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WHEN WILL WE LEARN? Divorce follows denial for celebrities
As recently as March, we were hearing that ‘all is well and wonderful in the Ritchie household.’ And now this? With Madonna and Guy announcing their divorce Wednesday, we can’t help feeling a tad naive. Again and again, we’ve believed in the rose petals and honeymoons in Fiji; again and again we’ve accepted the reassurances of stars and their publicists that those pesky marriage-on-the-rocks rumors are just the idle speculation of mean-spirited gossips. And again and again, we’ve been disappointed. Remember how Tom and Nicole were supposed to be inseparable? How Nick Lachey said things were perfect with Jessica Simpson — just a few months before they split? Remember how those stories about trouble in the Aniston-Pitt marriage were ‘totally false?’ We don’t like to think that the stars aren’t being straight with us, but we’re starting to think that the record speaks for itself. To see for yourself, check out the rise and fall of five high-profile marriages.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie
Date of marriage: Dec. 22, 2000.
Date of denial: March 17, 2008.
The denial: “All is well and wonderful in the Ritchie household,” according to a Madonna rep.
The divorce announcement: Oct. 15, 2008.
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise
Date of marriage: Dec. 24, 1990.
Date of denial: July 30, 1994.
The denial: The couple is “very much together,” a Cruise rep says. When she was in Toronto filming, he “was up there with her almost the whole time.”
Date of separation: Feb. 5, 2001.
Date of divorce: Aug. 8, 2001.
Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt
Date of marriage: July 29, 2000.
Date of denial: Dec. 22, 2004.
The denial: “They are fine,” Aniston’s rep says. “They are together as we speak and are looking forward to enjoying the holidays together. There is no split. Those stories are totally false.”
Date of separation: Jan. 7, 2005.
Date of divorce: Oct. 2, 2005.
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
Date of marriage: Oct. 26, 2002.
Date of denial: Oct. 19, 2005.
The denial: “Everything’s perfect,” regarding the marriage, Lachey tells People.
Date of separation: Nov. 23, 2005.
Date of divorce: June 30, 2006.
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline
Date of marriage: Oct. 6, 2004.
Date of denial: June 12, 2006.
The denial: Spears says her marriage to Federline is “awesome” and denies reports that he’s living in the basement.
Divorce papers filed: Nov. 7, 2006.
Date of divorce: July 30, 2007.
Source: Chicago Tribune