Celeb Couples Who Divorced During The Coronavirus Pandemic

According to data obtained by Fox News, divorce rates in the United States have spiked 34 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic. The novel coronavirus appears to be closing down a lot of industries. "This indicates that recently married couples were less equipped to deal with the stressors of the COVID-19 virus than mature couples," Legal Templates, the group that reportedly compiled the data, explained. "It's possible that divorce rates will continue to rise as economic, financial, social, institutional, and psychological turmoil from the COVID-19 virus unfolds." No kidding.

California family law attorney Joe Wolch said he was getting calls from people not asking about the process of divorce, but already ready to file. "I would say the phone is ringing much more," he claimed (via ABC7). "Where they used to be able to get away from each other, during the days or in the evenings with their extracurriculars, but now they haven't had the opportunity. So now people are more acutely aware that they just can't stay together." Yikes.

Celebrities sadly aren't immune to these numbers, and since the global pandemic spread stateside in March 2020, several of them have filed for divorce from their partners. Perhaps doing marriage counseling on a Zoom call isn't ideal. While some high-profile couples were forced to postpone their weddings due to COVID-19, and others found interesting ways to spend their time during quarantine, these are the celeb couples who divorced during the coronavirus pandemic. 

On July 10, 2020, food entrepreneur Elizabeth Chambers took to Instagram to reveal that she and Call Me By Your Name star Armie Hammer were divorcing after 10 years of marriage. Her soon-to-be ex-husband shared the same statement on his own account.

"Thirteen years as best friends, soulmates, partners, and then parents. It has been an incredible journey, but together, we've decided to turn the page and move on from our marriage. As we enter into this next chapter, our children and relationship as co-parents and dear friends will remain our priority," their statement read. "We understand this news lends itself to public dialogue, but in the interest of our children and our family, we're asking for privacy, compassion, and love during this time."

The Splitsville news came just two months after the couple, who first got together in 2008 (via Vulture), celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. They share two children, daughter Harper (born in 2014) and son Ford (born in 2017). According to a source cited by People, Chambers and Hammer "still love each other very much" and will remain a family despite calling it quits. The insider added, "I know their main focus right now is their kids and making sure nothing changes for them."

In late June 2020, TMZ reported that Nicole Young filed for divorce from music mogul Dr. Dre after 24 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. They reportedly had no prenuptial agreement, and the former N.W.A. member had a net worth of $800 million. Young also happens to be a lawyer. (We assume after all this is over the headphones will be called "Beats by Nicole.")

That September, Page Six obtained court documents in which Young requested nearly $2 million a month in spousal support and an additional $5 million in legal fees. The documents alleged that Dre controlled their assets and had kicked Young out of their Brentwood mansion "in the middle of the night" during a "drunken rage" two months before she filed for divorce. When Young moved into their Malibu home, Dre reportedly threatened to sell it if she kept spending money. "Do not spend one more cent," the rapper allegedly texted her. "... You can't be mean and disrespectful and spend my hard-earned money. F**k that!"

The former couple share two adult children, son Truice and daughter Truly. While Dre argued that they do indeed have a prenup, Young claimed, per People, that she "unwillingly" signed the agreement in 1996 due to "extraordinary pressure and intimidation" by the rapper. However, Dre allegedly "felt ashamed" and "tore up multiple copies" a few years after they were married. Per Young, this meant that the prenup was rendered "null and void" on that day.

On July 3, 2020, country musicians Kacey Musgraves and Ruston Kelly announced that they were divorcing after almost three years of marriage in a joint statement to the Associated Press. "With heavy but hopeful hearts we wanted to put our own thoughts into the air about what's happening," the statement began. "These kinds of announcements are always met with scrutiny and speculation and we want to stop that before it even starts."

"We believe that we were put into each other's lives for a divine reason and have both changed each other infinitely for the better," the statement continued. "The love we have for each other goes far beyond the relationship we've shared as husband and wife. It's a soul connection that can never be erased." 

The former couple first met at the famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tenn. in 2016 (via Glamour). Their growing relationship soon began inspiring one another's musical output, and they officially tied the knot in October 2017. However, by the end of 2019, Musgraves and Kelly began deleting all traces of one another on their social media accounts, perhaps hinting at their impending split. The reason for the divorce? "It simply just didn't work," their statement explained. "Though we are parting ways in marriage, we will remain true friends for the rest of our lives. We hold no blame, anger, or contempt for each other and we ask for privacy and positive wishes for us both as we learn how to navigate through this."

After four years of marriage, R&B singer Ray J filed for divorce from fashion designer Princess Love in September 2020, ET reports. After getting hitched in August 2016, the former couple welcomed two children, daughter Melody Love and son Epik Ray Norwood. However, their relationship was never easy. 

In November 2019, a pregnant Princess Love told her social media followers that she didn't "want to be married anymore" after Ray J allegedly stranded her in Las Vegas. According to the publication, Ray J's divorce petition came just a couple months after Princess Love asked that her own divorce petition be dismissed. 

In an exclusive interview with ET, the "One Wish" singer explained his decision to end the marriage. "It was just how I felt at the time. I didn't really talk to nobody about it," Ray J began, explaining that he would've received "too many opinions" if he shared his plans. "I just went to God." However, Ray J suggested this might not be the end of their relationship: "It's still so early, I really don't know what's going to happen ... but I just want to make sure that my babies and my Princess is in a great place mentally and that they can enjoy life." He added, "I can't say too much, but I love you, Princess. That's what I can say."

People reports that actress Jordana Brewster and her producer husband, Andrew Form, "quietly separated" in early 2020 in an "amicable" split. "They have the utmost respect for each other," a source told the publication. "They remain committed to lovingly co-parent their two children as a team." 

However, the separation later became official. On July 1, 2020, Brewster filed for divorced per court documents obtained by Page Six. Both parties refused to comment. After meeting on the set of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which Ford produced, the couple married in 2007. During an earlier interview with InStyle Weddings (via Page Six), Brewster opened up about how the romance began. "We started dating in secret — you know, hanging out in my trailer — because it would have been unprofessional otherwise," she said. "But every day, Andrew wore these work boots to the set, and if I was lying down in the shot or there was equipment in the way, I'd look for his shoes. It was comfortable just to know he was nearby."

In September 2020, the Daily Mail published photos of the Fast & Furious actress and her new boyfriend, Mason Morfit — the CEO of San Francisco-based investment firm ValueAct Capital — frolicking on Malibu Beach.