To many people, Hollywood is just a glitzy paradise for society's elite—but you might be surprised by what goes on behind the scenes. Broken hearts, bad behavior, and messy love triangles are even more common than you'd believe. As they always say, two's a company, but three's a crowd...
Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie
This love triangle rocked the world for years on end. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were the hottest couple in Hollywood when they began dating in 1998. Two years later, the pair got hitched, and all seemed perfect in paradise... until 2005 when they filed for divorce.
Brad was filming Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Angelina Jolie at the time of the divorce, and the rest is history. Brad and Angelina weren't officially married until 2014, but they share six children together and have since legally separated.
Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, and Elizabeth Taylor
Debbie Reynolds and her husband Eddie Fisher were Hollywood royalty—until Eddie left her for Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie's best friend. The ladies were so close that when Elizabeth married her third husband, Mike Todd, Debbie was the matron of honor, and Eddie was the best man...
Everything changed when Mike died in a plane crash. Both Debbie and Eddie comforted Elizabeth, but Eddie took it a step too far. He left Debbie for Elizabeth, and the pair married within a year of Mike's death. They divorced after only five years of marriage.
Hilary Duff, Aaron Carter, and Lindsay Lohan
This early-aughts love triangle began in 2001 when Aaron Carter and Hilary Duff got together. The singer appeared on Lizzie McGuire Christmas special and became Hilary's on-screen (and off-screen) boyfriend. Behind the scenes, however, Aaron had his sights set on someone else.
"I was dating [Hilary] for like a year and a half, and then I just got a little bored, so I went, and I started getting to know Lindsay," Aaron told reporters in 2005. He dated Lindsay Lohan for a number of months before returning to Hilary. Eventually, the two called it quits because Aaron couldn't remain faithful, igniting a rivalry between Hilary and Lindsay that lasted for years.
Princess Diana, Prince Charles, and Camilla Shand
Prince Charles first met Camilla Shand at a polo match. Before long, a romance had blossomed, but Charles knew that his parents would never approve of the relationship because Camilla was known for dating around. When Charles was deployed overseas in 1973, he learned that Camilla was engaged to someone else.
Although Charles went on to marry Princess Diana, his relationship with Camilla never truly came to an end. "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," Diana said in a bombshell 1995 interview with Martin Bashir, three years after she and Charles had separated. Charles and Camilla married in 2005. His mother, Queen Elizabeth, did not attend the civil ceremony.
Anjelica Huston, Jack Nicholson, and Rebecca Broussard
Anjelica Huston and Jack Nicholson dated on and off for nearly 17 years. However, the relationship officially ended in 1990 when Jack revealed that model Rebecca Broussard was pregnant with his child. When Anjelica learned of the news, she drove over to Paramount Pictures in order to confront Nicholson.
"He was coming out of the bathroom when I attacked him," Anjelica wrote in her memoir. "I don't think I kicked him, but I beat him savagely about the head and shoulders. He was ducking and bending, and I was going at him like a prizefighter, raining a vast array of direct punches." Fortunately, despite the incident, Jack and Anjelica have remained great friends to this day.
Mia Farrow, Woody Allen, and Soon-Yi Previn
Shortly after Mia Farrow left André Previn, her husband and the father of her six children, she began dating Woody Allen. Woody and Mia were the most popular couple of the 1980s and although they never wed, the pair were together for ten years—but not without tremendous controversy.
Mia found nude photos of their 21-year-old adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, in Woody's home. When she confronted him, he confessed that he and Previn had slept together two weeks prior. A few months later, Woody professed his love for Soon-Yi and the two were married in 1997. They are still together to this day.
Johnny Cash, Vivian Liberto, and June Carter
Johnny Cash met Vivian Liberto at a roller rink in 1951. The couple dated in San Antonio for three weeks until Johnny was deployed to Germany for a three-year tour. Amazingly, the romance stayed alive, and the two wrote each other hundreds of love letters. Vivian and Johnny were married one month after he returned home and went on to have four daughters together.
However, their happy-ever-after was cut short when Vivian filed for divorce 12 years later. Johnny's adultery and addiction served as the catalyst, as well as his close relationship with fellow musician June Carter. Two years later, Johnny proposed to June on stage during a live performance in Ontario, and the two were married up until his death.
Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, and Nancy Sinatra
Frank Sinatra was still married to Nancy Sinatra when he first laid eyes on Ava Gardner, but that didn't stop the two from engaging in a passionate love affair. Although Frank was known to be unfaithful, something about his relationship with Ava seemed different.
He left Nancy in 1951. Only a few days after the finalization of their divorce, Frank was ready to tie the knot with Gardner. However, a few days prior to the wedding, Ava received an anonymous letter stating that Frank had been cheating on her for months. She was furious but went through with the wedding regardless.
Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, and Billy Corgan
Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain were considered one of the most infamous couples of the 1990s. Before their marriage, Courtney was dating The Smashing Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan, but the two broke up after Billy refused to pay for Courtney to fly home after one of his shows.
At the time, The Smashing Pumpkins had been playing with Nirvana, and Courtney ended up crashing with the band. "I had a crush on Kurt, he was gorgeous, I mean he was beautiful and enigmatic and evasive," she said. The pair were soon married and had a daughter together. Sadly, Cobain committed suicide in 1994.
Russell Crowe, Meg Ryan, and Dennis Quaid
The media learned of Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe's relationship while the couple was shooting Proof of Life in Ecuador. The only problem? Meg was married to actor Dennis Quaid at the time. When the news of their affair broke, Quaid filed for divorce.
Although fans were quick to point the finger at Meg, she said that the blame was shared. "Dennis was not faithful to me for a very long time, and that was very painful," she said. "I found out more about that after I was divorced... but Russell didn't break up the marriage." Meg and Russell split by Christmas of 2000.
Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, and Louise Treadwell
The chemistry between Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in Woman of the Year was undeniable, but Spencer was already married to Louise Treadwell. The couple had met in their twenties and had two children together, but over the years, their relationship began to fray at the seams.
Spencer was a devout Catholic and it was against his faith to divorce, so the pair separated. Around that time, he and Katharine began their relationship. While all of Hollywood knew that Katharine and Spencer were together up until his death in 1967, she didn't speak openly about their partnership until her 1991 memoir, Me: Stories of My Life.
Laura Dern, Billy Bob Thornton, and Angelina Jolie
Laura Dern and Billy Bob Thornton first met in 1997 after guest-starring on the infamous episode of Ellen in which DeGeneres' character comes out as a lesbian. They dated afterward and even moved in together, but things quickly went south.
While Laura was away shooting a movie, Billy Bob met and fell in love with Angelina Jolie. The two were wed before Laura even returned from her trip. "I left our home to work on a movie, and while I was away, my boyfriend got married, and I've never heard from him again," she said in 2000.
Mary-Louise Parker, Billy Crudup, and Claire Danes
Billy Crudup and Mary-Louise Parker had been together for about eight years when Parker became pregnant with their first child. Unfortunately, two months before Mary-Louise had the baby, Billy left her for his co-star Claire Danes.
Claire and Billy had been filming Stage Beauty when they fell in love. In 2004, the pair split, which was rumored to be the result of Claire leaving him for her Evening co-star Hugh Dancy.
Sienna Miller, Jude Law, and Daisy Wright
Jude Law proposed to Sienna Miller on Christmas in 2004. Less than a year later, Law was caught having an affair with Daisey Wright, his children's nanny from his first wife, Sadie Frost.
The actor issued a public apology to Miller, but their relationship never recovered, and the pair called it quits in 2006.
Uma Thurman, Ethan Hawke, and Ryan Shawhughes
In the 1990s, Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman were the ultimate "it" couple. The two tied the knot in 1998 and had two children together, but the marriage only lasted about five years. In 2003, rumors surfaced that Ethan was having an affair with his children's nanny, Ryan Shawhughes.
In 2008, three years after the finalization of their divorce, Ryan and Ethan were married. In 2018, Ethan told GQ that after he divorced Thurman, he needed to take on more commercial movie roles to afford her alimony.
Dita Von Teese, Marilyn Manson, and Evan Rachel Wood
Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese began dating in 2001 and tied the knot four years later. However, Dita filed for divorce only a year into their marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. The burlesque dancer stated that she did not approve of his hard-partying lifestyle, as well as his "relationship with another girl."
Shortly after their breakup, Marilyn began dating Evan Rachel Wood, and their on-again-off-again relationship lasted for a number of years until he proposed during a live performance in Paris. The engagement didn't last long, and Evan later spoke out about the emotional and physical abuse she suffered at the hands of Marilyn.
Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, and Abbie Cornish
Reese Witherspoon met her ex-husband, Ryan Philippe, in 1997 during her twenty-first birthday party. They starred in Cruel Intentions together, and by the end of 1999, they were married and welcoming their first child. Seven years later, the couple filed for divorce.
Rumors of infidelity began to circulate when Ryan started dating Abbie Cornish, his co-star. Reese allegedly found out about the infidelity after finding text messages from the actress on her ex-husband's phone. Ryan and Abbie's relationship ended in 2010, and Reese went on to marry talent agent Jim Toth in 2011.
Bridget Moynahan, Tom Brady, and Gisele Bündchen
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen may be happily married these days, but things very nearly ended right after they began. Six months after Tom's ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan called it quits, she announced that she was pregnant with his child.
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Tom and Gisele were already dating at the time, making the situation extremely difficult for Bridget. "Going through that traumatic time of being heartbroken and then being pregnant turned my whole life upside down and inside out and just knocked the wind out of me," she said in 2008.
LeAnn Rimes, Eddie Cibrian, and Brandi Glanville
LeAnn Rimes met Eddie Cibrian in 2009 while filming a Lifetime TV movie, but neither one was single at the time—LeAnn was married to chef Dean Sheremet while Eddie was married to former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville.
As it turns out, Eddie had a string of affairs while married to Brandi, and the couple separated. "I want to do what is best for our children [Mason and Jake]. Eddie and LeAnn deserve each other," Brandi said. Only two months after their divorce was finalized, LeAnn and Eddie became engaged.
Sandra Bullock, Jesse James, and Michelle McGee
Sandra Bullock and Jesse James embarked on their whirlwind romance after Jesse arranged for Sandra's son to visit the set of Monster Garage. They tied the knot in 2005, but five years later, Michelle "Bombshell" McGee came out with a tell-all interview detailing a yearlong affair with Jesse.
Michelle claims that she and Jesse first met in 2009 after she asked him for a modeling job. After news of the affair broke, Sandra filed for divorce, and Jesse went on to marry and then divorce Alexis DeJoria. Sandra says that she is quite content with her current "lifetime partner," photographer Bryan Randall.
Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, and Nikki Reed
The Vampire Diaries stars Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev were together for three years before the two called it quits. However, when Somerhalder moved on with Twilight's Nikki Reed, rumors that the two women were "at war" began to circulate. This clearly was not the case, since in February 2017, the three posted photos of them all hanging out together. "After years of websites pretending these two badass ladies knew each other well and baseless, false information of backstabbing and hatred from low-brow websites filled the minds and hearts of fans... They finally were able to get together for their first real dinner," Somerhalder wrote as the caption. "Let's stop spreading hate everyone, there's already too much of that right now in our world."
Mel Gibson, Robyn Moore, and Oksana Grigorieva
In 2009, Mel Gibson was seen hugging Russian pianist Oksana Grigorieva on the beach. A few weeks later, his wife of 26 years, Robyn Moore, had filed for divorce. Mel and Oksana dated for about a year until she released a series of verbally abusive voicemails he had left on her phone. Robyn walked away from the marriage with $400 million, setting a record for one of the highest divorce settlements in Hollywood history.
Kris Humphries, Kim Kardashian West, and Kanye West
Kim and Kanye first met in 2003, but a romance didn't bloom between them until Kim was married to NBA star Kris Humphries. The marriage famously lasted only 72 days. The couple started dating in 2012 and had four children together, but Kim filed for divorce from the rapper in 2021.
Maria Shriver, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mildred Baena
When Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver filed for divorce in 2011, the media went wild. Schwarzenegger revealed that during the course of their 25-year marriage, he had fathered a son with the family's housekeeper, Mildred Baena. Baena's son was born only five days before Shriver's second son, meaning that the two women were both pregnant with Schwarzenegger's baby at the same time.
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Rupert Sanders
In the mid-2000s, Twilight actors Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were universally adored as every teenager's favorite couple. The bliss lasted until 2012 when the tabloids published photos of Stewart and director Rupert Sanders sharing a kiss. The director, who had been working with Stewart on Snow White and the Huntsman, was married to model Liberty Ross at the time. The exposure of their affair did not bode well for Stewart's career at the time.
Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and The Weeknd
After their rollercoaster of a relationship drew to a close in October 2014, it seemed that Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber were over once and for all—but when Gomez started dating The Weeknd in January 2017, Bieber wasn't particularly thrilled. When asked by TMZ if he liked The Weeknd's music, Bieber replied, "Hell no, I can't listen to a 'The Weeknd' song."
Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and Hailey Baldwin
Not long after the seemingly final breakup of Justin and Selena, Justin and Hailey announced their engagement. Hailey, like Selena, had an on-again, off-again relationship with the singer over the years, but the pair were wed in September 2018, and they are still together. Fortunately, Hailey and Selena seem to be on good terms these days. "Selena, Justin, and Hailey are all tired of the Selena vs. Hailey narrative at this point," a source close to the couple said.
Orlando Bloom, Miranda Kerr, and Justin Bieber
Soon after the rumored split of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, Bieber was seen flirting with model Miranda Kerr at the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Kerr, however, was married to actor Orlando Bloom at the time. Bloom and Bieber ran into one another while partying in Ibiza and hands were thrown—Bloom can be seen on video throwing a chair at Bieber's head.
Eva Longoria, Tony Parker, and Erin Barry
After three years of marriage, Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria filed for divorce from French-American basketball player Tony Parker. It was later revealed in the tabloids that Parker had been exchanging flirtatious texts with Erin Barry, the wife of his teammate on the San Antonio Spurs.
Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck, and Christine Ouzounian
After starring in 2004's Daredevil together, actors Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck became a Hollywood "it" couple, tying the knot in 2005. Unfortunately, their marriage only lasted a decade. Rumors of infidelity began to circulate, especially since Affleck started dating their children's 28-year-old nanny, Christine Ouzounian, just one month later.
Kate Hudson, Alex Rodriguez, and Cameron Diaz
Back in 2009, Kate Hudson briefly dated baseball star, Alex Rodriguez. After they split, Cameron Diaz was seen leaving his apartment. Sources say that Cameron dated A-Rod to spite Kate, who had hooked up with Justin Timberlake, her ex-boyfriend of four years, right after their breakup.
Cazzie Davis, Pete Davidson, and Ariana Grande
As Ariana Grande ended things with Mac Miller and Pete and Cazzie's relationship slowed to a halt, things heated up for the SNL star and the pop musician. Davis claims that Davidson dumped her via text message only one day before she learned that he was dating Grande through Instagram. Ouch! The couple announced their engagement not long after they first started dating, but they called it off four months later.
Taylor Swift, Joe Jonas, and Camilla Belle
Soon after Joe Jonas' breakup with Taylor Swift, the singer was seen in public with Camilla Belle on his arm. Swift then revealed that Belle was the reason for their breakup in the first place. When Swift found out that the couple went public, she said, "They’ve been together for months. That's why we broke up."
Kourtney Kardashian, Scott Disick, and Sofia Richie
Although Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick haven't been together for years, they share three children together, meaning that Scott is still very much in the picture. On an episode of KUWTK, it was revealed that the exes had been going to co-parenting therapy together. In the same episode, Kourt chewed out Scott after he introduced his girlfriend, Sofia Richie, to the kids without warning. However, Scott and Sofia ended up calling it quits—allegedly because Scott's priorities were still Kourt and his kids.
Jay-Z, Beyoncé, "Becky"
Beyoncé's sixth solo studio album shook the world to its core for a number of reasons. Aside from its stunning artistry, Lemonade finally confirmed long-running rumors that Jay-Z had been unfaithful. In the track "Sorry" Bey famously declared, "He better call Becky with the good hair." The Knowles-Carter family is notorious for keeping the door on their private life effectively sealed, but it's true what they say: Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned.
Shania Twain, Mutt Lange, and Marie-Anne Thiebaud
Country superstar Shania Twain's world came crashing down around her when Mutt Lange, Twain's producer and husband of 14 years, was revealed to be having an ongoing affair with her best friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud. In a bizarre twist, Twain found love again with Marie-Anne's ex-husband, Frédéric. The two have been married since 2011.
Serena Williams, Drake, and Common
The feud between Common and Drake all stemmed from his relationship with Serena Williams. After firing off a series of diss tracks, Common finally admitted that all the hostility boiled down to Drake dating his ex-girlfriend. "At that time, I think it was the Drake-Serena situation," he said. "So unfortunately the war might have been over a girl."
Kylie Jenner, Tyga, and Blac Chyna
Tyga and Blac Chyna began dating in 2011, and the pair had a son together before breaking off the engagement in 2014... but rumors of a romance between Kylie Jenner and Tyga also started in 2011 when the artist performed at Kendall Jenner's sweet sixteen. It wasn't until right after Kylie turned 18 that the couple became official. These days, the on-again-off-again couple shares a daughter together.
Biggie Smalls, Faith Evans, and Lil' Kim
In Faith Evans' Keep the Faith: A Memoir, the R&B star claimed that while she was married to the Notorious B.I.G., she walked in on Lil' Kim in their bed, and Biggie subsequently admitted to their lengthy affair. Fortunately, the women managed to make amends. "My issues with Kim really went out the window when B.I.G. passed, to be quite honest," Evans said.
Blac Chyna, Tyga, and Rob Kardashian
The Kardashians clearly know how to keep it in the family. After Tyga got together with Kylie Jenner, Blac Chyna also pursued a Kardashian, albeit one slightly further from the limelight. Chyna was first connected to Rob in 2016 and gave birth to their daughter, Dream, later that year. They split soon afterward and are notoriously on terrible terms.
Ciara, Future, and "The Wardrobe Consultant"
Only three months after giving birth to their son, Ciara and her fiancé, Future, called off their engagement. Ciara had reportedly discovered that the rapper was cheating on her with his stylist Tyrina Lee. Future denied the allegations, saying that the couple just "grew apart" and that he was the one who decided things weren't working. Ciara was devastated by the alleged ongoing affair. "He cheated on her," a source said. "Game over."
Nick Jonas, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez
When Jonas and Demi Lovato joined James Corden for some "Carpool Karaoke," the topic of Jonas's dating life from his Disney days inevitably surfaced. Lovato was quick to spill the beans. "[He dated] Miley and then Selena, and then [he was] back with Miley," she said. Lovato also dated Nick's brother Joe after starring in Camp Rock together.
Nicki Minaj, Safaree Samuels, Meek Mill
In late 2014, Minaj and her longtime boyfriend Safaree split. The following year, Safaree dropped a track dissing her new relationship with Meek Mill. Minaj took to Twitter and made waves by publicly condemning Safaree for cheating on her while the two were together. To add insult to injury, the rapper added, "Just for the record, I'm in love with Meek."
Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale, and "The Nanny"
In a tale as old as time, Gwen Stefani was devastated to learn that her then-husband, Gavin Rossdale, was cheating on her with their children's nanny. Sadly, this wasn't the first time that Rossdale had cheated—after their wedding in 2002, Rossdale learned that he was the biological father of his goddaughter, and Courtney Love later stated that she and Rossdale had an affair. "It was the beginning of hell. My dreams were shattered. All I wanted my whole life was to have babies, be married, like what my parents have," Stefani said.
Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, and "Two Girls in a Hot Tub"
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore were once the most popular couple in Hollywood. However, it came to light in 2011 that Kutcher had cheated on Moore, his then-wife, with two women in a hot tub at the San Diego Hard Rock Hotel. Their eight-year relationship came to a close, and two years later, Kutcher married Mila Kunis. The pair have two children together.
Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, and Niall Horan
Ed Sheeran raised eyebrows when he appeared to accuse an ex-girlfriend, Ellie Goulding, of cheating on him with his best friend in his 2014 hit song 'Don't'. Goulding had been pictured touching Sheeran at the 2013 VMAs... and smooching Niall Horan at the same event. The two briefly dated, and Goulding said that Horan was a "really, really lovely guy."
John Mayer, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry
The "bad blood" between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry has lasted for a number of years. Although Swift has seemingly extended an olive branch to Perry, their long and complicated feud allegedly stems from a spat over backup dancers. However, fans have speculated whether the fact that they both dated Mayer may have added some fuel to the fire. Mayer and Swift were an item in 2009, and Mayer and Perry first got together in 2012. "It was wrong, don't you think nineteen's too young to be played by your dark, twisted games when I loved you so," Swift wrote in her song "Dear John." Yikes.
Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, and Shar Jackson
In 2004, K-Fed left his pregnant fiancée, Moesha star Shar Jackson, to get with Spears. Soon afterward, Spears gave birth to their sons Sean and Jayden. As for Jackson, she became an entrepreneur, releasing a line of cosmetics called RelationLips. The brand's first product? A lip gloss named "He Cheated."
Kristin Cavallari, Stephen Colletti, and Lauren Conrad
One of Laguna Beach's most prominent plotlines was the love triangle between Kirstin Cavallari, Stephen Colletti, and Lauren Conrad. Years later, Cavallari later said that the triangle was real, but that the show made a concerted effort to exacerbate the issue. "I think [MTV] sort of kept it going by having my boyfriend at the time going and hanging out with Lauren, which was hard!" she said. However, Cavallari admitted that the editing was "very heavily involved" and much of the animosity was staged.
Demi Lovato, Wilmer Valderrama, and Minka Kelly
Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama announced their split for good in June 2016 after six years of on-again, off-again dating. However, when Valderrama reunited with Friday Night Lights star Minka Kelly, Lovato posted a cryptic tweet about their ex: "You have to be capable of being honest with yourself before you can get honest with other people." These days, Lovato and Valderrama are on good terms.