Very few people who have been through a divorce would call the process “easy,” but when it comes to celebrity divorces, there are even more complicating factors that can draw out proceedings way longer than you’d hope. Not only do celebrity couples have to spend considerable time dividing up their respective fortunes, but they also have to contend with the media watching their every move throughout the separation process, and — in recent years — potentially even sitting in on divorce hearings via live stream.
So, perhaps it shouldn’t have been as shocking as it was in Dec 2021 when the news broke that Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger had just finally finalized their divorce, 10 years after initially filing. But even with all the hurdles Hollywood stars face, we still find ourselves shocked at just how long some of their divorces have taken over the years.
If you’re lucky, a divorce could be wrapped up in as quickly as a few months — but in the cases of these celebrity couples, that timeline dragged on much, much longer. From Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan to certain Kardashians, there have been a few divorces over the years that have seemed like they would never end.
Check out some of the longest celebrity divorces ever below.
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie (8 years)
Image Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were one of the most loved and reported-on couples for years. Their marriage in 2014 rocked the world and they shocked the world again when they filed for divorce in 2016. On Dec. 20, 2024, they officially signed their settlement papers.
“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt. She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family,” Jolie’s lawyer James Simon told People. “This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”
Channing Tatum & Jenna Dewan (6 years)
Image Credit: Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images Almost exactly six years after Jenna Dewan filed for divorce from Channing Tatum, the former couple’s divorce was finalized in September 2024.
Tatum and Dewan, who clashed over the rights to the Magic Mike franchise in their divorce proceedings, were married from 2009 to 2018, per Daily Mail. According to the documents, the former couple mutually agreed to waive spousal support from one another and agreed to work out any future disagreements privately with a judge.
Before the settlement, Tatum and Dewan were set to go to trial in December. With the settlement, the trial was called off. We’re sure both of them are happy to finally close that chapter.
Jason Momoa & Lisa Bonet (4 years)
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet surprised the world when they announced their separation in 2022 and while they seem to have split amicably and didn’t battle it out in court, their divorce was only finalized in 2024. However, Bonet actually didn’t file it until that very week. The couple listed their date of separation as October 2020 so that means it was 4 years before their breakup was official on paper.
Olivier Martinez & Halle Berry (7 Years)
Image Credit: Vincent Sandoval/WireImage via Getty Images Despite being married for only two years before their split in 2015, Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez’s divorce took a total of seven years to finalize. According to TMZ, the former couple reached an agreement regarding child support and custody in August 2023.
Per Us Weekly, both will share legal and physical custody of their son, Maceo, while Berry was ordered to pay Martinez $8,000 per month in child support, as well as an additional 4.3 percent of any income she receives over $2 million. The actress will also cover all funds pertaining to Maceo’s school tuition, extracurricular activities, health insurance and additional expenses.
Joe Don Rooney & Tiffany Fallon (2 years)
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic via Getty Images Almost three years after Rascal Flatts star Joe Don Rooney filed for divorce from Tiffany Fallon in January 2021, they settled their dispute in September 2023. The two, who cited “irreconcilable differences” in the original filing and later Rooney accused Fallon of cheating on him with her personal trainer and Fallon went after him for “habitual alcoholism and drug use.”
Kris Humphries & Kim Kardashian (2 years)
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage via Getty Images Even though their marriage only lasted an iconic 72 days, Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries’s divorce settlement lasted much longer. In fact, Kardashian applied for an annulment given their short marriage shortly after their split but it was only finalized in April 2013, when she was already dating Kanye West and pregnant with their first baby together.
Jesse Williams & Aryn Drake-Lee (3 years)
Image Credit: Nicholas Hunt/PatrickMcMullan.com/Sipa USA via Getty Images Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams and Aryn Drake-Lee tied the knot in 2012, filed for divorce in 2017, and then finalized their divorce in 2020.
Bethenny Frankel & Jason Hoppy (8 years)
Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images The Real Housewives of New York City alum Bethenny Frankel and pharmaceutical sales executive Jason Hoppy married back in 2010. They separated in 2012, filed for divorce in 2013, and didn’t have their divorce finalized until eight years later in Jan. 2021.
Khloé Kardashian & Lamar Odom (3 years)
Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3 Khloé Kardashian and Lamar Odom married in 2009 and filed for in 2013. However, their divorce wasn’t finalized until three years later in 2016.
Chris Martin & Gwyneth Paltrow (2 years)
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBC via Getty Images Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow’s “concious uncoupling” was announced in 2014 but the couple had already been secretly separated for a year. Their divorce proceedings remained amicable but still took two years to finalize.
Richard Gere & Carey Lowell (3 years)
Image Credit: Jim Spellman/WireImage via Getty Images Actors Richard Gere and Carey Lowell married in late 2002 and spent nearly 11 years together before filing for divorce in 2013. Their divorce was finalized three years later in 2016.
Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony (2 years)
Image Credit: John Parra/FilmMagic via Getty Images Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony married in 2004 and gave birth to their twins four years later. They separated in 2011, with Anthony filing for divorce a year later. It wasn’t finalized until 2014.
Amy Poehler & Will Arnett (2 years)
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic via Getty Images Amy Poehler and Will Arnett married in 2003 and worked on a slew of projects together. They separated in 2012 and filed for divorce in 2014 but it wasn’t finalized until 2016.
Arnold Schwarzenegger & Maria Shriver (10 years)
Image Credit: Jim Spellman/WireImage via Getty Images Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver tied the knot in April 1986 but separated after 25 years together in 2011 amid reports of Schwarzenegger’s infidelity. Their divorce was finalized 10 years later in Dec 2021.
Morgan Freeman & Myrna Colley-Lee (2 years)
Image Credit: Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic via Getty Images Morgan Freeman and Myrna Colley-Lee married back in 1984 and separated after over 20 years together, filing for divorce in 2008. Their divorce was finalized in late 2010.
Josh Duhamel & Fergie (3 years)
Image Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images Josh Duhamel and Fergie were married for 8 years and had welcomed one son together when they separated in 2017. They officially filed for divorce a year later and it wasn’t finalized until another two years after that.
Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon (2 years)
Image Credit: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage via Getty Images Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon married in 2008, quickly becoming an “It” couple. They separated and filed for divorce in 2014, and their divorce was finalized in 2016.
Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner (3 years)
Image Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images Once Hollywood’s favorite couple, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced their split in June 2015 after 10 years of marriage. The couple then only finalized their divorce in October 2018, more than three years later.
