Celebrity Breakups In 2021: Bill & Melinda Gates Plus More Of The Biggest Splitson May 3, 2021 at 9:40 pm
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We’re only five months into 2021, and celebs are already calling it quits on their relationships. Take a look at the stars who broke up in 2021, from Bill and Melinda Gates to so many more.
We’re barely halfway through 2021, and already a number of celebs are approaching summer with a different relationship status: single. That’s right, despite high hopes and seemingly strong bonds, a number of celebrity couples have decided to call it quits this year. Let’s take a look at the list of celebs who have called their romances off.
Bill & Melinda Gates
Bill and Melinda Gates took to their respective Twitter accounts on May 3 with big news: they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage. “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” the estranged couple announced in a joint statement.
Bill stepped down from Microsoft’s board in March of 2020 to “dedicate more time to his philanthropic priorities,” according to the Microsoft Corporation co-founder’s post on his LinkedIn page. A large part of that philanthropy is his nonprofit with his now estranged wife, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which fights “poverty, disease, and inequity around the world,” per its website. Despite the split, Bill and Melinda made it clear that they wouldn’t also be splitting up as a philanthropic team.
“We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life,” Bill and Melinda explained in the tweet above.
Bill and Melinda’s love story began as a workplace romance. They met after Microsoft hired Melinda as a product manager in 1987. At the time, Melinda was a recent graduate from Duke University who had a degree in computer science and economics. It didn’t take long until they began dating, and Bill and Melinda were engaged by 1993. They tied the knot on New Year’s Day in Hawaii in 1994, and now share three children: Jennifer, 25, Rory, 21, and Phoebe, 18.
Jana Kramer & Mike Caussin
Jana Kramer announced that she and Mike Caussin were separating, for the second time, in an emotional Instagram announcement on April 21.
“It’s time. As I try to make sense of a reality I never wanted to believe could be possible again, those words have now become a reality,” Jana wrote in her announcement, referring to the fact that she and Mike first split in 2016. The One Tree Hill star continued, “I’ve fought y’all. I’ve loved hard. I’ve forgiven. I’ve put the work in. I’ve given everything I have, and now I have nothing else to give.”
While Jana added that she “can’t fight any longer,” the singer still believed in marriage overall — you can read her full message below. Jana, who shares her kids Jolie Rae, 5, and Jace Joseph, 2, with Mike, also reportedly filed for divorce (per People).
It was Mike, though, who originally filed for divorce in 2016. His cheating scandal went public at the time, and the former NFL player began treatment for sex addiction. “I want to be very clear about something: society has had the nerve to call sex addiction a ‘married man’s excuse’ to which I say bull…(wait for it)…s–t,” Mike wrote in The Good Fight: Wanting to Leave, Choosing to Stay, and the Powerful Practice for Loving Faithfully, a memoir that he and Jana co-authored and released in Sept. 2020.
Jana and Mike overcame this hurdle, and renewed their wedding vows in Dec. 2017. Nearly three years later, Jana opened up about her husband’s infidelity on HollywoodLife‘s podcast. “When there’s infidelity in a relationship, it’s not like you just stop talking about it. Trust me, I wish we could stop talking about it. It’s not like we bring it up every day, but there are triggers and triggers will always be there. Now the weight isn’t as heavy, but I’ll still get triggered if something happens, or if maybe there’s a small lie, because it was a traumatic event in our relationship,” Jana told us. You can listen to the full interview, here.
Zac Efron & Vanessa Valladares
Zac Efron and Vanessa Valladares‘ breakup was confirmed by Zac’s friend on April 21, a day after a report already broke the news. “It’s not a rumor, it’s true. I can also confirm after speaking with him yesterday,” the friend said on the Australian radio show The Kyle and Jackie O Show. He added, “It’s only recent, but not, like, yesterday recent. But they’ve gone their separate ways…No drama, but it’s done.”
While Zac and Vanessa appeared to be living out a fairytale romance in Australia, the friend said “reality” kicked in once work came calling. “They spent a lot of time with each other when he wasn’t working, lunching and living in the mansions on the beach. It’s a fabulous life. And then work comes back and kicks you straight back into reality, so it’s a shame,” Kyle said on the radio show.
Zac and Vanessa were first romantically linked together in July of 2020. Vanessa, who’s a model, also worked at Byron Bay’s General Store & Café in Australia, where Zac was filming his Netflix series Down to Earth. Their romance was confirmed by September of that year, when they were photographed holding hands.
Amid their romance, a source close to Zac EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife in Oct. 2020, “Zac is crazy about Vanessa and he loves that she’s not from the Hollywood scene, but still fits in so comfortably with any crowd. She’s so down to earth and really doesn’t care about impressing people because she has such a laid back personality and doesn’t stress over the details.”
Jennifer Lopez & Alex Rodriguez
Once a Hollywood power couple, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez announced that they were no longer a couple on April 15.
“We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so. We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects. We wish the best for each other and one another’s children. Out of respect for them, the only other comment we have is to say thank you to everyone who has sent kind words and support,” the former couple said in a joint statement to the Today Show.
However, six days after breaking the big news, a report claimed that it was J.Lo’s idea to call off the engagement and relationship. “She insisted on it. There are are too many issues that are unresolved,” a friend of the singer and actress told PEOPLE.
“But whether or not he has cheated doesn’t matter,” sources added, per PEOPLE. “She won’t tolerate the fear of it in the air between them… She has been pretty miserable and didn’t think it was in her best interests to stay with Alex.” The report arrived after cheating rumors first surfaced in Jan. 2021, thanks to the reunion episode of the Bravo show Southern Charm. Cast member Craig Conover accused his castmate, Madison LeCroy, of going “to Miami to f–k an ex-MLB player.” Madison denied an affair happened, but claimed that she was “contacted” by this MLB star (whose name wasn’t revealed) and that they “DM’ed.”
Madison did go on to say that she and A-Rod had “spoken on the phone,” but added that he “never physically cheated on his fiancée” during an interview with Page Six in February. This has never been confirmed by A-Rod.
However, by March, a report claimed that J.Lo and A-Rod had split. Just one day after the breakup report surfaced, J.Lo and A-Rod clarified that they’re “working through some things” in a joint statement to PEOPLE. As proof, A-Rod even flew to the Dominican Republic that month to reunite with J.Lo, who was in the country filming her new movie Shotgun Wedding. While it looked like a romantic trip, sadly, it appeared to not be enough to save their relationship.
Kim Kardashian & Kanye West
The Kimye era officially ended on February 19, 2021, when Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye West. HollywoodLife confirmed the news with multiple sources, though TMZ was first to report the news. The outlet reported that the couple’s divorce is very “amicable” and that there is a prenup involved. Kim and Kanye reportedly negotiated a joint custody situation with their four kids: daughters North, 7, and Chicago, 3, and sons Saint, 5, and Psalm, 1. Kim filed for divorce just three months shy of the couple’s 7th wedding anniversary on May 24.
It’s always sad to see a once loving couple call it quits. But, the demise of Kimye started long before Kim filed for divorce. Speculation that the two had been spending time apart rose around October, when Kim celebrated her 40th birthday in Tulum with friends and family. Though, there were no signs of Kanye, who reportedly dropped in for a less than 24-hour appearance. Throughout November, Kim traveled with the couple’s kids and her sisters, and showed no signs of her husband on social media. In fact, she ditched her wedding ring on a number of occasions, including in social media posts.
Just when fans thought Kim and Kanye would reunite for Christmas — they remained apart. Kim spent the holidays with the couple’s kids at Kourtney Kardashian‘s Calabasas, CA home, and Kanye remained at his home in Wyoming, where he usually retreats during tumultuous times.
After the couple didn’t ring in 2021 together, multiple reports emerged on January 5, that claimed the couple’s marriage was headed for divorce. Since then, Kim remained silent about the relationship, despite sharing her usual SKIMS and KKW Beauty content on social media. Finally, on February 19, she made the loudest statement by filing to end her marriage once and for all.
Ben Affleck & Ana de Armas
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas were one of the hottest couples of quarantine. The two got together on the set of their film Deep Water and went public with their romance in 2020. They were often spotted out and about in Ben’s Los Angeles neighborhood, taking their pups for a walk or enjoying Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. Their public displays of affection made their January split all the more shocking.
“This is something that is mutual and was completely amicable,” a source told People on January 18. “They are at different points in their lives. There is deep love and respect there. Ben continues to want to work on himself. They are both happy with where they are in their lives.”
Throughout their romance, Ben and Ana appeared to be as steady as ever. Although they were relatively private about their romance, they never hesitated to show fans that they were going steady by taking walks and running errands together over the course of the quarantine period in Los Angeles. The Knives Out actress even met and spent time with Ben’s three children — Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel, 8 — whom he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner. But when it came to consider their future, it simply appeared that the two were, indeed, in different places in their lives.
Zoe Kravitz & Karl Glusman
Zoë Kravitz and Karl Glusman seemed poised for an exciting 2021. Zoë is the latest actress to take on the iconic role of Catwoman in the upcoming The Batman, while Karl was lining up new, exciting roles after his success in Greyhound and Hulu’s Devs. Sadly, the pair began 2021 with the revelation that they were ending their marriage after only 18 months.
Zoë filed for divorce from Karl late in December 2020, but the news didn’t become public until early January 2021. A representative for Zoë confirmed the news. Karl and Zoë wed in a beautiful ceremony in Paris on June 29, 2019 after years of dating. Neither has publicly addressed the split. Zoë has, however, alluded to the end of her marriage by bidding adieu to 2020 in an Instagram post on December 31. The actress shared a selfie snap with the caption “bye 2020. you f**kin’ weirdo.”
Margaret Qualley & Shia LaBeouf
Following their collaboration on the 2020 short Love Me Like You Hate Me, Margaret Qualley and Shia LaBeouf began dating. It’s unclear how serious their relationship was, but the two were often spotted making out and taking walks together, especially during the end of 2020. The two decided to call it quits at the beginning of 2021.
“They broke up on Saturday. They’re just in different places in their lives,” a source shared with People at the time. The breakup also came as Shia’s former partner, singer FKA Twigs, filed a lawsuit against Shia for alleged sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress.
Shia responded to the allegations in an email to The New York Times, writing, “I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.”
