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ADELE
Adele.Mike Marsland/WireImage
Adeleput herself first when she decided to divorceSimon Konecki.
“I was just going through the motions and I wasn’t happy,” she toldVoguein October 2021. “Neither of us did anything wrong … It just wasn’t … It just wasn’t right for me anymore. I didn’t want to end up like a lot of other people I knew.”
Appearing on the covers of bothVogueandVogue U.K.,the British singer opened up about her separation from Konecki, to whom she was married for about a year.
“Neither of us hurt each other or anything like that. It was just: I want my son to see me really love, and be loved. It’s really important to me,” she continued. (Adele shares 9-year-oldAngelowith the charity magnate, whom she started dating in 2011.) “I’ve been on my journey to find my true happiness ever since.”
Saying Konecki is “not one of my exes. He’s the dad of my child,” Adele added, “If I can reach the reason why I left, which was the pursuit of my own happiness, even though it made Angelo really unhappy — if I can find that happiness and he sees me in that happiness, then maybe I’ll be able to forgive myself for it.”
02of 25JENNA DEWANEvan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock"I feel a sense of joy and freedom and excitement, truly, about a new chapter in my life," she said ina 2018Harper’s Bazaarprofile,before getting engaged to Steve Kazee. “And I have no attachments to how that’s going to look, or what that’s going to be. I feel really open, and I feel hopeful.“She admitted she was also happy being married to Tatum before they announced their separation. “The moves I’m making are completely not related to my marriage or separation, interestingly enough. I was always very happy being a wife.“As for co-parenting daughter Everly, “We’re in a very positive energy together, trying to be the best parents to Everly,” she said. “We support each other.”
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JENNA DEWAN
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
“I feel a sense of joy and freedom and excitement, truly, about a new chapter in my life,” she said ina 2018Harper’s Bazaarprofile,before getting engaged to Steve Kazee. “And I have no attachments to how that’s going to look, or what that’s going to be. I feel really open, and I feel hopeful.”
She admitted she was also happy being married to Tatum before they announced their separation. “The moves I’m making are completely not related to my marriage or separation, interestingly enough. I was always very happy being a wife.”
As for co-parenting daughter Everly, “We’re in a very positive energy together, trying to be the best parents to Everly,” she said. “We support each other.”
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JAMES MARSDEN
Cindy Ord/Getty
In a June 2018 cover interview forMen’s Health, Marsden got real about love, life and fatherhood — andwhat it was like to go through his 2011 divorce from ex-wife Lisa Linde.
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ASHTON KUTCHER
Todd Williamson/Getty Images
05of 25CATT SADLERMichael Stewart/WireImage"Divorce is never easy, I don’t care who you are or what the circumstances are. It’s a very, very heavy feeling — and at the same time it feels like a weight has been lifted,” Sadler,who filed for divorce from ex-husband Kyle Thomas in 2017, told PEOPLE.“When you want the best for somebody and the best out of your marriage but you’ve exhausted every possibility, it gets to the point where you have to let one another be free,” she said. “So it was very mutual in that sense.”
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CATT SADLER
Michael Stewart/WireImage
“Divorce is never easy, I don’t care who you are or what the circumstances are. It’s a very, very heavy feeling — and at the same time it feels like a weight has been lifted,” Sadler,who filed for divorce from ex-husband Kyle Thomas in 2017, told PEOPLE.
“When you want the best for somebody and the best out of your marriage but you’ve exhausted every possibility, it gets to the point where you have to let one another be free,” she said. “So it was very mutual in that sense.”
06of 25ELLE KINGRob Latour/Variety/REX/ShutterstockFour months after tying the knot with boyfriend-of-a-few-weeks Andrew “Fergie” Ferguson, King and her newly minted husband called it quits. The singer announced the breakup inan emotional Instagram postin May 2017.Six months later, King was in a better place, as she revealed to PEOPLE. “I pulled myself out of a really, really, really tough place,” she said of her split. “I’m really proud of myself.““I don’t want to say it’s the best place I’ve ever been because there’s always room to go higher — or get higher,” she quipped. “I am having a lot of fun. I do this thing, I call it protecting my joy, and there’s like a 10-foot radius around me that’s like a bum-out-free zone. I took a lot of things out of my life that were dead weight, and I just have a different outlook; I just surround myself with better people and just make music all the time. It’s just so great; it’s awesome.”
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ELLE KING
Rob Latour/Variety/REX/Shutterstock
Four months after tying the knot with boyfriend-of-a-few-weeks Andrew “Fergie” Ferguson, King and her newly minted husband called it quits. The singer announced the breakup inan emotional Instagram postin May 2017.
Six months later, King was in a better place, as she revealed to PEOPLE. “I pulled myself out of a really, really, really tough place,” she said of her split. “I’m really proud of myself.”
“I don’t want to say it’s the best place I’ve ever been because there’s always room to go higher — or get higher,” she quipped. “I am having a lot of fun. I do this thing, I call it protecting my joy, and there’s like a 10-foot radius around me that’s like a bum-out-free zone. I took a lot of things out of my life that were dead weight, and I just have a different outlook; I just surround myself with better people and just make music all the time. It’s just so great; it’s awesome.”
07of 25ANGELINA JOLIEKarwai Tang/WireImageThe Oscar winnerspoke candidly about her high-profile split from Brad PittinVanity Fair’s 2017 cover story. “It’s just been the hardest time,” the actress told the magazine. “We’re all trying to do our best to heal our family.“While the split came as a shock to many, the actress admitted that their marriage began to crumble while filming her latest directorial effortFirst They Killed My Fatherin Cambodia. “Things got bad,” said Jolie. “I didn’t want to use that word … Things became ‘difficult.’ “She added: “We’re all just healing from the events that led to the filing … They’re not healing from divorce,” Jolie added of the pair’s kids. “They’re healing from some … from life, from things in life.”
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ANGELINA JOLIE
Karwai Tang/WireImage
The Oscar winnerspoke candidly about her high-profile split from Brad PittinVanity Fair’s 2017 cover story. “It’s just been the hardest time,” the actress told the magazine. “We’re all trying to do our best to heal our family.”
While the split came as a shock to many, the actress admitted that their marriage began to crumble while filming her latest directorial effortFirst They Killed My Fatherin Cambodia. “Things got bad,” said Jolie. “I didn’t want to use that word … Things became ‘difficult.’ "
She added: “We’re all just healing from the events that led to the filing … They’re not healing from divorce,” Jolie added of the pair’s kids. “They’re healing from some … from life, from things in life.”
08of 25NAOMI WATTSRobin Marchant/GettyAfter announcing her separation from partner Liev Schreiber in 2016 — following their 11-year union — Watts continued to come to terms with their split. “There are good days and bad days,” theGypsyactress toldVogue Australia. “Liev and I are on great terms and we’re trying to do our absolute best for the sake of the children, and we hope to keep moving forward in that way. He’s fantastic dad, a wonderful, wonderful man, and we still want the absolute best for each other,” she revealed. “So, that’s pretty much all I’ll say.”
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NAOMI WATTS
Robin Marchant/Getty
After announcing her separation from partner Liev Schreiber in 2016 — following their 11-year union — Watts continued to come to terms with their split. “There are good days and bad days,” theGypsyactress toldVogue Australia. “Liev and I are on great terms and we’re trying to do our absolute best for the sake of the children, and we hope to keep moving forward in that way. He’s fantastic dad, a wonderful, wonderful man, and we still want the absolute best for each other,” she revealed. “So, that’s pretty much all I’ll say.”
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BRAD PITT
Pitt and Jolie’s divorce proved to be “jarring” for the famous family, which includes the former couple’s six kids, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh and twins Vivienne and Knox. But the actor, whorevealed toGQ Stylethat he stopped drinking and sought therapy after the split, was making an effort to connect with his children on a deeper level — something he, himself, lacked growing up.
“I grew up with a father-knows-best/war mentality — the father is all-powerful, super strong — instead of really knowing the man and his own self-doubt and struggles,” Pitt told the magazine. “And it’s hit me smack in the face with our divorce: I gotta be more. I gotta be more for them. I have to show them. And I haven’t been great at it.”
10of 25JENNIFER GARNERCharles Sykes/Invision/AP"The main thing is these kids — and we’re completely in line with what we hope for them,” Garner toldVanity Fair,opening up about her split from Ben Affleck. “Sure, I lost the dream of dancing with my husband at my daughter’s wedding. But you should see [our kids'] faces when he walks through the door. And if you see your kids love someone so purely and wholly, then you’re going to be friends with that person.”
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JENNIFER GARNER
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
“The main thing is these kids — and we’re completely in line with what we hope for them,” Garner toldVanity Fair,opening up about her split from Ben Affleck. “Sure, I lost the dream of dancing with my husband at my daughter’s wedding. But you should see [our kids'] faces when he walks through the door. And if you see your kids love someone so purely and wholly, then you’re going to be friends with that person.”
11of 25JEMIMA KIRKEPhoto Image Press/Splash News Online"I got divorced and I attribute that to acting. And just asking myself, ‘Is this really me?’ “theGirlsactress toldES Magazineof her split from husband Michael Mosberg. “In acting you are always asking yourself why you do things, why you make the choices you make. Everything means something. And so then you start looking at your own life in that way.”
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JEMIMA KIRKE
Photo Image Press/Splash News Online
“I got divorced and I attribute that to acting. And just asking myself, ‘Is this really me?’ “theGirlsactress toldES Magazineof her split from husband Michael Mosberg. “In acting you are always asking yourself why you do things, why you make the choices you make. Everything means something. And so then you start looking at your own life in that way.”
12of 25JEWELAndrew Toth/Getty"I don’t think any parent goes into a relationship and a marriage and having a child thinking of a divorce one day,” the singer told PEOPLE of her split from ex Ty Murray, with whom she shares son Kase Townes. Despite admitting that co-parenting “can be challenging,“Jewel has no regrets.“One of the reasons I got divorced, though, is when I looked at my child, I realized I wasn’t the woman I wanted him to know,” she added. “I had to change some things about myself.”
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JEWEL
Andrew Toth/Getty
“I don’t think any parent goes into a relationship and a marriage and having a child thinking of a divorce one day,” the singer told PEOPLE of her split from ex Ty Murray, with whom she shares son Kase Townes. Despite admitting that co-parenting “can be challenging,“Jewel has no regrets.
“One of the reasons I got divorced, though, is when I looked at my child, I realized I wasn’t the woman I wanted him to know,” she added. “I had to change some things about myself.”
13of 25
JAMES MCAVOY
“My life has changed massively,” theX-Menstar revealedin an interview withMr Porter. “At the same time, so much has stayed the same,” he added.
14of 25MARY J. BLIGEDave Benett/Getty"The breaking point was when I kept asking over and over and over again for respect and to be respected,” the singer sharedamid her emotional divorcefrom husband, Kendu Isaacs, during an interview onGood Morning America. “And it just seemed like I was beating a dead horse … I just wasn’t getting it back so if I can’t get respect in the relationship, then I have to move on and save myself.”
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MARY J. BLIGE
Dave Benett/Getty
“The breaking point was when I kept asking over and over and over again for respect and to be respected,” the singer sharedamid her emotional divorcefrom husband, Kendu Isaacs, during an interview onGood Morning America. “And it just seemed like I was beating a dead horse … I just wasn’t getting it back so if I can’t get respect in the relationship, then I have to move on and save myself.”
15of 25HILARY DUFFJason LaVeris/FilmMagic"I think we handled it very consciously and with a lot of love, but marriage is sacred and marriage is not for everyone,” theYoungeractress revealed,opening up about her split from ex-husband Mike Comrie, with whom she shares son Luca. “Marriage is work, marriage is really hard.”
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HILARY DUFF
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
“I think we handled it very consciously and with a lot of love, but marriage is sacred and marriage is not for everyone,” theYoungeractress revealed,opening up about her split from ex-husband Mike Comrie, with whom she shares son Luca. “Marriage is work, marriage is really hard.”
16of 25MIRANDA KERRMiranda Kerr.Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesAlthough the supermodel describes herself as a “naturally positive person,“she toldElle Canadashe had “never understood the depth of [depression] or the reality of that” before her split from ex-husband Orlando Bloom. “My mom used to call me a ‘giggling Gert’ because I was always laughing, even in my sleep,” she recounted. “When Orlando and I separated, I actually fell into a really bad depression.” Kerr would go on to conquer those feelings, which led to a lesson learned: “What I have found is that everything you need, all of the answers are deep inside of you,” she said. “Sit with yourself, take a few breaths and get close to your spirit.”
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MIRANDA KERR
Miranda Kerr.Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Although the supermodel describes herself as a “naturally positive person,“she toldElle Canadashe had “never understood the depth of [depression] or the reality of that” before her split from ex-husband Orlando Bloom. “My mom used to call me a ‘giggling Gert’ because I was always laughing, even in my sleep,” she recounted. “When Orlando and I separated, I actually fell into a really bad depression.” Kerr would go on to conquer those feelings, which led to a lesson learned: “What I have found is that everything you need, all of the answers are deep inside of you,” she said. “Sit with yourself, take a few breaths and get close to your spirit.”
17of 25GWEN STEFANITrae Patton/NBC/Getty"All I wanted my whole life was to have babies, be married, like what my parents have,” the No Doubt frontwomanspilled toHarper’s Bazaarof her split from ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. “Of course you go through the ‘Why me?’ and feel sorry for yourself,” she said. “But then I was like, ‘No, this happened to me already and I made something good out of it,’ and that wasTragic Kingdom.”
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GWEN STEFANI
Trae Patton/NBC/Getty
“All I wanted my whole life was to have babies, be married, like what my parents have,” the No Doubt frontwomanspilled toHarper’s Bazaarof her split from ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. “Of course you go through the ‘Why me?’ and feel sorry for yourself,” she said. “But then I was like, ‘No, this happened to me already and I made something good out of it,’ and that wasTragic Kingdom.”
18of 25JENNIFER LOPEZJason Kempin/AMA2014/GettyCalling her divorce from Marc Anthony “the biggest disappointment of my life so far,” theShades of Blueactress told PEOPLE the breakup was “devastating and awful,” but still served as a lesson of introspection. “I felt like at that time I had lost my way a little bit, of who I was in trying to make the marriage [work],” she said. “I had been married twice before and I didn’t want this to be a failure … I just put all my heart and soul into that and forgot who I was as an individual a little bit.”
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JENNIFER LOPEZ
Jason Kempin/AMA2014/Getty
Calling her divorce from Marc Anthony “the biggest disappointment of my life so far,” theShades of Blueactress told PEOPLE the breakup was “devastating and awful,” but still served as a lesson of introspection. “I felt like at that time I had lost my way a little bit, of who I was in trying to make the marriage [work],” she said. “I had been married twice before and I didn’t want this to be a failure … I just put all my heart and soul into that and forgot who I was as an individual a little bit.”
19of 25REESE WITHERSPOONDimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for EIFWhile the Oscar winner spent time grieving following her 2006 split from Ryan Phillippe, Witherspoon — who is now married to talent agent Jim Toth — doled out helpful advice for those going through a divorce, ina 2009 interview with ELLE. “[You have to] look at yourself and go, ‘What part of this do I need to own? Which part of this is my responsibility?’ " she said. “And that’s the painful work that you have to go through to hopefully get some real life knowledge out of it.”
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REESE WITHERSPOON
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for EIF
While the Oscar winner spent time grieving following her 2006 split from Ryan Phillippe, Witherspoon — who is now married to talent agent Jim Toth — doled out helpful advice for those going through a divorce, ina 2009 interview with ELLE. “[You have to] look at yourself and go, ‘What part of this do I need to own? Which part of this is my responsibility?’ " she said. “And that’s the painful work that you have to go through to hopefully get some real life knowledge out of it.”
20of 25MIRANDA LAMBERTSara Kauss/WireImage"If I ever were to get married again … I feel like it’s not about it being a step in life,” Lambert, who split from fellow country starBlake Sheltonafter four years of marriage, toldCosmopolitan. “It’s not about a piece of paper or a diamond. It’s the way you feel about somebody and the commitment in your heart.” She is now married to former NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin.
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MIRANDA LAMBERT
Sara Kauss/WireImage
“If I ever were to get married again … I feel like it’s not about it being a step in life,” Lambert, who split from fellow country starBlake Sheltonafter four years of marriage, toldCosmopolitan. “It’s not about a piece of paper or a diamond. It’s the way you feel about somebody and the commitment in your heart.” She is now married to former NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin.
21of 25DREW BARRYMOREMichael Simon/StarTraks"There has been this really nice feeling of something very fluid and positive and the opposite of how I felt inside,” Barrymore told Chelsea Handler on her talk showof receiving support from friends and fansfollowing her split from Will Kopelman. “Everyone has just been so cool and chill and nice about everything that it quelled my own fears and demons about how we sort of have to go through things in life.”
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DREW BARRYMORE
Michael Simon/StarTraks
“There has been this really nice feeling of something very fluid and positive and the opposite of how I felt inside,” Barrymore told Chelsea Handler on her talk showof receiving support from friends and fansfollowing her split from Will Kopelman. “Everyone has just been so cool and chill and nice about everything that it quelled my own fears and demons about how we sort of have to go through things in life.”
22of 25KIM KARDASHIAN WESTJen Lowery/Splash News OnlineThe reality star decided to take time out from her hectic work schedule to regroup afterfiling for divorce from Kris Humphriesin 2011. “I cancelled everything,” she said in an interview forThe Drum. “I had a book tour, I had a fragrance launch, I had everything that you could possibly imagine and I just cancelled it all and I took time for me.”
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KIM KARDASHIAN WEST
Jen Lowery/Splash News Online
The reality star decided to take time out from her hectic work schedule to regroup afterfiling for divorce from Kris Humphriesin 2011. “I cancelled everything,” she said in an interview forThe Drum. “I had a book tour, I had a fragrance launch, I had everything that you could possibly imagine and I just cancelled it all and I took time for me.”
23of 25NICOLE KIDMANJeffrey Mayer/WireImage"I did a lot of reading and a lot of talking, I managed through about five or six years and then I stumbled into Keith [Urban],” Kidman saidduring the 2015 Women In the World Summit, opening up about her post-divorce life following her breakup fromTom Cruise, prior to her marriage to Urban.
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NICOLE KIDMAN
Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
“I did a lot of reading and a lot of talking, I managed through about five or six years and then I stumbled into Keith [Urban],” Kidman saidduring the 2015 Women In the World Summit, opening up about her post-divorce life following her breakup fromTom Cruise, prior to her marriage to Urban.
24of 25GWYNETH PALTROWScott Roth/Invision/AP"I wanted to turn my divorce into a positive,” Paltrow toldThe EDITabout “consciously uncoupling"from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. “What if I didn’t blame the other person for anything, and held myself 100 percent accountable? What if I checked my own s— at the door and put my children first? And reminded myself about the things about my ex-husband that I love, and fostered the friendship?”
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GWYNETH PALTROW
Scott Roth/Invision/AP
“I wanted to turn my divorce into a positive,” Paltrow toldThe EDITabout “consciously uncoupling"from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. “What if I didn’t blame the other person for anything, and held myself 100 percent accountable? What if I checked my own s— at the door and put my children first? And reminded myself about the things about my ex-husband that I love, and fostered the friendship?”
25of 25KHLOÉ KARDASHIANSplash News Online"I miss what we had – things we got to do together are just memories. I like looking back and holding on to that stuff,“she toldComplexof her 2013 split from Lamar Odom, whom she wed in 2009. “I definitely miss it, and there’s times I’ll get so sentimental and so sad, but this had to happen for some reason. I’ll figure it out over time, someone will give me that answer eventually.”
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KHLOÉ KARDASHIAN
Splash News Online
“I miss what we had – things we got to do together are just memories. I like looking back and holding on to that stuff,“she toldComplexof her 2013 split from Lamar Odom, whom she wed in 2009. “I definitely miss it, and there’s times I’ll get so sentimental and so sad, but this had to happen for some reason. I’ll figure it out over time, someone will give me that answer eventually.”
source: people.com
