecure man with a big ego,” and also revealed that her kids, Taylor, 14 and Brayden, 9 — whom she shares with ex Tarek El Moussa —urged her to leave Hall after a fight at one point.

On Jan. 1, he alsomade an Instagram postthat appeared to reference his divorce, stating that while “tough situations can change you,” they can also help you become a “better version of yourself.”

Their latest squabble is once againtaking place via social media.After Haack toldRadio Andy’sJeff Lewis Livethat they may be going to trial because Hall “doesn’t want to do mediation," a spokesperson for Hall issued a statement toLife & Stylesaying it was “sad Christina must resort to low blows about her ex Josh to promote her new show. … She should focus onher new boyfriendand stop talking about Josh. As the greatMariah Careyonce sang, ‘Why you so obsessed with me?' We wish Christina the best.”

Haack then shared part of the statement to her Instagram Stories, writing, “I just threw up in my mouth. Quoting a Mariah Carey song is a new low.. even for you. Trust me idgaf about Josh’s life. I do however care about his bts tactics. Narcissism at its finest.”

02of 14

Kevin Costner & Christine Baumgartner

Kevin Costner and ex-wife Christine Baumgartner.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

The split was difficult and negotiations were drawn-out. Both parties lobbed accusations against one another, with Costner claiming his ex wouldn’t move out of their house, per the terms agreed to in their prenup. Baumgartner’s lawyer responded, sayingThe Horizondirector had no “legal basis” to kick her off the property. She wasordered to move.

The former couple, who share three kids — Cayden Wyatt, Hayes Logan and Grace Avery — were also arguing over child support: Baumgartner requested$248,000 per month,while Costner claimed $51,940 is sufficient, calling his ex-wife’s figure “highly inflated and unsubstantiated” and “designed to primarily benefit the supported parent.” (A judge awarded her $129,000 per month.)

Theysettled their divorcein February 2024.

03of 14Amber Heard & Johnny DeppAmber Heard and Johnny Depp.Jason Merritt/GettyAmber HeardandJohnny Depp’s love story ended in lawsuits.TheAquamanactress filed for divorce from Depp in 2016 after only 15 months of marriage and she was awarded $7 million in the settlement. The split became contentious when both parties accused the other ofdomestic abuse.Depp filed suit against the U.K.‘sThe Sunnewspaper in 2020 after the publication labeled him a “wife-beater.” Depp lost the suitand the appeal, andHeard responded on Instagram.In 2022, they were in court again, this time for a defamation trial Depp brought against Heard over a 2018 op-ed she penned for theWashington Post. In it, she detailed discrimination she said she faced in the wake of her domestic abuse allegations against Depp, without naming him, to “ensure that women who come forward to talk about violence receive more support.“Proceedings for the case began on April 11, 2022, in a highly publicized trial that saw both actors making bombshell allegations of physical, emotional and mental abuse against each other. On June 1, aseven-person jury reached a verdict,deciding that Depp proved ex-wife Heard defamed him.The jury awarded Depp with $15 millionin damages, but Heard would only have to pay $10.35 million due to Virginia law cap on punitive damages (the judge reduced the amount). In her countersuit, Heard won one of the three defamation counts, and she was awarded $2 million in damages. Both parties appealed, but in December,Heard announced she’d settledwith her ex.He donatedthe $1 million he received from her to charity.

03of 14

Amber Heard & Johnny Depp

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp.Jason Merritt/Getty

Amber HeardandJohnny Depp’s love story ended in lawsuits.

TheAquamanactress filed for divorce from Depp in 2016 after only 15 months of marriage and she was awarded $7 million in the settlement. The split became contentious when both parties accused the other ofdomestic abuse.

Depp filed suit against the U.K.‘sThe Sunnewspaper in 2020 after the publication labeled him a “wife-beater.” Depp lost the suitand the appeal, andHeard responded on Instagram.

In 2022, they were in court again, this time for a defamation trial Depp brought against Heard over a 2018 op-ed she penned for theWashington Post. In it, she detailed discrimination she said she faced in the wake of her domestic abuse allegations against Depp, without naming him, to “ensure that women who come forward to talk about violence receive more support.”

Proceedings for the case began on April 11, 2022, in a highly publicized trial that saw both actors making bombshell allegations of physical, emotional and mental abuse against each other. On June 1, aseven-person jury reached a verdict,deciding that Depp proved ex-wife Heard defamed him.

The jury awarded Depp with $15 millionin damages, but Heard would only have to pay $10.35 million due to Virginia law cap on punitive damages (the judge reduced the amount). In her countersuit, Heard won one of the three defamation counts, and she was awarded $2 million in damages. Both parties appealed, but in December,Heard announced she’d settledwith her ex.He donatedthe $1 million he received from her to charity.

04of 14

Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev

Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev.Anna Webber/Getty

Anna Webber/Getty

It seemed as though NikkiGarciaandArtem Chigvintsevwere living happily ever after. The former wrestler married the formerDancing with the Starspro in August 2022 after having welcomed son Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev in July 2020.

Two weeks after the incident, Garciafiled for divorcein Napa Valley on Sept. 11, and Garcia’s rep confirmed the divorce news to PEOPLE, saying, “Nikki Garcia has filed for divorce. She continues to ask for privacy for her and her family at this time.”

Chigvintsev and Bella weregranted restraining ordersin October, both making claims of physical harm against the other.

Theirdivorce was settledin a private mediation on Nov. 21, 2024 as a rep for Garcia revealed, “both parties decided to drop the domestic violence restraining orders against each other in an effort to move on with their lives and effectively co-parent their son.”

05of 14Denise Richards & Charlie SheenGregg DeGuire/WireImageAnother volatile celebrity divorce came in 2006 courtesy ofCharlie SheenandDenise Richards.The two tied the knot in 2002 and welcomed their first daughter, Sami in 2004. While six months pregnant with their second child in 2005, Richards filed for divorce from theTwo and a Half Menactor.In 2007, a judge declared the two were legally able to marry other people, though the divorce was not officially sealed as they still had to sort out asset distribution and child custody.During their custody battle, Richardslaunched accusationsagainst her ex-husband, asking the court to protect theirchildrenfrom Sheen and remove his overnightprivileges.In court documents, she alleged that Charlie was abusive, slept with prostitutes during their marriage and tried to prevent his daughters from receiving common vaccinations. Sheen denied the claims and retaliated, calling Richards a “sad jobless pig.“In May 2006,the two came to a custody agreementthat permitted Sheen supervised visitation, though required him to stay 300 feet from Richards at all other times.

05of 14

Denise Richards & Charlie Sheen

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Another volatile celebrity divorce came in 2006 courtesy ofCharlie SheenandDenise Richards.

The two tied the knot in 2002 and welcomed their first daughter, Sami in 2004. While six months pregnant with their second child in 2005, Richards filed for divorce from theTwo and a Half Menactor.

In 2007, a judge declared the two were legally able to marry other people, though the divorce was not officially sealed as they still had to sort out asset distribution and child custody.

During their custody battle, Richardslaunched accusationsagainst her ex-husband, asking the court to protect theirchildrenfrom Sheen and remove his overnightprivileges.In court documents, she alleged that Charlie was abusive, slept with prostitutes during their marriage and tried to prevent his daughters from receiving common vaccinations. Sheen denied the claims and retaliated, calling Richards a “sad jobless pig.”

In May 2006,the two came to a custody agreementthat permitted Sheen supervised visitation, though required him to stay 300 feet from Richards at all other times.

06of 14Madonna & Guy RitchieMike Marsland/WireImageMadonna and Guy Ritchie’s 2008 divorce was one of the biggest stories of the early aughts. The two had been married for seven years when they filed for a divorce which saw theLike a Virginsingerpay her ex between $76 million to $92 millionin the settlement.Their split also resulted in a custody battle for the couple’s son, Rocco, who was 15 years old at the time. At one point, Madonnareportedly filed legal proceedingsin London under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, alleging Rocco had been illegally retained in the U.K. after visiting his dad.The transatlantic back and forth finally came to a close in 2016, the New York Supreme Court ruled thatRocco was to remain with his dad in London.

06of 14

Madonna & Guy Ritchie

Mike Marsland/WireImage

Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s 2008 divorce was one of the biggest stories of the early aughts. The two had been married for seven years when they filed for a divorce which saw theLike a Virginsingerpay her ex between $76 million to $92 millionin the settlement.

Their split also resulted in a custody battle for the couple’s son, Rocco, who was 15 years old at the time. At one point, Madonnareportedly filed legal proceedingsin London under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, alleging Rocco had been illegally retained in the U.K. after visiting his dad.

The transatlantic back and forth finally came to a close in 2016, the New York Supreme Court ruled thatRocco was to remain with his dad in London.

07of 14

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann

Kroy Biermann, Kim Zolciak-Biermann.Paras Griffin/GC Images

Paras Griffin/GC Images

Kim Zolciakand Kroy Biermann were such a tight-knit couple, theReal Housewives of Atlantastar often got flack for bringing him everywhere while on the show.

In July of that year, it seemed the couple was trying to make things work as asource confirmed to PEOPLEthat they were calling off their divorce.

By August, the divorce was back on and Biermannrefiled for divorcefor the second time.

Their divorce is ongoing.

08of 14

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie

Ethan Miller/WireImage

Brad PittandAngelina Joliewent public with their relationship in 2005and were wed in 2014, in a private ceremony that involved their six children.

Their happily ever after was short-lived, however, as Joliefiled for divorcefrom theTroyactor in 2016, shortly after their second wedding anniversary. In 2019, a judge declared the pair legally single as they continued to work out the terms of their divorce behind the scenes.

According to the FBI report, Jolie said Pitt allegedly grabbed and shook her during a private flight from France to Los Angeles, pushed her into a wall and punched the plane’s ceiling. When she said it seemed “like he was going to attack” one of their children for calling him a “prick” during the dispute, Jolie recounted wrapping her arms around Pitt’s neck in a chokehold style.

The Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services concluded its investigation into the incident in November 2016 withno findings of abuse. The FBI also closed its investigation that month with no charges. Pitt has denied allegations of physical abuse and told GQ in 2017 he had stopped drinking.

The former couple also continue to duke it out overlegal issues pertaining tothe $164 million French estate and winery that they shared,Château Miraval.

After eight years of battling each other, Jolie and Pittfinalized their divorce in Dec. 2024.

09of 14Brad Pitt & Jennifer AnistonEvan Agostini/GettyBrad Pitt andJennifer Anistonwere America’s golden couple, so when they split, the nation collectively gasped. Add Pitt’s alleged affair with Angelina Jolie to the mix, and the entire ordeal became international news.Pitt and Aniston were married for seven years before theFriendsactress filed for divorce in 2005; not long after,Pitt was seen playing with Jolie and her eldest son Maddox on the beach, and accompanied Jolie to Ethiopia to adopt her daughter Zahara(he would legally adopt Zahara and Jolie’s eldest son, Maddox, shortly after that). Stores sold “Team Aniston” and “Team Jolie” shirts, and Jolie and Pitt posed for aWmagazine spread that portrayed them as a married couple. (“There’s a sensitivity chip that’s missing,” Aniston said of the photos.)“It’s sad, something coming to an end. It cracks you open, in a way — cracks you open to feeling,” Aniston toldVanity Fairof the demise of her marriage. “When you try to avoid the pain, it creates greater pain. I’m a human being, having a human experience in front of the world. I wish it weren’t in front of the world. I try really hard to rise above it.”

09of 14

Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston

Evan Agostini/Getty

Brad Pitt andJennifer Anistonwere America’s golden couple, so when they split, the nation collectively gasped. Add Pitt’s alleged affair with Angelina Jolie to the mix, and the entire ordeal became international news.

Pitt and Aniston were married for seven years before theFriendsactress filed for divorce in 2005; not long after,Pitt was seen playing with Jolie and her eldest son Maddox on the beach, and accompanied Jolie to Ethiopia to adopt her daughter Zahara(he would legally adopt Zahara and Jolie’s eldest son, Maddox, shortly after that). Stores sold “Team Aniston” and “Team Jolie” shirts, and Jolie and Pitt posed for aWmagazine spread that portrayed them as a married couple. (“There’s a sensitivity chip that’s missing,” Aniston said of the photos.)

“It’s sad, something coming to an end. It cracks you open, in a way — cracks you open to feeling,” Aniston toldVanity Fairof the demise of her marriage. “When you try to avoid the pain, it creates greater pain. I’m a human being, having a human experience in front of the world. I wish it weren’t in front of the world. I try really hard to rise above it.”

10of 14Sandra Bullock & Jesse JamesJeff Kravitz/FilmMagicSandra Bullockfiled for divorce from her husband Jesse James in 2010 after four women came forward and claimed they had affairs with him throughout the course of his marriage.While the divorce itself wasn’t drawn out, the circumstances surrounding it made it that much more high-profile. Bullock had just won her first Oscar forThe Blind Sideand the couple were in the midst of adopting then-three-month-old Louis Bardo.Bullock continued to grow her family via adoption,adding daughter Laila to her family in 2015, but she admitted the early few months of parenthood weren’t easy.“I mean, so much had happened. How do you process grief and not hurt your child in the process? It’s a newborn, they take on everything that you’re feeling,“she told CBS. “My obligation was to him and not tainting the first year of his life with my grief.”

10of 14

Sandra Bullock & Jesse James

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Sandra Bullockfiled for divorce from her husband Jesse James in 2010 after four women came forward and claimed they had affairs with him throughout the course of his marriage.

While the divorce itself wasn’t drawn out, the circumstances surrounding it made it that much more high-profile. Bullock had just won her first Oscar forThe Blind Sideand the couple were in the midst of adopting then-three-month-old Louis Bardo.

Bullock continued to grow her family via adoption,adding daughter Laila to her family in 2015, but she admitted the early few months of parenthood weren’t easy.

“I mean, so much had happened. How do you process grief and not hurt your child in the process? It’s a newborn, they take on everything that you’re feeling,“she told CBS. “My obligation was to him and not tainting the first year of his life with my grief.”

11of 14

Tiger Woods & Elin Nordegren

Andrew Redington/Getty

Tiger Woodsand Elin Nordegren lived a relatively quiet life until news broke that the pro golfer had several extramarital affairs throughout the course of their marriage.

At the height of the scandal, reports came out alleging that the mom of two had smashed Woods’ window with a golf club, following a car crash in front of their home.

Nordegren vehemently denied those rumors,telling PEOPLE, “This was one of the things I had the hardest time with people thinking. There was never any violence inside or outside our home. The speculation that I would have used a golf club to hit him is just truly ridiculous.”

12of 14Kim Basinger & Alec BaldwinRichard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesBasinger and Baldwin’s divorce drama lasted for four years, mostly due to a custody battle over their daughter, Ireland.The two were married in 1993 and split in 2002 when Ireland was only 7 years old.Their split was full of name-calling; some of the insults thrown out included “black widow” and “tin pot tyrant.” Baldwin’svoicemail recording lambasting Ireland for not calling him back went viral and caused “permanent” damageto his relationship with his daughter.Though they had a rough divorce, the two have since made amends, as Basinger toldNet-A-Porter’sThe Editthat she and her ex are “cool now” in a 2016 interview.

12of 14

Kim Basinger & Alec Baldwin

Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

Basinger and Baldwin’s divorce drama lasted for four years, mostly due to a custody battle over their daughter, Ireland.

The two were married in 1993 and split in 2002 when Ireland was only 7 years old.

Their split was full of name-calling; some of the insults thrown out included “black widow” and “tin pot tyrant.” Baldwin’svoicemail recording lambasting Ireland for not calling him back went viral and caused “permanent” damageto his relationship with his daughter.

Though they had a rough divorce, the two have since made amends, as Basinger toldNet-A-Porter’sThe Editthat she and her ex are “cool now” in a 2016 interview.

13of 14

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock

Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson.Kevin Mazur/Getty

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Kelly Clarksonand Brandon Blackstock married in 2013 and welcomed two children —River RoseandRemington Alexanderin 2014 and 2016, respectively.

It seemed the couple was living in marital bliss until theSince You’ve Been Gonesinger filed for divorce in 2020. A legal battle between the former couple erupted amid their divorce proceedings in September 2020, when Starstruck — Blackstock’s management firm — sued Clarkson, claiming she owed over $1.4 million in unpaid commissions.

Outside of their management lawsuits, the two also fought bitterly in court overtheir Montana ranch(Blackstock argued it was marital property and would not move out; in the end, Clarkson paid him a portion of the value to exit) and their prenup (Blackstock argued that he should be entitled to any of Clarkson’s earnings during their marriage). In the end,she was ordered to pay him a $1.3 million sum, plus $45,601 in child support and $115,000 in spousal support until January 2024.

The former couplesettled their lawsuitsin May 2024. Details were confidential and undisclosed.

14of 14

Sherri Shepherd and Lamar Sally

Sherri Shepherd and Lamar Sally.getty

Shepherd, who had no biological connection to the child, was ruled as thelegal motherto the boy, and ordered to pay child support. After some back and forth, the formerViewco-host was ordered to pay $4,100 per month in child support forLamar Jr.until he turned 13, at which point her payments would increase to $4,600.

In Dec. 2015, Sallyfiled for a modification of child support, due to Shepherd’s increased earnings, according to court documents, but arep confirmed to PEOPLEthat the judge denied Sally’s request.

source: people.com