Celebs Who Are Still Friends With Their Exes
The following article references domestic violence allegations and mental health struggles.
Whether you want to admit it or not, the tea and drama surrounding celebrity couples is hard to resist. While many somehow manage to let bygones be bygones following a public breakup, some apparently don't. Take Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, for example. As People recounted, after first meeting in 1995, the pair walked down the aisle in September 2002. The former rockstar couple welcomed three sons together... and then the rumors about Rossdale cheating on Stefani with their family nanny surfaced. They split in 2015, and the gossip mill has been churning out stories about their dynamic ever since. HollywoodLife, for example, claimed in 2021 that the two "do not communicate often and it's as minimal as possible" and apparently "don't get along." Yeesh.
And then there's Amber Rose and Kanye "Ye" West, another former couple who seem to prefer to keep out of touch since breaking up in 2010. On a 2020 episode of the "No Jumper" podcast, she got into how she still being "picked on" by West publicly. "I think that if you looked up every time he has bullied me maybe online, I haven't looked it up, I'm sure a lot of stuff will come up... I just move on, I'm happy," she said. "He just called me a prostitute at his rally. Ten years later, just leave me alone."
While some splits get and stay messy, here are the celebs who have remained friends with their former paramours.
Brody Jenner is proud of Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne and Brody Jenner are a celebrity couple people don't talk about enough. As BuzzFeed recounted, they dated between 2010 and 2012 and shared a relationship that was well-documented in the public eye. They would go on dates with Kim Kardashian when she was with Kris Humphries and would even pack on the PDA in front of the cameras.
Since parting ways, Lavigne and Brody have moved on and formed other relationships. Brody was involved with fellow "The Hills" star Kaitlynn Carter for many years while Lavigne went on to marry Chad Kroeger. However, her relationship with the Nickelback frontman wasn't meant to last as they called it quits in 2015, per the Los Angeles Times.
As of this writing, Lavigne appears very happily in love with the musician Mod Sun and continues to embark on a music career of her own — and her ex sure seems happy for her. When she announced on Instagram in November 2021 that she had signed to Travis Barker's record label DTA Records, Jenner replied, "Wooo woooo power moves" in the comments section. They did not work out as a couple, but that doesn't mean the reality star won't be stoked for his former girlfriend when she joins forces with his stepsister's fiancé.
Ed Simon and Lily Allen experienced hardship
In 2007, pop singer Lily Allen began dating Ed Simons of the Chemical Brothers. A few months into their romance, they announced they were expecting their first child, per MTV News. However, as soon as the new year hit, Allen shared the devastating news that she had suffered a miscarriage. Their relationship ended shortly after and saw Allen check herself into a psychiatric ward.
In 2009, the "Not Fair" hitmaker opened up to British magazine Grazia about the loss of her child (via SPIN). "I couldn't even compute the emotions going through my head, but I was having to put out a press release about my miscarriage," she said. "I just didn't deal with it at all. I didn't even start beginning to deal with it until the baby's due date. Then it just hit me like a house collapsing. The week before the due date, all I wanted to do was talk about my baby but I also felt I shouldn't. I was working non-stop and I had all this inside my head." That same year, Allen told Q Magazine (via Metro) that she and Simons "talk all the time" and their reasoning for parting ways was due "so much pain associated with everything that happened."
Despite their tragic history, Allen and Simons have remained friends. In 2017, the pair were spotted having a catchup with one another on the streets of London, per the Daily Mail. On Instagram, the pair still follow one another.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Rita Ora doesn't hold any grudges against Calvin Harris
When Rita Ora and Calvin Harris broke up in 2014, they seemed to be on very different pages — especially regarding the actual breakup. Evidently, Ora didn't realize she wasn't in a relationship with Harris until she read his public tweet to his millions of followers, per Insider. "To address speculation — myself and Rita ended our relationship some time ago," the "Summer" hitmaker wrote. "She is a beautiful, talented woman & I wish her all the best."
While together, Harris wrote and produced Ora's hit song "I Will Never Let You Down." In order for Ora to perform the song, she needed legal permission from her ex to do so. However, Harris wasn't having any of it, according to Billboard. This meant that Ora was unable to perform the song she wanted at the upcoming Teen Choice Awards that year. "He has to approve anything TV-wise for anybody who doesn't get it. And obviously he owns the rights to it and he didn't approve the Teen Choice Awards," she explained on "On Air with Ryan Seacrest." Shortly after, Harris insisted on Twitter that he had a "d**n good reason" stopping her from performing his song.
It's not all bad though. During a 2017 appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" she revealed she and Harris are "good friends" and that she doesn't hold grudges. That same year, a source told The Sun on Sunday (via NME) that they "sorted things out" and "put things behind them."
Ariana Grande and Big Sean have never had bad blood
When Ariana Grande collaborated with rapper Big Sean on her single "Right There" in 2013, they were just friends. But after they teamed up two more times for "Problem" and "Best Mistake," rumor had it that the two were actually a couple... and that rumor was pretty much confirmed by the time they attended the MTV Video Music Awards later that year, per MTV News.
The following February, the duo made their red carpet debut at the Grammy Awards and the two weren't shy about their public affection. Alas, the romance fizzled out in 2015. "It hasn't been easy though with both of their busy schedules lately and they know it's going to get even harder in the next few months," an inside source told E! News. "This was really difficult for them to publicly call it quits, but they thought it would be better this way, so people know there is no bad blood between them at all."
Grande and Sean have remained on good terms — so much so, he was all for her referencing their failed relationship in a lyric. In the first verse of her 2018 No. 1 single "Thank U, Next," Grande simply said Sean "wasn't a match." During a chat on "The Zach Sang Show," Grande shared that Sean "loved" and "was very supportive" of the song.
Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet are closer than ever
Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz may no longer be romantically linked, but they have not severed ties — and it seems to be working out just fine for them.
As noted by People, the pair eloped in 1987 after originally meeting as friends. The following year, the pair welcomed a daughter, Zoë Kravitz. However, by 1991 they'd gone their separate ways and had their divorce finalized in 1993. "I was in a tremendous amount of pain when we broke up, tremendous," Lenny told Rolling Stone in 1995. "For, like, six months, I only slept for two hours a day, from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. The rest of the time I was just up, like a zombie. I was floored."
Despite all the pain, Lenny and Bonet have remained very close. The duo can often be seen on red carpets celebrating their ongoing friendship with the public, even attending the 2015 Met Gala together. When Bonet tied the knot with actor Jason Momoa, the "Fly Away" rocker maintained a tight bond with his ex. "We all love each other and we all support each other," Lenny explained to ET in a 2020 interview. "I'm so proud to be Zoë's dad and that God saw it fit for us to all experience each other. It's been the most beautiful gift."
Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri's ups and downs
After two private marriages to James Debarge and René Elizondo Jr., Janet Jackson was very out in the open about her relationship with hit producer Jermaine Dupri. During a discussion with rapper T.I. on his "expediTIously" podcast, Dupri revealed he met the music icon backstage at one of her concerts in the early 2000s. On a 2006 episode of "The Tyra Banks Show," the usually shy Jackson opened up about their sex life, revealing to the public that he is "off the charts" in bed. That same year, the duo worked on music together and released the Grammy Award-nominated album "20 Y.O."
During the aforementioned podcast interview, Dupri told T.I. they split because they weren't willing to get married to one another and that they never lived together. However, another factor was revealed during Jackson's 2022 two-part documentary, "JANET." Dupri, who appeared in the doc, admitted he was "reckless" during their relationship and confessed he cheated on the megastar, per The Source. "One of the weird things about dating Janet is that dating Janet attracts other women," he said. "Girls wanted to talk to me more because I was dating her, which was really weird."
Regardless of their past, Jackson and Dupri are still friends. In 2021, Jackson took to Twitter to honor him on his birthday. "Sending luv to u today @jermainedupri," she wrote.
Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal worked things out
Before No Doubt achieved worldwide success in the late '90s, frontwoman Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal were an item. "All I ever did was look at Tony and pray that God would let me have a baby with him," Stefani told The Guardian in 2005. Alas, he broke things off in 1994. "I was in denial," she admitted to SPIN in 1996. "For, like, a year, he didn't have to come to my house when I demanded it. He didn't have to do anything, but when he felt like it, I was there. It was horrible."
Like a lot of heartbroken singers, Stefani channeled that energy and turned her hurt into music. That body of work would become No Doubt's 1995 breakthrough record, "Tragic Kingdom," which put the band on the map globally and contained their signature hits "Don't Speak" and "Just A Girl." Despite the pain within the lyrics of the songs, Stefani and Kanal managed to work things out, remain bandmates, and enjoy their success together. However, during a 2012 television interview for "CBS News Sunday Morning," Kanal admitted performing those songs initially was hard to deal with. "We were opening this wound next to each other constantly," he recalled.
After "Tragic Kingdom," Stefani and Kanal were able to put their past behind them. In fact, Stefani's solo single "Cool" was written about their friendship and featured Kanal's wife in the video.
Gwyneth Paltrow is so 'grateful' for Chris Martin
Stories about Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and actor Gwyneth Paltrow being an item surfaced long before they were an item. "It's funny because people had started writing that we were going out and we had never even met," Paltrow told reporters in 2013, per Us Weekly. They would end up being introduced to one another at a Coldplay concert in 2002 and proved to have a real connection; they got married the following December in California.
Shortly after, Martin and Paltrow took their relationship to the next level and started a family, welcoming a daughter, Apple, and a son, Moses. With that being said, over 10 years after tying the knot, the pair revealed they were no longer. In 2014, Paltrow took to her lifestyle blog, Goop, to announce the split. "We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and coparent, we will be able to continue in the same manner," she wrote, via The Sun. In 2016, their divorce was finalized with them agreeing to have joint custody of their children.
Paltrow has since gotten remarried to Brad Falchuk in 2018 but still has a close bond with Martin. During an episode of "Shop Today with Jill Martin," the "Emma" actor described her ex as her "brother" and stated she is "so grateful to him for giving me these kids."
Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie are still best friends
Hilary Duff's first husband, former professional hockey player Mike Comrie, married the "Younger" actor in 2010. In 2012, Duff revealed on Twitter that she had given birth to their first child. "Welcome to the World Luca Cruz Comrie! Tuesday evening, we became proud parents of a healthy 7 pound 6 ounce beautiful boy," she wrote.
However, they decided to split just a few years later. "Mike and I were very in love when we met. We both really wanted to get married. I'd been working since the age of 11 or 12, so making that choice at a young age seemed right for me. Maybe it wasn't, but we spent the majority of our time together really happy," she told Cosmopolitan in 2015. "It wasn't working well enough to stay together, but there was still a lot of love involved. It was just a slow set-in of us not being the match that we used to be. I'm lucky for the person he is and I am and how we decided to handle this."
Per E! News, their divorce was finalized in 2016. Duff's rep explained the pair were still "best friends" and that their priority was to raise their son. Duff has since welcomed more children with her second husband, Matthew Koma — daughters Banks and Mae — but still finds time to enjoy days out with Comrie and Luca, per the Daily Mail.
Mariah Carey still jokes around with Nick Cannon
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon shocked fans when they announced they had gotten married just weeks after forming a relationship. Per Brides, the "We Belong Together" hitmaker tied the knot with the former "America's Got Talent" host in the Bahamas in 2008. Three years later, they welcomed twins Monroe and Moroccan.
In 2014, the pair made headlines when they announced their divorce, which was finalized in 2016. "Honestly, I think Nick and I could have worked it out between the two of us, but egos and emotions got inflamed (which can translate into many billable lawyer hours, and ultimately it did). It was tough," Carey explained in her 2020 book, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," via Brides. In 2019, Cannon stated he has no plans of ever getting re-married during an appearance on T.I.'s "ExpediTIously" podcast... but he would make an exception for a certain pop icon. "If I was to do it again, it would be to her. ... It would be Mariah," Cannon said. "She's always gonna be someone that I love."
Since splitting with Carey, Cannon has welcomed five more children with other women. In early 2022, he announced he's expecting his eighth. In a 2017 interview with ET, Carey had nothing but kind words to say about her ex. "He's a good guy. It's not that hard to make it work. Now we can laugh, and joke, and do the good parts of when we had a relationship," she said.
Madonna says she is 'still in love' with Sean Penn decades after their split
Madonna got married to her first husband, actor Sean Penn, in 1985, according to People. During their relationship, Madonna put out the single "True Blue," which happened to be inspired by Penn. That song ended up being the title track off of her third full-length album. Per People she wrote in the liner notes, "This is dedicated to my husband, the coolest guy in the universe." They split up in 1989. This would not be either party's last marriage or divorce.
In 2015, Madonna defended Penn when it was alleged he had previously assaulted her during their relationship. "While we certainly had more than one heated argument during our marriage, Sean has never struck me, 'tied me up,' or physically assaulted me, and any report to the contrary is completely outrageous, malicious, reckless and false," the "Hung Up" hitmaker stated in an affidavit obtained by People. That same year, Penn attended two of Madonna's concerts in New York during her "Rebel Heart" tour where he would have watched her perform "True Blue," per the Daily Mail. In 2016, she attended a charity gala at Art Basel with her ex and was filmed saying that she was "still in love" with Penn while on stage with him at the event.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's happy reunion
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were arguably the prom king and queen of Hollywood. As recapped by Marie Claire, they struck up a connection in the late '90s, announced their engagement while on stage at a Sting concert in 1999, and got married in 2000. However, after five years of marriage, they shared a joint statement that revealed they were calling it quits. "This decision is the result of much thoughtful consideration. We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another," they said.
After working on the movie "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" together in 2004, it was alleged that Pitt and Angelina Jolie fell in love while on set, resulting in a media frenzy. They went on to start a family shortly after and faced years of wedding rumors. Finally, in 2014, they got married in France. But, just like Pitt's first marriage with Aniston, it came to an end in 2016. Aniston moved on as well, marrying Justin Theroux in 2015. They split up a couple years later.
Since Brangelina's split, Aniston and Pitt have been able to reunite and put their past fully behind them. The pair looked relieved to be in each other's company again at the 2020 SAG Awards, and one year later, they had fans freaking out when they both appeared in a flirty virtual table read of the 1982 film "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" for charity. Needless to say, their dynamic seems anything but bogus.