In a world obsessed with celebrities, the breakups and divorces of famous stars always capture public attention. Like anyone else, celebrities may grow apart or find that their lives are headed in different directions. However, their private lives often become sources of media speculation and public discussion.
But what have been the most significant celebrity uncouplings of 2023? And which have been the most expensive celebrity divorces of all time? The online casino and online slots team at Spin Genie have analyzed various factors to find out.
Biggest Celebrity Breakups of 2023
We’ve ranked celebrity breakups from this year based on the following factors:
- Time together/married
- Number of children together
- Combined net worth
- Combined Instagram followers
1. Hugh Jackman & Deborra-Lee Furness
Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness divorced this year after 27 years of marriage, which is far more than your average Hollywood couple. The couple have two children together, a combined net worth of $150 million and Instagram followings of 31 million. They met on the Australian TV show “Correlli” in 1995 and got engaged the following year.
2. Kyle Richards & Mauricio Umansky
Like Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness, Kyle Richards & Mauricio Umansky were married for 27 years before splitting this year. Known for her role in "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and his successful real estate business, they share three children and have amassed a combined net worth of $200 million. However, the situation is complex, with Mauricio insisting in September that they had yet to separate.
3. Kylie Jenner & Travis Scott
Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott have had an up-and-down relationship since 2017, having broken up and reunited multiple times. However, as of November 2023, the relationship is seemingly over, with Kylie now dating actor Timothée Chalamet. Jenner and Scott’s six-year relationship resulted in two children, and the pair have a combined net worth of $780 million. Their social media reach is also enormous, with Kylie Jenner boasting nearly 400 million Instagram followers.
Most of the celebrities on the list are from the United States, which isn't surprising given that Hollywood and the U.S. entertainment industry are among the largest and most influential globally. Couples like Reese Witherspoon & Jim Toth and Kylie Jenner & Travis Scott are the top examples.
The UK also features prominently on the list, with 22 celebrities like Sophie Turner, Noel Gallagher and Emma Watson going through breakups this year.
Eight Canadian celebrities are on the list, with Avril Lavigne going through two separate breakups from Tyga and Mod Sun.
Of all the A-listers on our list, it’s actors who have broken up with their partners the most in the last year, with 53 having done so. Working in film and TV often requires travelling around the world, which can understandably put pressure on a relationship, as can the high profile of the job.
42 reality TV stars, such as Kyle Richards & Mauricio Umansky, and multiple couples from various "Real Housewives" franchises also separated. The nature of reality TV, which often blurs the line between public and private life and celebrates drama and scandal, could have contributed to these breakups.
Musicians also feature prominently, with 38 breakups, including notable names like Travis Scott, Ricky Martin and Taylor Swift (who broke up with Joe Alwyn and later Matty Healy after a period of dating).
The Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces of All Time
1. Bill Gates & Melinda French Gates (2021)
Settlement: $76 billion
Inflation-adjusted: $86.3 billion
The divorce of Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda in 2021 is the most expensive on the list, with a settlement of $76 billion. This figure is all the more eye-opening when adjusted for inflation, totalling $86.3 billion. As co-founders of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's largest private charitable foundations, the division of their assets was a matter of considerable public interest.
2. Jeff Bezos & MacKenzie Scott (2019)
Settlement: $38 billion
Inflation-adjusted: $43.5 billion
The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, and his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, divorced in 2019. The settlement was an immense $38 billion, which inflates to $43.5 billion. MacKenzie Scott has since become known for her philanthropy, giving away billions of dollars of her wealth to various causes.
3. Alec Wildenstein & Jocelyn Wildenstein (1999)
Settlement: $3.8 billion
Inflation-adjusted: $6.7 billion
Known for their lavish lifestyle and Jocelyn Wildenstein's extensive cosmetic surgeries, which earned her the nickname "Catwoman," this 1999 divorce included a settlement of $3.8 billion, which adjusts to $6.7 billion when accounting for inflation.
4. Kim Kardashian & Kanye West (2021)
Settlement: $2.7 billion
Inflation-adjusted: $3.1 billion
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are giants in the entertainment industry, with Kim being a reality TV star and businesswoman and Kanye a renowned musician and fashion designer. Their 2021 divorce involved a substantial sum, with a settlement of $2.7 billion, rising to $3.1 billion after adjusting for inflation.
5. Rupert Murdoch & Anna Murdoch Mann (1999)
Settlement: $1.7 billion
Inflation-adjusted: $3 billion
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch's divorce from his second wife, Anna Murdoch Mann, in 1999 involved a $1.7 billion settlement. Today, that amount would be equivalent to around $3 billion. Their divorce was one of the year's biggest stories, given Murdoch's global influence in the media industry.
Methodology
A list of around 100 celebrity breakups was sourced using various news articles from 2023. Each couple was then ranked on the following factors, being given a normalized score out of ten for each, before an average of these was taken.
Time together/married
The length of time a couple was married before divorcing or how long they were together before breaking up (if unmarried). Information for this factor was sourced from news articles about the breakups.
Children together
The number of children that the couple has had together. Information for this factor was sourced from news articles about the breakups.
Combined net worth
This was mainly sourced from Celebrity Net Worth, although other sources and articles were used for any celebrities not listed.
Combined Instagram followers
Correct as of November 23, 2023.
We also used Wikipedia’s list of most expensive divorces to show the most expensive of all time, using inflation-adjusted figures.
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