Celebrity couples have a way of attacking the hearts of fans and audiences. There's just something so intriguing about knowing the personal details of someone you may admire. And let's be honest, after a while, the social media posts and intimate interviews can make some of us feel like we know the ins and outs of these relationships. But the truth is, most times, there's a lot we don't actually know. And when moments like these happen, it becomes painfully obvious that all that glitters ain't gold. We're all human, and no matter how rich or famous one may be, relationship struggles and break-ups happen. But I'll admit, the ones we're about to mention surprised me and stung a bit.
Check out this list of the biggest celebrity breakups of 2021. And, let us know if there's anyone you would have added!
Kim Kardashian and Kanye “Ye” West
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Whether you love or hate these two, it's hard to ignore the fact that their names draw attention. This is why it simply seemed like "rumors" when whispers of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian divorcing would make the rounds every couple of years. Plus, the two would quickly dismiss the claims with a public statement of affection or an IG post that made the item appear happy and unbothered. But after a while, it was hard to ignore that there was obviously a lot going on. From Kanye's presidential run and Twitter rants to more serious things like mental health struggles and long sprouts of separation, the rumors of the end of their seven-year marriage started to ring true. From the outside looking in, the announcement wasn't a complete shock. Yet still, true fans were pretty upset. The couple shares four children and has often publicly spoken about their love and passion for each other.
But at the end of the day, it seems as if the cause of their split was actually quite normal. During the Keeping up With the Kardashians final season, Kim addressed everything and admitted to feeling as if she desired a more conventional relationship. She says, "I just feel like I've worked so hard in life to achieve everything that I've wanted to, and I've lived up to my expectations and achieved 10 times more than I ever thought was humanly possible, but I don't have a life to share that with."
"After turning 40 this year, I realized, like, 'No, I don't want a husband that lives in a completely different state.' To me, I thought, 'Oh my God, that's when we're getting along the best.' But then, that is sad to me and that's not what I want."
Sometimes it seems as if the couple is working to fix it, and other times it looks like things are pretty final. It's tough because "I miss the old Kanye" and hope Kim ends up happy too.
Saweetie and Quavo
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The relationship between Saweetie and Quavo seemed like it happened so long ago, which is weird because I liked them together; and so did, like, everybody else. They just seemed fun and super carefree, but I guess you can never judge a book or IG post by its cover. Because pretty soon after fans started speculating about the rappers' split, Saweetie confirmed it in a very direct tweet. It read, "I'm single. I've endured too much betrayal and hurt behind the scenes for a false narrative to be circulating that degrades my character. Presents don't band-aid scars and the love isn't real when the intimacy is given to other women."
Later, Quavo responded with his own spicy tweet saying, "I know you want to make this into a show so I'll play my part just this one time. I don't normally put my business out there, especially my personal life. I feel the need to address this so there are no false narratives." He continues, "I had love for you and was disappointed you did all that. You are not the woman I thought you were. I wish you nothing but the best."
Saweetie then concluded the back and forth with a short and sweet, "take care." Even though the social thread and events that followed became pretty toxic, they were a hot celebrity couple at the time and left us with a few nice break-up tracks.
Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid
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Whew, this one is a lot. Model Gigi Hadid and singer/songwriter Zayn Malik's on-again-off-again relationship came to a head when Yolanda Hadid, Gigi's mother, alleged that Zayn "struck" her during a dispute. According to sources, the altercation is what sparked their most recent break-up. However, Zayn has maintained his innocence. He tells TMZ, "I adamantly deny striking Yolanda Hadid, and for the sake of my daughter I decline to give any further details. I hope that Yolanda will reconsider her false allegations and move towards healing these family issues in private."
Still, Zayn pled no-contest to four charges of harassment against Yolanda and Gigi. Although the couple is no longer an item they are both dedicated to creating a healthy co-parenting environment. A rep for Gigi tells ET, "She is solely focused on the best for Khai [her daughter]. She asks for privacy at this time."
Yeah, if he did what they claim he did, being in a relationship would definitely be a hard no for me!
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez
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Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez started dating five years ago and became engaged in 2019. Fans were very excited about their engagement and it was nice to see J.Lo happy. However, it didn't take long for things to get a bit messy. There were rumors that Alex had been a little too flirty with a Bravo reality star and that the Hustlers star was flicking it up without her ring. Not to mention, the wedding got postponed, though they attributed that to the pandemic. Still, they maintained that they were together for quite a while but eventually released a statement admitting the split. It read, "We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so. We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects."
It was kinda sad to hear this. But one thing about Jenny from the Block is, she's gonna have admirers. And as we know, she ended up in a rekindled romance with former flame Ben Affleck!
La La and Carmelo Anthony
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La La Anthony has been outside, and I'm here for it! She's involved in so many television shows and has been killing the 'Gram. But, it's been quite a journey. In 2017, the media personality and actress separated from her former husband, NBA star Carmelo Anthony when he was accused of cheating and getting another woman pregnant. The couple was rumored to have gotten back together since that time. However, things became final when La La filed for divorce in June of this year.
Although the two have remained friends, it seems as if she is happy with her decision. She says, "When you've been with somebody for so long and we started as best friends, I love that we still have that friendship. We're raising a kid together. It's no drama with us, it's no beef. I talk to him as I talk to my close friend and we still have that."
Miguel and Nazanin Mandi
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The news about Miguel and Nazanin Mandi's split dropped pretty recently but it still had to make the annual list! The couple had been together for 17 years and married for three years before they decided to call it quits, and maybe that's why this one stung so much. That is a lot of time for something to end so suddenly.
However, the couple has always been pretty private, and it's pretty likely that just like we didn't know about the highs, we didn't know about lows. Still, shoutout to Nazanin Mandi because if sis is the inspiration behind some of those beautiful Miguel tracks, we're forever grateful.
Victor Cruz and Karrueche Tran
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Want an example of an amicable breakup? Take a look at Victor Cruz and Karrueche Tran. The couple started dating in December of 2017 and seemed very unproblematic and happy. However, as happens sometimes, it looks like over time they simply grew apart. Between a pandemic and working on different coasts, that is completely understandable. A lot of effort and intention is needed to make a relationship like this work. And it looks like these two decided it would be better to just end things peacefully.
A source told E News, "Right now, they are focused on continuing to grow their successful careers. There are no hard feelings. This is just a case of two people moving forward in life separately."
Featured image by Steve Granitz/WireImage via Getty Images
This kind of wisdom is the type of hindsight that cannot be matched. Because again, while getting older shouldn’t be anything that any of us are afraid of or ashamed to do, wouldn’t it be great if we were more proactive than reactive when it comes to how we take care of ourselves — so that as we do age (and it is inevitable), we will age…gracefully…seamlessly…beautifully?
That’s why I took the time to ask 15 women in their 40s to share some things that they wish they had done in their 20s as far as physical beauty is concerned. Look at it as me doing a solid for any of you younger readers who really think that “I woke up like this” will last…forever. It won’t. And if you settle into that very real reality by taking good care of yourself now, the 40s will be where you actually end up looking better than ever.
*Middle names are used in all of my interview pieces, so that people can speak freely, no matter what the topic may be.*
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Eleele. 48.
“Some women aren’t gonna like this but, Black can crack. I see it often; especially when I look at a lot of these women’s necks — even celebrities. You can look like you’re 29 in the face but because you didn’t take care of your neck when you were in your 20s, it’s out here looking like it should be in a nursing home. That part of your skin ages and sags like everything else. I wish I had cared about that back in the day. I do now and yes young women, moisturize your neck every night and every morning. I personally use a combination of rosehip oil and lavender because they help to stimulate collagen production. Don’t wait until you have tree rings. Do it…now.”
Quincie. 45.
“I wish I had taken better care of my breasts. Not [just] as far as my health; as far as their appearance. When you’re in your 20s, everything is perky and unicorns. Hit 35 and you start to notice that your girls like your feet more than your neck. Doing some exercises to make your pecs more prominent and applying some cocoa or shea butter every night are little things that can keep them youthful. Don’t wait. A breast lift is an option but those aren’t cheap. And if you can avoid paying what a used car costs to keep your breasts sittin’ high, why not do that now?”
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Vonya. 41.
“It might sound weird but I wish I had laid off of my protective styles more. It’s like we’ve forgotten that the point of them is to grow our hair out but that can’t happen if we’re never giving our hair a break from all of the tension that comes from tight-ass braids and twists. Now my edges are suffering and that can make you look older than you are. Those ‘Brandy braids’ are cute, girl, but so is having a full hairline. Don’t live in a protective style — your future self is screaming this at you.”
Madelynne. 43.
“I wish I drank less. I had a good time, trust me. But drinking on the weekends and then having drinks a couple of nights a week after work took its toll. My skin feels drier and it takes more work to keep it moisturized. These days, [I] eat edibles instead. It’s healthier and it has compounds in it that can slow down the aging process. Oh, to be young again.”
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Noelle. 40.
“I wish I had incorporated some sort of hand care. If anything takes wear and tear on a constant basis, it’s our hands and we’ll be out here having a beauty regimen for everything but those. Now my hands are starting to look older than I would like and so I’m having to work overtime to get rid of some fine lines and fragile-looking skin. What I do is get hand facials every couple of months. Look to see what spas or salons offer them. It makes a really big difference on your hands. Your arms too.”
Imani. 42.
“I’m the most comfortable sleeping on my side but it’s not the best for my face — anyone’s face, really. I used to hear that it would cause wrinkles but when those aren’t something that you have to worry about, you don’t care. I’m starting to see a few around my lips and so now I’m on my back more often. I’m thinking that if I had cared about this in college, avoiding wrinkles would not be on my list of concerns at this age.”
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Ora. 44.
“Stay off of acidic drinks. Your teeth will age just like everything else and sodas and orange juice doesn’t help. Think about the people you know who look one way…until they smile. Then they look 10-15 years older. Go to the dentist regularly and schedule a professional whitening appointment. White teeth make you look younger. Just take good care of them. You’ll be glad that you did, if you do.”
Jaye. 44.
“Gray hair is a blessing but my grandmother always told me that it can come in prematurely — and a part of what causes that to happen is stress and a poor diet. When you’re young, you don’t care about stuff like that. But let those first ones creep in around your hairline and suddenly, you’re looking for all kinds of hacks. My advice? That man, that job, and that relative that is already making you want to pull your hair out? Let them go. Your hair can’t take it. And all of that junk food you’re consuming? I still hit a drive-thru but these days, it’s more like a couple of times a month instead of during every lunch break.”
Baylah. 48.
“Get your legs waxed. All of that razor shaving can cause discoloration or leave razor marks that can make your skin look older over time. Plus, it creates ingrown hairs and something about those can make you look older too.”
Francesca. 45.
“Stop not taking sleep seriously. When you’re 25, you can go on four hours of sleep for days on end but it catches up to you. Sleep is what rejuvenates you and if you don’t get it, eventually you will look like it. I have dark circles that I’ve been trying to get rid of and a part of it is due to years of no sleep catching up to me. Whatever it is, it can wait until you’ve had at least seven hours. Don’t listen if you don’t want to. One day you will look in the mirror and wish that you did.”
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Queen. 43.
“I wish I had spent more time outdoors. It’s no secret that Black people have more of a vitamin D deficiency than anyone else but trying to pile up on supplements when you’re older is a lot. When you’re at restaurants, eat on the patio. Sit on your back deck to read a book. Go for a walk in the mornings. I’m dealing with some hair loss stuff right now and it’s partly because I need more vitamin D. And thinning hair makes you look older than you should.”
Raini. 47.
“Waist trainers are bad for you. I wish those damn things would go away. That doesn’t mean that I don’t get that a snatched waist can take a few years off. Hell, I know that I took mine for granted back in my 20s. Snack on bananas and berries. Do some cardio even if that’s power walking through the mall. Stop drinking cold stuff so much. It might sound like a mama’s tale, but drinking things at room temperature reduces bloating. There are other things that you can do to get the curves that you want without smashing your organs. Lord.”
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Ruth. 42.
“I wish I cared more about my damn arms. Nothing makes you look older quicker than your upper arms not being in good shape. Get some five-pound free weights and set aside 15 minutes. Dry brush those bad boys; it’ll keep dimples from showing up. Keep them extra moisturized, so that those annoying little bumps won’t show up. And use sunscreen. The sun doesn’t know if you’re Black or not. It comes for us too.”
Lina. 41.
“Have a professional care for your skin. There are a billion things that you can do at home but an aesthetician is trained to figure out what works best and what doesn’t. Facials, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels from time to time have all played a role in me starting to look younger. If I had taken preventative measures, it would’ve kept some money in my pocket because I wouldn’t be going quite as much as I do now.”
Payce. 49.
“I wish I had been more choosy about my sex partners so that I could’ve had wilder sex. Listen to Auntie here. There is some stuff that good sex will do for you and aging that no cosmetic can. Sweat out those toxins. Work out that core. Take in some of that sperm. Just do it with a man you can trust and you can be totally free with instead of these knuckleheads. Yeah, better mate selection is the beauty tip that I recommend — and stop acting like it’s a rite of passage to start this at 35. Get a good man now and sit down somewhere. So that you can lay down in peace. That’s what I’ve got for you.”
Pass the plate around for Payce, y’all. As far as beauty and maturity go, she just preached — to women of ALL ages! Amen? Amen.
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