10 of the Most Shocking Celebrity Splits of the Decade

From Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, here are the splits that totally surprised us throughout the decade

01 of 10

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren (2010)

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This split is a defining one of the 2010s as it was full of scandal — and only got more and more intense as time went on. In 2010, Woods and Nordegren split up after it was revealed that the golfer had cheated on his wife with over one-dozen women, and the world watched as the pair eventually decided to divorce.

Woods said in a public apology, "I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated. What I did is not acceptable and I am the only person to blame. I stopped living by the core values I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply."

The golfer, who lost endorsement deals and took a break from golf after the scandal, continued, "I never thought about who I was hurting, instead I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries a married couple should live by."

Woods eventually returned to golf, won three titles in 2012 and five in 2013, and regained his No. 1 ranking on the PGA Tour. He also dated Olympian Lindsey Vonn for three years before the pair called it quits in 2015. Nordegren welcomed her first child with boyfriend Jordan Cameron in Oct. 2019. Woods and Nordegren continue to co-parent their two children, Charlie and Sam.

02 of 10

Sandra Bullock and Jesse James (2010)

Jesse James and Sandra Bullock
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Shortly after Bullock thanked her then-husband of five years during her Golden Globes acceptance speech, the pair decided to split after reports surfaced that James had been unfaithful with multiple women over the course of their relationship.

James swiftly checked into a rehab facility in March 2010 as more reports surfaced of women with whom he had been involved, while Bullock filed for divorce on April 23, 2010.

Her heartbreak had a happy ending, though, when Bullock ended up adopting a son, Louis, later that year. James said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time, "Sandy is the love of my life, but considering the pain and devastation I have caused her, it would be selfish to not let her go. "

03 of 10

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony (2011)

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After 10 years of marriage and welcoming twins Max and Emme together, Lopez and Anthony announced that they were going their separate ways in July 2011.

The pair tied the knot in June 2004 in a secret ceremony, having dated just six months before saying, "I do." After their nuptials, the pair toured together and even starred in a film, El Cantante, opposite one another.

The pair said in a statement to PEOPLE at that time, "We have decided to end our marriage. This was a very difficult decision. We have come to an amicable conclusion on all matters. It is a painful time for all involved and we appreciate the respect of our privacy at this time."

The pair are now extremely friendly, collaborating, performing together and co-parenting post-split.

04 of 10

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries (2011)

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Little was more shocking than Kim Kardashian deciding to divorce Kris Humphries after just 72 days of marriage.

The pair got engaged after just seven months of dating and tied the knot in a televised wedding on Aug. 20, 2011.

Kardashian filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences," on Oct. 31, 2011.

While Kardashian sought a divorce, Humphries filed back by asking for an annulment, claiming that Kardashian only married him for publicity and ratings. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star categorically denied his claims.

Kardashian began seeing her now-husband, Kanye West, in 2012 and announced that she was expecting their first child.

Kardashian married West in 2014, and the pair share four children.

05 of 10

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher (2011)

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Moore and Kutcher were married for six years when Moore made the decision to end things in 2011. Rumors of infidelity had begun to swirl, and Moore released the following statement: "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton. As a woman, a mother and a wife, there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life.”

Following the split, Kutcher began dating former That '70s Show costar Mila Kunis, and the pair had their first child together in 2014. Kunis and Kutcher married the following summer and welcomed a second child in November 2016.

Moore opened up about the pair's split in her 2019 memoir, Inside Out, in which she said she "went into contortions to try to fit the mold of the woman he wanted his wife to be."

06 of 10

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin (2014)

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The goop founder and Coldplay frontman were together for more than a decade before they decided to split in 2014. Well, split isn't how the pair would put it: They infamously announced that they would be "consciously uncoupling" rather than outright splitting up.

In a post on Paltrow's goop site, they wrote, "It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate," adding, "We have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate. We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we have ever been."

Maybe "consciously uncoupling" really works, because the pair, who share two children, are still friendly. They even get together with their respective partners, Brad Falchuk and Dakota Johnson, for double dates!

07 of 10

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck (2015)

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In June 2015, one of Hollywood's power couples decided to go their separate ways, announcing that they were divorcing after a decade of marriage.

Affleck and Garner told PEOPLE in a statement, "We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children." The pair are parents to three kids: Violet, 14, Seraphina, 10, and Samuel, 7.

Garner told Vanity Fair, “It was a real marriage. It wasn’t for the cameras. And it was a huge priority for me to stay in it. And that did not work.”

08 of 10

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale (2015)

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Stefani and Rossdale were together for 20 years — and married for 13 — before they announced their split in August 2015.

The couple met in 1995 when their bands, Bush and No Doubt, toured together, and dated for six years before marrying in 2002. Rossdale and Stefani share three sons together: Kingston, 13, Zuma, 11, and Apollo, 5.

“While the two of us have come to the mutual decision that we will no longer be partners in marriage, we remain partners in parenthood and are committed to jointly raising our three sons in a happy and healthy environment,” the pair told PEOPLE in a statement.

Stefani began dating her fellow coach on The Voice, Blake Shelton, after the split. At the time, Shelton was going through a divorce from his now ex-wife, Miranda Lambert. The pair have been going strong ever since.

09 of 10

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (2016)

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Jolie and Pitt split in September 2016 after two years of marriage and more than a decade together.

Jolie was the one to file for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences for their split. They have since been working on a divorce settlement and custody agreement for their six children — Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox.

In a statement to PEOPLE at the time of the split, Pitt said, "I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well being of our kids."

10 of 10

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan (2018)

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After nearly nine years of marriage, Tatum and Dewan confirmed to PEOPLE exclusively in April 2018 that they had "lovingly chosen to separate as a couple.” The pair met in 2006 on the set of Step Up, married in 2009, and welcomed daughter Everly in 2013.

In a joint statement the couple gave to PEOPLE, they explained, “Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now. There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision — just two best-friends realizing it’s time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible.”

Dewan is now expecting a child with Broadway actor Steve Kazee, while Tatum was linked to singer Jessie J before splitting from her in December 2019.

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