Signs There Was Trouble For Lisa Bonet And Jason Momoa

Fans have been in love with Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet's love story for 16 years. The two met through mutual friends and, well, we'll let Bonet take it from here: "I can't say it was full-on from the moment we saw each other, but we have been together from the day that we met," she told Net-A-Porter. They married in secret in 2017 and became red carpet darlings, landing on Best-Dressed Lists any time they stepped out together. They even made headlines for their blended family, considering the close relationship everyone seems to have had with Bonet's ex-husband Lenny Kravitz, her daughter, Zoë Kravitz, and the two kids that she and Momoa share.

Unfortunately, in January 2022, the pair shocked fans by calling it quits in a lengthy statement posted to Instagram, informing the world that they were separating. "We free each other to be who we are learning to become," they wrote somewhat cryptically in the joint statement, which has since been deleted (via Vanity Fair). Though fans were upset with the news, predictably filling social media with the sense that "love is dead," we have to wonder: Is it that much of a surprise? Or were there hints in the few months leading up to the split that Momoa and Bonet may have been growing apart? Read on for some signs that there was trouble before the divorce announcement.

Lisa Bonet's interview makes more sense now

Shortly before she announced her split from Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet appeared in Interview magazine alongside her lifelong friend, Marisa Tomei. They met on the set of "A Different World," the "Cosby Show" spinoff where Tomei played the college roommate of Bonet's Denise Huxtable. During the conversation, the two discussed their long careers together; Tomei called it "the jackpot of many lifetimes" that they were still laughing together after all this time.

The conversation turned metaphysical as both actors updated each other on how they were handling what Bonet called "this epic transition" — meaning, presumably, the global uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Tomei told her friend that she'd been spending more time in nature, relaying, "I've found so much solace and joy in the trees," and then it was Bonet's turn.

"Definitely learning how to be authentically me, learning to be new, and following this invitation from the universe to step into this river of uncertainty," Bonet said. The quote seemed rather general before we knew Bonet and Momoa were splitting up, but it made a lot more sense once we knew the specifics of what was happening in Bonet's life. It also echoed the statement put out by the couple on Instagram announcing the end of their marriage. "We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times ... A revolution is unfolding and our family is of no exception," they wrote in the since-deleted statement (via Vanity Fair).

They haven't walked a red carpet in years

For a long time, Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet were the star attractions on many a red carpet. They dazzled as each other's pink-clad dates at the 2019 Oscars, wearing designs by the late Karl Lagerfeld (via People). At the 2020 Golden Globes, Momoa's unconventional tank top (color-coordinated to the greens in Bonet's dress, natch) even landed the "Aquaman" star on Vogue's Best-Dressed List. In fact, the two loved a matching red-carpet moment throughout their relationship, as Insider noted.

However, something seemed to have changed in more recent years, as the once-devoted twosome hadn't walked a red carpet as each other's dates in almost two full years before their split. As People noted, Momoa and Bonet had not been photographed together since they attended Tom Ford's AW20 Show, all the way back in February 2020. Part of the time away from red carpets was, of course, the result of the COVID-19 pandemic; a number of would-be red-carpet events had been canceled since the pair were last spotted doing a step-and-repeat. Still, though, Momoa had attended a number of events since then without his (soon-to-be-ex) wife. When he went to the premiere of "No Time to Die," for example, he brought the kids that he and Bonet share as his dates (via People).

Lisa Bonet skipped the Dune premiere

Fans might have known something was amiss in their relationship when Lisa Bonet didn't just skip out on any old event with Jason Momoa, any random film premiere or awards show. In fact, it may have been a signal of trouble to come that she didn't show up to support Momoa at none other than the London premiere of "Dune," her husband's biggest film role to date since 2018's "Aquaman." 

Instead, as E! noted, Bonet stuck around in America, and Momoa attended the premiere of the sci-fi space epic. While this may or may not have been related to issues in their marriage — international travel was still difficult at the time due to the ongoing pandemic, and Momoa was reportedly already in the UK to work on the "Aquaman" sequel — Bonet may ultimately be glad she sat out the event, as Momoa posted a troubling video on his Instagram Stories (via CinemaBlend) shortly after the premiere. "I got hit with COVID," Momoa revealed. He went on to reassure fans, "I'm doing fine; thank you for all your concerns and love."

Jason Momoa has been thirst-trap-happy

Jason Momoa has never been shy about showing off his enviable body; there's a reason he's been on the cover of so many men's fitness magazines through the years. However, the star famously hates working out, telling Men's Health that "it's just genetics." However, in more recent months leading up to the announcement that he and Lisa Bonet were setting each other free, Momoa began posting more thirst traps than usual on social media.

His shirtless spree started with his participation in a "Make it Sexy Challenge" on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," which saw guest-host Anthony Anderson challenge the muscular actor to use a variety of ordinary objects in attractive ways. Right from the jump, Momoa was eager to show it all; as he stripped off his shirt, he said, "I know that the studio didn't want me to take my clothes off, but we gon' take my clothes off." He then proceeded to rub hand sanitizer all over his ample chest.

As CinemaBlend noted, Momoa also posted a number of shirtless pictures to his Instagram Stories in December 2021. Of course, an actor showing his well-known physique off on social media doesn't necessarily indicate relationship trouble, but after finishing the filming of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," the actor flew back to his native Hawaii ... seemingly, it now seems, without his then-wife. Instead, he shared some sexy, shirtless, solo snaps of himself staring at the sea, lost in thought. We have to wonder...

Jason Momoa partied in Malibu

In addition to receiving rave reviews for his role in "Dune," Jason Momoa had another reason to celebrate in winter 2021: The actor wrapped filming on "Aquaman 2," the sequel to the smash-hit superhero film that took his career to the next level. And celebrate he did. Rather than marking the occasion with his family — perhaps a hint that things were rocky between him and Lisa Bonet — Momoa instead went out partying with friends. On the same day Bonet's article in Interview dropped, photographers caught Momoa hitting up celeb hotspot Nobu Malibu for a wild night out (via the Daily Mail). He and his friends were very affectionate in front of the paps, hugging and grinning as they left the restaurant.

That time in Malibu wasn't Momoa's only night on the town at the time; a month earlier, Radar noted that the ultra-buff actor was photographed dancing shirtless at a "House of Gucci" after-party before leaving the club barefoot. The Daily Mail shared video of the ab-baring moment when he boogied down to AC/DC, and we can't think of a phrase that says "soon-to-be-divorced dad" much more than "boogied down to AC/DC"!