Celebrities struggle with keeping their relationship private, however, when it comes to a celebrity divorce the media cannot help themselves from wanting to know all the intricate details about it. But why is that some celebrities get more attention than others? How can celebrities stay away from the media being involved in their divorce? It’s a very complicated answer, however, listed are a couple of suggestions.
- Not being Involved in a Messy Divorce
While not being involved in a “messy” divorce, is the simplest but also the hardest things to do, it can also be the main indicator of whether a celebrity divorce will be a media frenzy.
Arguably, one of the most famous splits is Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Jennifer Aniston filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in 2005, however, close to twenty years later there still seems to be some type of headlines regarding their divorce. The reason why the media is still so interested in the couple is because of the relationship that Brad Pitt had with co-star Angelina Jolie. Rumors were all over the tabloids that Brad Pitt, cheated on America’s sweetheart, Jennifer Anniston, with Angelina Jolie. While this rumor has been denied repeatedly by Angelina and Brad it was all the media debated. The rumors did not help when Brad and Angelina Jolie welcomed their first child together, only a year after Brad and Jennifer called it quits.
This could contrast with celebrity couples like Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello and Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Jackson, which both couples ending their relationship amicably, and with hardly any media attention on them.
Obviously, no one wants to be involved in a highly problematic ending to their relationship, but if a celebrity can abstain from it, their divorce is almost guaranteed to not have so much media attention on it.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
Couples (not just celebrities) can go through Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) to resolve the issues in their divorce instead of going through the family court system. In a formal divorce hearing Parties bring all issues in front of the Judge, and the Judge then decides on the matter. However, Parties can go through a mediation process, which is one of the forms of ADR, and work with a third party neutral to attempt to resolve all issues in their divorce.
Many celebrities including Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner used mediation to resolve their divorce disputes. Affleck and Garner filed for divorce in April of 2017. They made the decision to go mediation in hopes of ending their marriage as amicably as possible. The beneficial part about going to mediation instead of using the formal court system is that disputes are all hidden from the public. So, even if the media wanted to know about the issues with divorce, they would not be able to gain access to that information.
- Sealing Divorce Records
California divorce proceedings are public information, this means the media can gain access to the records that are filed with the Court. However, California does allow for a petition to the Court to seal certain documents if the Petitioner can demonstrate that their right to privacy outweighs the public interest in those records.
While it is rare for the Judge to grant this petition, in 2015 Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert were successful in sealing their divorce records from the public.
This does not prevent the public from wanting to know more information about divorce, but it can help by withholding the media’s access to the divorce records.
- Comprehensive Prenup
Brittany Spears and ex-husband, Sam Asghari’s, tied the knot on June 9, 2022, in a Los Angeles ceremony, and less than a year after the couple’s divorce was finalized. The couple signed an “iron-clad” prenuptial agreement, and it was able to firmly describe in detail the protection of Brittany Spears’s assets. Because of the comprehensive and precisely defined prenup there were no disputes between the couple, and as such there was hardly any media attention on the couple getting a divorce.
Same goes for Ariana Grande and ex-husband Dalton Gomez, also parted ways in 2023, and there was not much media attention around them, which is rare given the fact that Ariana Grande is one of the biggest popstars of our time. The couple also signed a comprehensive prenuptial agreement, that protected Ariana Grande’s assets, but also stated in detail what Gomez would be entitled to if the couple was to get a divorce.
Overall, it’s hard for the public and the media not to engage or want to know more about a celebrity divorce, however, these suggestion could help with deterring the media from engaging with divorce.