When you’re a celebrity and your marriage is falling apart, it’s difficult to keep the press from digging for details. The following are some of the more “sensational” celebrity divorces and split-ups reported during 2005. The list has not been updated to reflect the couples’ current status.
1) Chad Murray and Sophia Bush: Too much in love to pay attention to those who said they should wait before tying the knot, Chad Michael Murray, 24, and Sophia Bush, 23, costars of One Tree Hill, called it quits after just five months of marriage.
2) Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney: It took only four months of marriage for actress Renee Zellweger to end her marriage to country singer Kenny Chesney. The split didn’t seem to come as much of a surprise to insiders. The marriage was annulled with Zellweger listing “fraud” as the reason she was seeking an annulment. It was a first marriage for Zellweger, 36, and Chesney, 37.
3) Kathy Griffin and Matt Moline: Comedian Kathy Griffin decided to end her four year marriage to Matt Moline. There wasn’t much chemistry between them in most episodes of her A List television series, shown on some cable networks during 2005, where he appeared to be more of an errand boy than a marriage partner.
4) Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen: Being six months pregnant with their second child didn’t stop actress Denise Richards from filing for divorce from her “bad boy” actor husband, Charlie Sheen, whom she married in 2002. Daughter Lola was born mid-year, and, at the end of the year it was unclear whether the marriage was back on or still off.
5) Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston: After five years of marriage, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston split in January of 2005 amid rumors that co-star Angelina Jolie was his new passion. A vacation in Keyna gave credence to the rumors as well as later stories that Pitt was planning to adopt Jolie’s two children.
6) Jessica and Nick: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey called it quits after three years and starring in Newlyweds, a reality show that made them both very wealthy. Lack of a prenup was expected to give Nick a healthy bank balance due to Jessica’s earnings during their marriage.
7) Heidi Klum and Ric Pipino: It took until 2005 for supermodel Heidi Klum’s marriage to celebrity hairstylist Ric Pipino to be officially over. The couple married in 1997 and announced they were separating in 2002. Once the legalities were over it cleared the way for Klum to marry singer Seal, whose child she was carrying. Klum also has a daughter by former boyfriend Flavio Briatore.
8) Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen: Even longterm marriages weren’t immune to failure in 2005. The 25-year marriage of Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen appeared to be over when the couple announced they were divorcing after a four-year separation.
9) Christina Applegate and Johnathan Schaech: Christina Applegate announced she was ending her marriage to Johnathan Schaech. The couple was married for four years. Their careers have been going in different directions with Applegate starring on Broadway and Schaech doing some video sequels.
10) Tori Spelling and Charlie Shanian: It reads like a plot for an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, actress Tori Spelling and playwright Charlie Shanian had a lavish $1-million wedding ceremony in July 2004, then Shanian reportedly filed for divorce in October 2005. The couple had been living apart since August 2005. According to the gossip columns, Spelling, the daughter of producer Aaron Spelling, is currently engaged to costar Dean McDermott who filed for divorce from his wife of 12 years, Mary Jo Eustace, in September.