Many people were in love with Hollywood’s “It” couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, celebrating their fairytale love story only to have it end, once again.
The couple, who are known as “Bennifer”, has been grabbing headlines since August, after the “Jenny From The Block” hitmaker filed for a divorce from award-winning film-maker.
The couple first met and got engaged in 2002 but called it off in 2004. They reconnected in 2021 and tied the knot in 2022, 20 years after first meeting.
Fans were uber-excited about their union, only to be left disappointed just two years later.
But JLo and Affleck aren’t the only celebrities heading for splitsville.
Along with Hollywood, Mzansi celebrity couples have also announced their separations, divorces and breakups.
Recently, singer Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s divorce was finalised.
Rappers Cardi B and Offset, who have recently had their third baby, are in the middle of divorce proceedings. Earlier this year, fashion’s darling couple, Romeo Beckham and Mia Regan, broke up after five years.
Locally, we are faced with the messy split between former “Generations” actress, Latoya Makhene and Lebo Keswa. Keswa is set to launch a podcast, “My Journey”, where she’ll be airing their dirty laundry.
The list is endless.
Dr Wendy Walsh, a relationship expert at “DatingNews” and a psychology professor with a PhD in clinical psychology, says there are two reasons why celebrity relationships are hard to keep intact.
“There are two factors that make celebrity relationships different from the typical couple. The first is the constant scrutiny and pressure from being in the public eye. Whether it’s tabloid media or online comments, it could be stressful to have the world looking at you while you are trying to grow intimacy,” she said.
The second has to do with the personality types of people who seek the limelight as a profession.
“They tend to have a lot of unmet needs and early childhood trauma. The entourage and the limelight become a surrogate mother. So, when you get two babies in an adult romantic relationship, is there enough self-esteem and care-giving to go around?”
Walsh said that in order for celebrity relationships to have a chance at survival, the couples needed to maintain their privacy at all costs.
“They must work very hard to keep their relationship a secret for as long as possible, while they’re growing a new relationship and work hard to keep it out of the limelight in general.
“The problem is that most famous ‘personalities’ do not have a clear line between work and their private lives.
“Being in the limelight, in any capacity, is their goal, so they take the bait from the media and expose their intimate lives because it keeps them relevant and gets them more work.”
On why the divorce rate is much higher among celebrities, Walsh said: “People who seek the limelight as a profession often have deep unmet needs. They expect their intimate partner to be their mother, but they fall in love with another celebrity who is often equally damaged.”
The expert said divorce didn’t teach people how to be a better partner or how to find a better mate.
“All it teaches you is that you can survive divorce. And so, subsequent marriages tend to have a higher divorce rate. If children are involved, then a revolving door of parental figures is the worst thing for kids.”
Walsh’s advice to couples seeking or wanting to maintain a healthy and long-lasting relationship is to keep the flame alive.
“Most relationships don’t end because of conflict. They end because of boredom. Keep doing new things with your partner.
“Explore new experiences together. Add novelty, fun and excitement. And when the going does get tough, make sure you seek out a licensed therapist.”