MANILA, Philippines — It’s that time again where we begin to reflect on the year that has passed and the moments that made each day or month quite memorable.
Media outlets like Philstar.com would often create lists of entertainment’s biggest news, for example, 2022’s lists on local showbiz, Hollywood, lifestyle, music, K-dramas and K-pop, and various sporting stories.
However, 2023 appears to stand out for one key point: celebrity break-ups.
The Philippines saw its fair share of local celebrity couples calling it quits, like Andrea Brillantes with Ricci Rivero and Miles Ocampo with Elijah Canlas, but certainly nothing bigger than the end of KathNiel.
The then reel-and-real-life couple, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, elicited various reactions when they announced they had decided to part ways after 11 years.
Couples outside the country were no exception to Cupid’s arrows failing, so here’s even more celebrity couples who ended their relationships this 2023:
Perhaps the biggest Hollywood celebrity breakup of 2023 was award-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and actor Joe Alwyn, ending their relationship after six years together.
News of their split emerged last April, but insiders reported that they called it quits much earlier.
The breakup was “not dramatic,” and the couple’s mostly private relationship “had just run its course,” one source told Entertainment Tonight.
Taylor is now happily dating American football star Travis Kelce and even attends some of his games despite her ongoing global “Eras” tour.
It should be noted that some fans choose to forget that Taylor had a brief fling with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy after breaking up with Joe.
Speaking of Taylor Swift, her good friends, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, divorced last September after four years of marriage and two young daughters.
The former couple were on good terms with Taylor as she used to date Joe over a decade ago and Sophie is a huge fan of the multiple Grammy winner.
“There are many speculating narratives to why but, truly this is a united decision,” Joe and Sophie said in a joint statement confirming their divorce.
Less than a month later, Sophie filed a lawsuit against Joe for wrongful retention of their children and demanded they return to England with her as initially agreed upon.
Fans of Britney Spears learned last August that Sam Asghari filed for divorce after just 14 months together, with “irreconcilable differences” being the reason according to court documents.
“We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always,” Asghari said at the time. “Asking for privacy seems ridiculous so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful.”
Another celebrity marriage that saw an early demise was between pop singer Ariana Grande and real estate agent Dalton Gomez, who were wed for two years.
Insider reports last July said the former couple separated and prepared divorce papers as early as January; their divorce was confirmed last September.
One source said Ariana and Dalton were “quietly and lovingly working on their friendship,” while another source said their friends were “concerned by their whirlwind romance and felt their relationship would ultimately be short-lived.”
Before the divorce was confirmed, Ariana was linked to her “Wicked” co-star and Tony award nominee Ethan Slater, who has recently separated from singer and high school sweetheart Lilly Jay.
On the flipside, Australian actors Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness announced last September that after 27 years and two children together, they would be separating.
“Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth. Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness,” the former couple said in a joint statement.
People may have forgotten that Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio and model Gigi Hadid briefly dated for a time and ended their relationship in February.
One source told People magazine that the relationship “fizzled” out and was “never that serious anyway.”
Leonardo and Gigi were first linked together after attending the New York Fashion Week together last September 2022, but were last seen in public in November.
Blackpink member Jisoo and “Itaweon Class” actor Ahn Bo-hyun went public about their relationship last August only to part ways two months later.
An industry representative reportedly said the two “naturally became distant due to their busy schedules,” which led to their break-up, a statement briefly confirmed by Jisoo’s agency YG Entertainment.
Jisoo’s fellow Blackpink member, Jennie, also saw the supposed end of a relationship when reports came out that she and BTS member V or Kim Taehyung broke up.
The singers’ respective labels, Big Hit Music for V and YG Entertainment for Jennie, have never officially confirmed the two were dating. Their numerous fans, however, have spotted them together, leading them to speculate on the two star’s relationship.
A likely reason for the end of their alleged relationship was that V has enlisted for Korea’s mandatory military service with fellow BTS colleagues RM, Jimin and Jungkook, a process that will take at least two years.
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello
Colombian-American “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara and actor Joe Manganiello separated last July after seven years of marriage.
“As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect for our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives,” the former couple said in a joint statement.
Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun, Tyga
Punk singer Avril Lavigne and rapper Mod sun ended their relationship last February, less than a year after getting engaged.
A few months later Avril was linked with another rapper Tyga, but that relationship ended in June after four months.
Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny
A recent update in the breakup community is that TV personality-model Kendall Jenner and Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny have also called it quits after dating for less than year.
The two were first linked after going on a double date with Justin and Hailey Bieber last February, followed by photos of the couple going out together.
However, the last time they were spotted together publicly was in October at a “Saturday Night Live” afterparty, where Bad Bunny was both the host and musical guest on the sketch variety show, and a breakfast date in Beverly Hills.
More global 2023 celebrity breakups:
- Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner (married for 18 years, together for 24 years)
- Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald (married for 12 years, together for 22 years)
- Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth (married for almost 12 years)
- Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied (married for 11 years)
- Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert (married for seven years)
- Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka (together for seven years)
- Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef (married for six years)
- Billy Porter and Adam Smith (married for six years)
- Rami Malek and Lucy Boynton (dated for five years)
- Elle Fanning and Max Minghella (dated for five years)
- Maisie Williams and Reuben Selby (dated for five years)
- Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith (married for four years)
- Brie Larson and Elijah Allan-Blitz (dated for almost four years)
- Maddie Ziegler and Eddie Benjamin (dated for over three years)
- Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro (together for three years and were engaged)
- Glen Powell and Gigi Paris (dated for three years)
- Jeannie Mai Jenkins and Jeezy (married for two-and-a-half years)
- Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun (together for two years and were engaged)
- Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson (together for two years)
- Bella Hadid and Marc Kalman (dated for two years)
- Kacey Musgraves and Cole Schafer (dated for two years)
- Lori Harvey and Damson Idris (dated for a year)
- Hunter Schafer and Dominic Fike (toegther for a year)
- Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford (dated for less than a year)
- Liam Payne and Kate Cassidy (dated for less than a year)
- Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders (dated for less than a year)
- Camila Cabello and Austin Kevitch (dated for eight months)
- Tom Brady and Irina Shayk (dated for three months)
RELATED: The breakup list: Philippine showbiz couple separations that ‘shookt’ 2023
