“I learned that I was no longer getting married from THE INTERNET, and at the same time as the rest of the world.”
When a marriage or relationship comes to an end, it’s always a difficult situation, especially for celebrities who live their life in the spotlight. For famous former couples, their split sometimes makes headlines before they can tell their friends and family — and sometimes it makes headlines before they can even tell each other! In fact, some stars say that they only found out that their ex filed the divorce paperwork when it popped up in the news. While it must be a shock to learn about your divorce from the internet, it’s definitely a sign that it was time to end things for good.
Here’s what these stars had to say about being blindsided …
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1. Jennie Garth
Jennie Garth got married to her husband Dave Abrams in 2015, just a year after they first met on a blind date. Looking back, Jennie says the couple “rushed” the relationship, and Dave didn’t know how to cope “when things got challenging.” Ultimately, Dave decided to file for divorce, but seemingly didn’t tell Jennie. She says she found out the news from TMZ — which she eventually used as inspiration for a storyline on BH90210.
“I found out that he filed for divorce from TMZ,” Jennie told People. “That was a big deal for me. So we used it in the show, because why not use the things that hurt us most and then take the power out of them and make them funny.”
The couple ultimately reconciled their relationship.
2. Naya Rivera
In the late Naya Rivera’s memoir, Sorry Not Sorry, she wrote that she found out about the end of her engagement to Big Sean on the internet. While looking back on the experience, Naya explained that she and the rapper had been fighting, and when he returned to LA, she allegedly caught him hanging out with another woman. Instead of ending things face-to-face, Naya says that Big Sean had a publicist put out a statement.
“So I learned that I was no longer getting married from THE INTERNET, and at the same time as the rest of the world. Not only were we no longer getting married, but apparently we weren’t even together anymore,” Naya wrote.
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3. Kris Humphries
When Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kris Humphries after 72 days of marriage, he allegedly didn’t know it was going to happen until it made headlines. At the time, Kris said he was “devastated” to learn about the divorce and wanted to make things work.
“I love my wife and am devastated to learn she filed for divorce. I’m committed to this marriage and everything this covenant represents. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work,” he said in a statement to TMZ.
4. Alice Evans
The end of Alice Evans and her ex-husband Ioan Gruffudd’s relationship was incredibly dramatic — and much of it was aired out online. When news of their split was made public, and Ioan debuted his new girlfriend, Alice sent out a series of heartbreaking tweets. In her posts, she admitted that the couple had been having marital problems for years, during which she believed Ioan was secretly having an affair.
While explaining the situation, Alice shared that Ioan had actually moved out in early 2021, but had told their children there was a possibility the couple “wouldn’t get divorced.” Just a few weeks later, he ended up filing for divorce, which Alice says was incredibly difficult.
“He moved out in January this year and I only found out he’d filed for divorce a few weeks later when I read it on a gossip website. What a gullible fool I’d been! I felt like I was in a windowless room and couldn’t breathe,” Alice wrote.
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5. Drake Bell
Drake Bell and his estranged wife Janet Von Schmeling may have separated in 2022 but their divorce still came as a surprise to the actor. In April 2023, just a week after Drake was briefly reported missing, Janet filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Following the news, Drake took to social media and claimed he didn’t know it was going to happen.
“I found out my wife filed for divorce from TMZ,” he wrote in a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter).
6. Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin says she learned that her ex-husband Todd was planning to divorce her through an email online. At the time, the couple was going through counseling, but she said she found out that Todd had hired an attorney with the intent to separate.
“I found out from an email from an attorney saying that she was hired and that was on June 19th, I’ll never forget it,” she said in an interview with Christian author James Dobson. “It was devastating. I thought I got shot … Except for the death of a child, I don’t know what could be more [painful].”
The couple continued to work on their marriage, but Todd ultimately made the filing that September, shortly after the couple’s 31st wedding anniversary.
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7. Debbie Matenopoulos
When Debbie Matenopoulos’ music executive husband Jay Faires filed for divorce after seven years of marriage, she says she wasn’t involved in the decision. In a statement, the television personality said she was “extremely saddened” about the dissolution of her relationship — and had found out from online reports.
“I am not a proponent of divorce and I believe in working things out. So you can only imagine my extreme sadness and disillusionment when I was informed of my husband’s divorce proceedings, much like you were, by reading them online,” she said in a statement.
