Celebs Who Publicly Begged To Get Back Together With Their Ex
The mass amount of scrutiny celebrity couples face can make or break many Hollywood relationships. Sometimes, celebs are just not right for each other, despite how much fans may "ship" them. Some couples try to keep their breakups out of the public eye, but not the list of scenarios we've compiled. Spoiler alert: public pleas only worked for one couple on this list. But maybe there is still a glimmer of hope for Kim and Khloé Kardashian's former relationships, as their old partners can't seem to stop begging for their attention.
Whether it's through song, live performances, or social media, everyone on this list from Aaron Carter to Offset can relate to the idea of public displays of affection, but that doesn't mean their elaborate declarations of love are always well received. Let's dive into the celebrities who have used their notoriety to their advantage — or disadvantage — by publicly trying to get back together with their exes.
Aaron Carter and Hilary Duff
"I Want Candy” child star Aaron Carter and "Lizzie McGuire” actor Hilary Duff started dating when they were both just 13 years old. Carter admittedly "got a little bored" of Duff and famously dated "Mean Girls" actor Lindsay Lohan, before getting back with Duff. However, their on-again, off-again romance ultimately ended in 2003 after Carter linked up with Duff's best friend, he confessed during a CNBC interview. Despite his wrongdoing, Carter never stopped thinking about the "Why Not" singer.
In 2014, he retweeted a picture of Duff, calling her "flawless." Per Us Weekly, Carter continued tweeting since-deleted proclamations, including one that read, "I'll spend the rest of my life trying to better myself to get back to her. I don't care what ANY of you think." Duff addressed his statements in an interview with BuzzFeed, saying, "I don't know how I feel. I mean, that was so long ago, and obviously I'm still married, and I have a baby and we kind of just ..."
"... So it's just weird," the interviewer suggested. "You said it, not me," Duff reportedly said as she laughed. She also called Carter's public pleas "uncomfortable" on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen."
Robin Thicke and Paula Patton
"Blurred Lines" singer Robin Thicke made several cringey public performances to try to win back his estranged wife Paula Patton, who filed for divorce shortly after Thicke and Miley Cyrus received worldwide criticism for their 2013 MTV VMAs performance. Patton cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their split, as reported by TMZ. During a deposition, Thicke would later admit to struggling with "a drug and alcohol problem" before his marriage ended, and he also confessed, "I told my wife the truth. That's why she left me," per The Hollywood Reporter.
A year before the couple's divorce was finalized, Thicke debuted his single "Get Her Back" at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, opening with, "All right, y'all, help me get her back now." He also dedicated his 2014 BET Awards performance of "Forever Love" to Patton, per E! News. Both award show tunes were featured on his 2014 album "Paula."
Viewers surely got the point, the public pleas didn't work on Patton, and Thicke just seemed to further embarrass himself. He spoke to The New York Times in 2015 about the honest review of his BET performance that he received from a longtime friend. "And I said: 'Oh yeah! What did you think?' You know — excited. And he goes: 'I gotta be honest with you, buddy. You're kind of playing yourself. You look like a sucker.' And it hit me that I'd lost my perspective."
Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran
R&B star Chris Brown and actress/model Karrueche Tran's relationship was a rollercoaster ride for many years. The two have gotten into many public fights, including the December 2014 Instagram exchange where Brown said Tran went "on dates with Drake" while he was in jail, per MTV News.
"I live in a glass house and the same s—t that makes me great also is my curse," Brown wrote in an apologetic post later that same day, per Us Weekly. Shortly after, the two were reportedly back together until March 2015 when TMZ reported that the "Loyal" singer had fathered a child with another woman. "The best of luck to Chris and his family. No baby drama for me," Tran wrote in part, per E!, on Twitter.
That seemingly amicable split didn't stick, either, as the two reportedly got into a screaming match in June 2015 when Brown showed up to the same nightclub Tran was at in an attempt to talk things out. He allegedly caused a scene by forcibly trying to climb into her SUV in the parking lot, per TMZ. The two hashed it out later that month on Instagram, which ended with some version of an apology by Brown. "All I was doing was trying to fight for the woman I love," he wrote. But that was the end of the couple. In 2021, Tran was quick to shoot down rumors that they were back on after being spotted at the same Six Flags event, per The Shade Room.
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.
Offset and Cardi B
Migos rapper Offset publicly addressed infidelity rumors after his wife, "WAP” rapper Cardi B, filed for divorce in 2020. Offset took to Instagram to apologize for being a "selfish and messed up husband" and shared that his "only birthday wish" was to reconcile with Cardi. He admitted to the world that he did not have sex with his alleged mistress but was "entertaining her" and apologized for making Cardi look "crazy."
Offset's other public pleas included getting a billboard for the "Be Careful" artist's birthday and surprising her during her festival set by having a massive flower arrangement wheeled out that was designed to read, "Take me back Cardi." She was not pleased with the latter and said, "This is why I don't like surprises," on Instagram Live after the drama, per BuzzFeed.
Despite her initial embarrassment, the two worked things out, as Cardi filed to dismiss the divorce in court in November 2020, per TMZ. They also welcomed a baby boy in September 2021, and for Valentine's Day 2022, they gave each other tattoos of their wedding date and filmed the process for Cardi's Facebook Watch series, "Cardi Tries."
Lamar Odom wants Khloe Kardashian back
Former NBA player Lamar Odom mentioned wanting to get back together with his ex-wife Khloé Kardashian several times while on "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2022. The couple separated in 2013 after four years of marriage, but their divorce wasn't finalized until 2016. Lamar has been open about his infidelity and drug use during their marriage, but now seemingly has his sights set on making things right with the Good American co-founder. On one of the early episodes of Season 3 of "CBB," he told the multi-talented Todrick Hall that he misses Khloé "so much" after admitting he had a dream about her.
In Episode 9, he told his roommates that he is "going to try my damndest" to reconnect with Khloé. "I would just probably want to take her to dinner. It will be a blessing just to be in her presence. Just to tell her I'm sorry and what a fool I was," he said in a confessional. "She has the right to never ever want to see me again for the things I put her through, but time moves on and people change."
Lamar isn't the only NBA player who regretted screwing up and losing Khloé. In a 2020 episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," Tristan Thompson, whom she shares a child with, begged her to give him another chance after he was unfaithful, per The U.S. Sun. They did end up getting back together but called it quits again in June 2021, per E! News.
Kanye West pleads for Kim Kardashian
Many of Kanye West's February 2022 Instagram posts seem like a cry for help to some users, but his public pleas to his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, are undebatable love bombing. As chronicled by Newsweek, the rapper, now known as Ye, has shared — then deleted — several posts, some of which attack Kim's current boyfriend, "Saturday Night Live" comedian Pete Davidson, and some tagging the Skims mogul, asking that they reunite as a family. In one instance, Ye posted a picture of Kim and their children from a Vogue cover shoot, writing, "GOD PLEASE BRING OUR FAMILY BACK TOGETHER" (via Complex).
On Valentine's Day, Ye customized the side of a truck to read, "MY VISION IS KRYSTAL KLEAR," filled its bed with red roses, and delivered it to Kim's house. He posted, then deleted, that act of "affection," too, per TMZ. Ye also made headlines in December 2021 when he pleaded for Kim to give him another chance in front of a packed Los Angeles audience during the "Free Larry Hoover" benefit concert with Drake. During his song "Runaway," Ye sang, "I need you to run right back to me, baby. More specifically, Kimberly."
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.