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7 Most Infamous Hollywood Divorce Scandals

When couples decide to part ways, there is always some level of drama involved. Divorces, in any case, are tough, often compelling people to react in ways unexpected of them. However, when you pour in millions of dollars and public scrutiny into the picture. And the process of separation becomes even more scandalous. It is, therefore, no surprise that most celebrity divorces are often rife with drama and conflicts. Over and above that, when separations happen because of reasons as bizarre as Scientology and excessive drug abuse, they inevitably grab headlines. In this video, we tell you about the seven most infamous and scandalous Hollywood divorces.

Humphrey Bogart and Mayo Methot

It did not take Humphrey Bogart, a married man, long to fall in love with Lauren Bacall, after meeting her on the sets of To Have and Have Not. Lauren, however, did not like his advances. After all, he was twenty-five years older than him and had the reputation of a drinking man. However, one fine day, Bogart decided to kiss Bacall and her outlook towards him changed — the two exchanged numbers and began conversing through letters. Through these letters, Bogart expressed his love in abundance, often telling Bacall that she was the love of his life.

The news of their affair soon reached Bacall’s mother, who felt outraged by the scandal, and Bogart’s wife, Mayo Methot, who immediately filed for divorce. Humphrey Bogart and Mayo Methot’s marriage, anyway, marred by arguments and disagreements. And everyone in Hollywood knew that the couple regularly indulged in physical altercations. In fact, Mayo had once even stabbed Bogart in the shoulder. Many believe it was actually Bogart who filed for divorce first. In any case, Bogart and Bacall married in 1945. Unfortunately, the age difference between the two made their marriage difficult. And with Bogart eventually falling in love with Verita Peterson, his hairdresser, and Bacall finding solace in the company of Frank Sinatra. Though theirs was an open marriage, it was a marriage that lasted nonetheless until Bogart died of esophageal cancer in 1957. In this video, we tell you about the seven most infamous and scandalous Hollywood divorces.

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman

When actor Paul Newman met actress Joanne Woodward in 1953. And he impressed by her intelligence and beauty and made advances towards her, even though he’s married man with three children. Woodward was aware of his marriage and did not pay any heed to him for the first few years. However, while filming The Long, Hot Summer in 1957, the two came close, and Newman began to drown his love and guilt in alcohol. He eventually confessed his love for Woodward to his wife Jackie. And who begged him to stay in the marriage for the sake of their three children.

The marriage survived a few bumpy months before Jackie came to know that Woodward was pregnant with Newman’s child and therefore, agreed to divorce the actor. Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman married in 1958. They often called Hollywood’s golden couple as their marriage lasted over 50 years. And which is rather rare in the entertainment industry.

The world’s biggest and most enduring sex symbol Marilyn Monroe married the hit baseball star Joe DiMaggio in a quiet ceremony in 1954. Nine months later, Monroe filed for divorce. Reason? Monroe found DiMaggio controlling and possessive beyond acceptable. He loved his wife but wanted to change the way she portrayed herself on screen. This, however, was unacceptable to Monroe. What followed were years of harassment from DiMaggio’s side — he would bug Monroe’s phone. And then randomly show up on her doors to see if she was in the company of another man. His obsession eventually faded after Monroe married Arthur Miller in 1956 and Monroe enjoyed love and peace for the next five years.

Unfortunately, Monroe and Arthur divorced in 1956, and with their divorce, DiMaggio made a comeback into Monroe’s life. This was the time when Monroe’s closeness with John F. Kennedy was making headlines everywhere and she was drowning herself in alcohol and drugs. It is believed that DiMaggio tried his best to revive Monroe by putting her in touch with her old friends. And pulling her away from the lethal Kennedy connections in her life. Unfortunately, Marilyn Monroe died of a drug overdose on August 5, 1962. DiMaggio not only identified her remains but also arranged her funeral.

Monroe had once told DiMaggio that she hopes someone would deliver fresh flowers to her grave each week. DiMaggio sent flowers twice every week until he died in 1999. His last words were: I will finally get to see Marilyn. If that is not true love, what is! In this video, we tell you about the seven most infamous and scandalous Hollywood divorces.

Celebrities divorces always dominate the headlines and in Hollywood, high-profile divorces are not that rare. Are you enjoying this video on the most infamous Hollywood divorces? Wait till we tell you why Tom Cruise divorced Nicole Kidman. We bet you will surprised. Meanwhile, if you like our content, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel.

Cher and Sonny

Cher was only 16 years old when she met Salvator Bono, who was 28 years old at the time and worked as an assistant to Phil Spector, the famous American musician and record producer. The two not only became romantically entangled but also formed a rock duo band called Sonny & Cher and tasted success with the 1965-hit I Got You Babe. However, as their fame grew, the closeness between them faded.

In 1974, after staying together for 11 years, Cher filed for divorce. Things got pretty ugly pretty soon. And while she accused him of withholding her money, he dragged her to court over the custody of Chastity, the couple’s only daughter. News related to their ugly divorce was in newspapers each day. While the divorce still being finalized, Cher entered into a relationship with David Geffen, a record executive. David helped Cher get out of a contract that required the singer to work only for Sonny’s company. Cher and Sonny’s divorce finalized in 1975 and Cher married Gregg Allman three days after her divorce. Funnily, she divorced Allman nine days after eloping with him because of his heroin and liquor problem. Sonny died in 1997 in a skiing accident.

In a 2000 interview with Vanity Fair, Cher confessed that though Sonny was a terrible husband, he was a great teacher and mentor. In this video, we tell you about the seven most infamous and scandalous Hollywood divorces.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

Liz Taylor was as famous for her scandalous love life as she was for her violet eyes and love for expensive jewellery. Her numerous love affairs and eight marriages regularly served as fodder for newspapers, magazines, and the general public. However, the marriage that drew the most attention and even the Vatican’s disapproval was her marriage to Richard Burton.

Elizabeth Taylor met Richard Burton on the sets of Cleopatra. At the time, both Liz and Richard married. Taylor was married to Eddie Fisher, who, according to the world, Liz had stolen from his ex-wife Debbie Reynolds. And Richard was married to his first wife, actress Sybill Willaims. However, their commitment to other people did not come in the way of their massive attraction for each other. It is believed that on the sets of Cleopatra, director Joseph Mankiewicz had to once say ‘cut’ several times because the two actors wouldn’t stop intimate after a kissing scene.

It did not take long for Liz and Richard to legally separate from their partners and announce their relationship to the world. They wed in 1964 — their marriage heavily criticized by all quarters of the media. Though the two married for a solid 10 years, stories of alcoholism and verbal abuse ruining the marriage often hit headlines. The two eventually split in 1974. Burton married actress Suzy Hunt three weeks after the divorce and Taylor met John Warner. Liz and Taylor married once again in 1975. But this time their marriage lasted only a few months, and the two separated in 1976.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman (Katie Holmes)

Tom Cruise is most certainly one of the most famous Scientologists in the world. However, some would say that his beliefs have caused him much trouble and have dented his personal life. Tom Cruise has married and divorced thrice and each of his divorces became the talk of the town for one reason or another.

Tom Cruise married Nicole Kidman in 1990 and divorced her in 2001. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Nicole revealed that the divorce was a shock to her and something that left her completely damaged. So, what caused the two to part ways? While Nicole and Tom have refused to divulge any information on the topic, according to the HBO documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief?, the current leader of the Church of Scientology, David Miscavige compelled Tom Cruise to divorce Nicole Kidman.

Apparently, David was not okay with the fact that Nicole’s father is a psychologist. More importantly, he was aware of the fact that Nicole was trying to distance Tom from the church and therefore, wanted to get her out of the way. What’s more surprising is that according to a former Scientologist Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s two children do not talk to their mother.

Tom Cruise then married Katie Holmes in 2006. At the time, the actress was pregnant with their daughter Suri Cruise. They wed in Italy in a beautiful ceremony attended by the elites of Hollywood. Five years later, Katie filed for divorce. However, fearing intimidation tactics from the Church as well as Tom, she went into hiding as soon as the news of the divorce hit the tabloids. Thankfully, Katie Holmes eventually granted full custody of Suri Cruise. How? Well, Katie’s father is a lawyer and he was smart enough to make his daughter sign a prenup, which made divorce easier for the actress.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard

Amber Heard met Johnny Depp in 2009, on the sets of The Rum Diary. Johnny was married to Vanessa Paradis at the time. However, The Pirates of the Caribbean actor separated from his long-time partner in 2012 and entered into a relationship with Depp. In 2014, Johnny proposed to Amber and the two got married in a private ceremony at their home in Los Angeles in 2015.

Only fifteen months after their marriage, Amber Heard filed for divorce. According to her, Johnny had been physically and verbally abusive towards her throughout their marriage. Amber asked for $50,000 per month in alimony. However, the two agreed on a one-time settlement amount of $7 million and Amber donated the entire amount to a charity. The divorce was finalized in 2017.

In 2018, after Amber wrote an article about domestic abuse, which did not make any mention of Johnny Depp, in Washington Post, Johnny Depp slapped her with a $50 million defamation case. In 2020, Daily Mail released phone recordings in which Amber is heard saying that she hit Johnny. The case is still in court. Meanwhile, Johnny’s ex-wife Vaness Paradis and former partner Winona Ryder have both gone on record to say that Johnny was never an abusive partner to them and that he treated them with love and respect.

Did you enjoy this video on Hollywood’s most scandalous divorces? Why do you think celebrity marriages fail so often? Is there a celebrity couple you invested your time in that eventually parted ways, leaving your disappointed? Please share your views in the comments section — we love hearing from you guys. Also, before you move to the next Facts Verse video, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon to stay updated on all our latest videos.

Written by Alex Carson

Alex Carson is a seasoned writer and cultural historian with a passion for the vibrant and transformative decades of the 1960s and 1970s. With a background in journalism and a deep love for music, film, and politics, Alex brings a unique perspective to the ever-evolving landscape of entertainment.

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