Yesterday, we covered Russell Brand’s refusal to take any of estranged wife Katy Perry’s millions during their current divorce proceedings. Most of you agreed that it was a smart move on Russell’s part regardless of his motivations, and I’m sure that he is looking quite forward to getting on with life without constant reminders of his wife’s cocaine lifestyle. Even though Russell just filed for divorce about six weeks ago, it seems like he and Katy have already been apart longer than they’ve been together. Of course, that has a lot to do with the fact that rumors of the relationship’s demise have been swirling since almost the beginning of their 14-month marriage. They were such a poor match from the very beginning.
Now Russell and Katy have finalized their divorce settlement and all property has been divided accordingly. Thank goodness there were no kids involved although the couple did adopt one cat together, so who knows what direction the poor feline will be headed. Naturally, Katy had to be all showy and “quirky” while signing the papers:
There’s no going back at this point.
Katy Perry, 27, and Russell Brand, 36, have reached a settlement in their divorce, Us Weekly can confirm. British movie star Brand filed for divorce on December 30 citing “irreconcilable differences.”
In court documents filed Tuesday and obtained by Radar Online, Perry and Brand said they “have entered into a comprehensive written settlement of all issues, including, without limitation, with respect to the property to be confirmed or assigned to each party.”
Brand will not be receiving spousal support from Perry, despite not having a pre0nuptial agreement. The “Firework” singer is worth an estimated $70 million, while Brand is valued at $20 million.
The former couple owned four properties in California, New York and London, totaling $15 million. The exes also have three cats: Her Kitty Purry, his Morrissey and, Perry once told Us, “together we got Krusty!”
Perry signed the court documents with a happy face next to her name — a sure sign that she’s ready to put her 14-month marriage behind her.
Indeed, Katy did sign the divorce papers (which you can see at The Mail) with a heart and happy face combo. Of course, that’s her standard autograph these days (and can be observed on many signed items currently on sale at eBay), but I’m sure Katy knew that the cute little smiley would be seen the world round once the papers were released. It’s probably her way of trying to show the world that she doesn’t care about getting divorced. Whatever, Katy.
At any rate, it looks like this (semi-)long nightmare of a marriage is finally over except for the requisite waiting period. Katy and Russell will be officially divorced on June 30. In the meantime, they can both resume their previous lives. He’ll be wearing increasingly ridiculous scarves, and she’ll get back to “partying” even though she never really stopped.
I was just listening to Courteney Cox’s call-in interview with Howard Stern and I was struck by how well Courteney and her ex, David Arquette, are handling their split and co-parenting. My impression may be based on a carefully cultivated image they’re putting out there with help from Stern, but I do believe that they still care about each other and are going about this in a healthy, rational way. I just wrote about Halle Berry’s acrimonious custody battle. It’s like Halle (and her ex, Gabriel Aubry,) can’t let go of the anger and they’re only hurting their daughter. Courteney and David Arquette know what matters and they’re working to make sure they put their child first. Part of that may involve Courteney making sure she’s completely ready before she starts dating adgain. We’ve heard that David has a new girlfriend, and he’s been a little too candid about hooking up with randoms when Courteney first pulled the plug on their marriage. Courteney insists that she’s been celibate since David, though, and that she hasn’t even been on a date. I guess all those rumors about her hooking up with co-stars were false, or she’s good at lying about it. Here’s more:
Courteney Cox and David Arquette have continued to support each other since their separation in October 2010. Last month, the former couple stepped out for a celebratory dinner marking Arquette’s year of sobriety. And when Arquette competed on “Dancing With the Stars” this past fall, Cox and daughter Coco cheered him on from the front row.
When Cox was a guest on Howard Stern’s Sirius XM radio show Wednesday, she revealed that Arquette has been encouraging her to embrace single life: “He says to me, ‘Courteney, it’s time. Get out there.’ He wants me to date now. He wants me to start my life, and he’s comfortable with whoever that would be [with].”
But the 47-year-old “Cougar Town” actress admits she’s not ready to re-enter the dating game, and has been celibate since her marriage ended. “I have not had a man since David … No guy has asked me out,” she claims.
However, she assures Stern that she’ll be seeking romance again soon: “Right now, I’m not quite ready to date. I’m getting closer … as things become more final in my life with David.” – Huffington Post
Based on this interview with Cox, and prior chats with Arquette, Stern attributes the couple’s breakdown to sex issues, but Cox divulged that it was more than their bedroom problems that caused their breakup.
“The truth of the matter is that we love each other so much. We have such affection for each other, but we are very different,” she asserted. “I’m a homebody. I like to have people over, but I’m a little socially… not… I don’t love it. David, he doesn’t drink anymore, he’s completely sober, but he likes to go out and dance. He really is a very gregarious guy. He’s very outgoing. I’m much more of an introvert.”
While Cox isn’t dating, Arquette has a new girlfriend. The former “Friends” star admitted that it was hard to meet her.
Cox insisted that she and Arquette are getting along and co-parenting daughter Coco very well. – ExtraTV
I like these two. I really warmed to David after seeing him on Oprah with his sisters and hearing about his horrible childhood. He’s been committed to sobriety and it shows. Courteney could have been more upfront with denials at the time the cheating rumors were out, but I actually believe her. I do think she at least had some kind of “emotional affair” with her co-star, Brian Von Holt, around the time of her split. She confided in a single dude about her marriage when she should have been telling a friend or therapist. That can surely eat away at a marriage and lead to serious trust issues.
It doesn’t seem like we’ve ever been privvy to the details of a Hollywood couples’ split like this, and they two are acting like they have nothing to hide. It’s smart and they’re keeping the tabs at bay. Why speculate when they seem to be laying it all out?
Here’s Courtney at a screening of “Cougar Town” on 2-8-12. David is shown with his girlfriend, ET’s Christina McLarty, on 1-27-12. Credit: WENN.com
Finally, here are some photos of Katy Perry at that DirectTV party where she sang about wanting to rip off Tim Tebow’s pants and check out his “Peacock.” Then after the Super Bowl, Katy reportedly partied until 3 a.m. at the Giants bash. She’s always “partying.” I can’t really even identify with that word since these days, and I haven’t done so since my early 20s. It’s a strange word, for I remember shouting the words to Beastie Boys “Fight For Your Right” as a tween while my (mildly overprotective) dad grew worried. He said something along the lines of “Do you know what ‘partying’ even means? It means having sexual relations with complete strangers.” Yeah, I stopped singing the song aloud after that little discussion.
Anyway, Katy’s been partying her ass off and leaving the finer (or possibly all of the) details of her divorce to estranged husband Russell Brand and his attorneys. While she certainly can’t be enjoying the dissolution of her marriage, it looks like she’s got nothing to worry about in the financial department. Russell doesn’t want a scrap of Katy’s money even though he’s entitled to plenty of it under California law:
Russell Brand is entitled to approximately $20 million of Katy Perry’s fortune … but TMZ has learned he will not take a single penny of it.
Russell’s lawyer filed final divorce papers Tuesday … although the judge will make the divorce official on June 30, because there’s a 6 month waiting period.
Informed sources tell TMZ … Russell and Katy did NOT have a prenup. As a result, everything they earned during their 14-month marriage is community property — which means they’re each entitled to 50% of the pot.
Katy made $44 million between May, 2010 and May, 2011 — according to Forbes. The couple Married in October, 2010, so Russell could have scored a fortune if he exercised his community property rights.
But here’s the deal. As one source put it, “This divorce is as amicable as it gets, and Russell was a mensch (Yiddish for a good person).” He doesn’t want Katy’s money. He’s happy to walk away with the money he earned — which is far less than what Katy raked in.
This is a smart move on Russell’s part, and I imagine that Russell did so for reasons that are threefold: (1) He has enough money of his own; (2) He just wants out of the marriage and won’t stick around arguing for a moment longer than necessary; (3) He’s thinking about his image. And even if his career hits the skids and he runs out of money, there’s always money to be made by selling out his marriage secrets in Booky Wook 3, right?
Meanwhile, Russell’s been stalking the streets of Los Angeles alone. While various insiders claim that he’s shagging other chicks and wants to get with Zooey Deschanel, he’s putting forth the appearance of getting back to work. For all the public knows, his only downtime consists of playing a few games of pool with the guys. Oh, and wearing more scarves.
Jennifer Garner is by outside appearances happily married to her husband of nearly seven years, Ben Affleck. She’s also very pregnant with her third child and is reportedly due in just a few short weeks. This is her second marriage, as she was married to Actor Scott Foley from 2000 to 2003. In a new interview with The Sun, Garner says that she found divorce “crushing” and suggests that she married too young. Outletsare focusing on her comments about divorce and marriage, but she does go into detail about her upbringing and how she got her start in acting, which you can read at the source.
Everyone reaches maturity at different times. I wish I’d known to wait for marriage until I was 30 or over.
I did marry in my twenties (to actor Scott Foley, whom she divorced eight years ago) and I found divorce a crushing experience.
I thought the divorce statistics would never apply to me. I was beyond heartbroken when they did. But I got up and got on with it. I also kept my belief in marriage.
I did not have a fairytale vision of the future but still believed I would find someone to commit to and raise kids with.
Ben is not only my husband, he has helped me in every way. He is the base of my life.
He is an incredibly loving and generous man. I expected he would be a great dad and he is. But what really surprised me was how, when something goes wrong, he is so much calmer than I am.
The great thing about growing older is that you do become more confident. If I have to dress up for something, I wear something true to myself, otherwise it feels like a costume. So my policy is to wear a dressed-up version of something I would normally wear.
I don’t dread it any more. It is a reality of the job. I always try to keep it simple. I love being the age that I am and am looking forward to being 40.
I have figured so much more out about life and feel the older women get, the more beautiful they get. We become ourselves — which is something you can’t teach anyone at 18.”
There’s been a lot of gossip that Garner isn’t exactly the faithful type. We’ve heard that she cheated on Foley with actor Michael Vartan from Alias, whom she hooked up with in 2003 either before or after her divorce. Then there were rumors that she was unfaithful to Vartan with Affleck, as she started dating Affleck in 2004 seemingly right around the time she split with Vartan. Whatever went on, at the least she was relationship hopping. She seems like the type of woman who feels that they need to be in a relationship all the time. She has that in common with Ben’s ex, Jennifer Lopez.
It is nice to hear Jennifer gush about Ben. They speak about each other sparingly but when they do you can tell that they have a lot of respect and love for each other. You do get the sense that they’ve weathered storms together like so many other couples, but that they’re in a good place now. Maybe she’s also telling us, in a roundabout way, that divorce is not an option for her again.
Here’s Garner out yesterday with her daughter Violet, 7. That girl is so adorable! She’s also shown the day before with daughter Seraphina, 3, equally adorable and sassy. Photo of her with Ben is from 1-9-12. Credit: Pablo/FameFlynet Pictures
Heidi Klum took the cover of two weeklies with the news of her sad split from her husband, Seal. We’ve already seen advance details from her People cover. Heidi is also on somewhat celebrity-friendly US Weekly with the ominous title “Heidi’s Private Hell.” The inside story does place some of the blame on Seal, but it’s not as scandalous as you might assume and just tells a very similar story as People about how they drifted apart and how Seal’s temper played a role. It’s very expertly written in that it makes you feel like you know them and have the inside story, but there’s nothing particularly damaging in it toward Seal. Heidi is playing the sympathy card, but she’s taking the high road, which seems to be the best decision for her kids. They’re going to look this up someday. This also bodes well for any custody agreement Heidi and Seal might reach. They both love their kids and I don’t think we’re going to see much fighting over custody rights. Here’s some of US’ report:
Inset: “They were so in love! But a lot happened behind the scenes. He’s a very tough guy in a lot of ways.”
Heidi Klum sat across from her husband, Seal, the day after Christmas, lunching with their foud children at the Buttermilk ski area, where the couple had rented a house for the holidays. “They didn’t speak to each other the entire time – for at least 45 minutes,” says a fellow guest. “You could tell there was a lot of tension between them.”
Perhaps there was nothing left to say. For all of their public displays of intense affect… the couple were privately grappling with marriage-breaking issues. Among them: Seal’s mood swings and his jealously about Klum’s skyrocketing career. “They had a rough road lately,” says a source close to the pair. They were so in love that they wanted to get married over and over again, but there were dark moments they didn’t want to expose to the public…”
While Klum, 38, and her 48-year-old husband were in Aspen for the holidays, all of their issues came to a head. “Aspen didn’t go well,” says another confidant. “They fought a lot it was a very hard trip.”
Friends say the fighting was part of daily life for the pair…
They fought a lot
Klum has admitted to having “ups and downs with Seal,” says another Klum source. “They were the kind of couple who could have a huge fight over an order at Nobu.” Adds another, “They just have a very tempestuous love. They’re either madly in love or having crazy fights…”
They’re so different
At the root of the blowups: the fact that they are two fundamentally different people. “She’s an upbeat, happy person,” says one friend. “He comes from a very troubled, sad background. It’s what makes him a very difficult person to be married to.” The London-bred singer was initially raised by a foster family, and a battle with discoid lupus left his facial scars. “He’s had a sad life,” says the confidant, adding that he grew up to become “volatile and moody.”
Seal is controlling and jealous
At times, his temper flared, according to sources. “He is not a nice person,” says one source, who claims that Seal “would often talk down to Heidi in public. He spoke to her at business functions like she was the help. It was so degrading.” When Seal felt she was holding court at a Victoria’s Secret show, says the source, he became incensed at the attention. “He was yelling at her for doing press and saying that she needed to calm down and why does she need to be in the spotlight all the time?” And as demands on her time increased, he seemed to want to make all the choices for her…
When he turned his focus onto his own career and began to tour heavily, Klum was left to watch the children – Leni, 7, Henri, 6, Johan, 5, and Lous, 2 – all alone in the months leading up to the blowouts in Aspen. [Ed note: 3 nannies isn't exactly "all alone."] “He’d been away for months and months on tour.”
Says a source close to Seal. “He tours, too, but most of the time he was home with his family while she worked.
“It’s hard to make a marriage work when one parent is with the kids most of the time. They always took turns and it led to separate lives…”
For now, as they decide whether to officially file for divorce, both Seal and Klum are taking the high road in public.
[From US Weekly, print edition, February 6, 2012]
I didn’t know all that about how Seal had such a rough upbring. Their split makes a lot more sense to me, and maybe things got incredibly bad before Heidi announced their separation. It’s unclear whether she’s going to go through with a divorce at this point.
Seal is still doing publicity for his new album, and he’s still speaking glowingly of Heidi and their kids and the life they have together. It really seems like he wants her back, but it could just be a clever PR move and it’s hard to tell. As we heard yesterday Seal is still wearing his wedding ring. I would love to see if Heidi is still wearing hers, but I haven’t spotted any paparazzi photos of her since the Golden Globes, where she was wearing her ring. (Update: She’s still wearing it! Thanks biteme.) On an appearance on Piers Morgan, Seal again explained why he’s kept the ring on and he gushed about Heidi and their kids.
Following his split from the Project Runway host, Seal has been relatively candid about discussing the break-up, but could reconciliation be on the horizon for the soul singer and Klum?
“Never say never,” Seal said, in a sit down with Piers Morgan that airs Friday.
“Obviously I can’t speak for my wife and I’m not gonna sit here and B.S. you and tell you we haven’t had problems,” the Grammy-winning artist said. “Of course we’ve had problems. Otherwise, why are we splitting up? This is not a charade. We have problems. We have issues. But, in our favor, I think that to our credit, we have always been able to talk about it. We have always been able to confront each other.”
When asked if he would like to get back together with Klum, Seal said, “I don’t know at this point, to be honest. If it were that easy, if there weren’t problems, we would still be together. That is the reality.”
So, what’s up with Seal still wearing his wedding ring in spite of the couple’s blatant separation?
“I still wear my wedding ring, because I’m still married to this incredible woman,” Seal said. “And you don’t all of a sudden one day to the next—unless you’re those type of people—just say I hate you and take off your wedding ring. What this means to me and what it stands for, it stands for respect. It stands for loyalty, it stands for incredible memories and it stands for these four little miracles and Heidi making five that have come into my life over the past eight years.”
And if you’re surprised that Seal referred to Heidi as a “miracle,” don’t be.
The “Kiss From a Rose” crooner has made it no secret that he still loves his wife, and further expressed that on Piers Morgan Tonight, telling the late-night host, “My love for her has not waned one iota. I love her with all my heart. How can you not love somebody that you have just spent eight years with?”
Sweet. The guy did after all sing “Let’s Stay Together” on Ellen Tuesday, right?
That’s really sweet and tugs at my heart strings a little. Heidi has reportedly hired a divorce attorney, but she hasn’t filed for divorce yet. I kind of hope she sits on it for a while and just takes a wait and see approach. Maybe things are much worse for these two than we can imagine though. There’s no way of knowing what goes on even inside your best friends’ relationships.
Heidi and Seal are shown on 2-13-11 and 12-26-10. Credit: WENN.com
Heidi Klum and Seal’s split takes the cover of People this week, and from the advance details on People’s site we can assume this is the official story from their camp as to what preceded their separation. I think they’re leaving out key details, as I’ve mentioned in past coverage. People mentions their Aspen trip this holiday as a stressful one for Heidi and Seal, which we’ve heard before, and they also try to explain why Heidi and Seal were so demonstrative – they were covering up the problems in their relationship. I sort-of buy that, but it doesn’t all add up for me.
As Seal opens up about his split from Heidi Klum and details about their fight-filled trip to Aspen emerge, friends of the couple reveal that the couple took great pains to hide the cracks in what seemed to be a storybook romance.
“They were just really great at keeping it private and putting on that ‘perfect couple’ front that everyone expected,” says a Klum pal. But “it’s actually been about six months that they’ve been working through some issues.”
“It was a crazy love affair with highs and lows,” says a source close to the couple, known for their over-the-top romantic gestures and lavish anniversary parties. “Most people can’t sustain the highs when they’re that extreme.”
But even though they’ve decided to part ways, says one source close to Seal, “I believe they were madly in love.”
Heidi Klum and Seal’s trip to Aspen over the holidays was supposed to be about fun, family and skiing. But, sources tell PEOPLE, the Colorado resort town turned into the place where the now-separated couple realized their marriage was over.
“Aspen didn’t go as well as planned … there were more lows than highs,” one source says. “Aspen was the final straw.”
The couple, who were often apart due to work commitments, had hoped for quality time in the mountains.
“When they came together for Christmas as a family, things had changed and they fought a lot,” another source says. “Their Aspen trip was a bit of a mess. Instead of enjoying being back together as a family, it was difficult for them to get along.”
While on vacation, Klum hit a point where she was “done with the arguing,” the second source says. “She doesn’t want to fight anymore and thinks it’s better to separate before their arguing starts to affect their kids.”
Despite what was going on behind closed doors, people who are used to seeing Klum, 38, and Seal, 48, in the celeb-friendly ski town didn’t necessarily notice signs of trouble.
“They seemed very happy together,” one photographer tells PEOPLE of the pair, who are now grieving their relationship. “They couldn’t stop kissing and cuddling. They spent a lot of time with their kids, but also managed to sneak in several solo ski runs together. If they were having problems, they were definitely not showing during the day.”
Another source, who described the vacationing couple as “playful,” says they were “talking and seemingly very much in love.”
These are all very vague reasons and sound like things that all couples go through. What surprises me about these stories is that there’s no mention of Heidi and Seal seeking couples counseling for their issues. If they were arguing and feeling disconnected, wouldn’t that be the first course of action, especially for a couple as seemingly loved-up as these two? Maybe the full article mentions that they’ve been in counseling and this teaser article leaves it out.
Having witnessed some of my friends go through separations with their husbands, it’s almost unheard of for it to happen without someone cheating, at the very least emotionally. It’s usually the guy if it’s the wife that files, and even though the husband cheats/cheated he acts shocked that the wife wants out and claims he wants to stay with his wife and family. I know that sounds like I’m blaming Seal, but I’m just looking at this based on what I’ve seen. Many people have serious issues in their relationship, but doesn’t it seem rare for them to get divorced due to arguments or simply growing apart – especially if they have kids? Then again, none of my friends are rich. We’re middle class and we face a very harsh economic reality if we get divorced. Heidi and Seal have no such concerns. They have kids together, but they have a ton of help and it’s not like they’re ever going to scramble to make ends meet if they lose their partner’s income. They live in a different reality than the rest of us, one where they can hold lavish destination commitment ceremonies every year.
These photos are from 12-26-11 in Aspen, 10-14-11 at the pumpkin patch and 8-14-11 in Italy. Credit: FameFlynet
That was fast. Right after we heard that Seal and Heidi Klum were splitting up, Seal moved forward with pre-arranged commitments to promote his upcoming album, Seal 2. He’s taped interviews that will air on both PBS’ “Tavis Smiley Show” and “Ellen” in which he hasn’t been shy about talking about his breakup. Seal’s responses were surely well thought out, but they came across as genuine and very positive and loving toward Heidi and their family. He also explained why he’s still wearing his wedding ring and admitted that he’s grieving.
“I think we were shocked,” Seal explains on Ellen. “You go into these things with the greatest intentions when you say ‘I do’ and you say ”Till death do us part.’ Those vows hold value. They are not just words. These things happen. We pretty much said how we feel and made it clear in the release statement.
“But, for intents and purposes of this show, you just grow apart after awhile. You try and you work through it and the thing that you quickly realize when you are married and you become a parent is you do the best that you can. It makes you actually appreciate your parents a lot more.The thing that I’m most proud about this great woman who married—and I really do mean that from the bottom of my heart—is that together she has given me four incredible gifts…four beautiful children.
“She still, in my opinion, the most wonderful woman in the world. I think our priority was to remain civil and do this thing with dignity. We still very much love each other. It’s not a question of we were never to follow suit of some breakup or separations that you hear about, especially in our industry. It’s a shame. To say that neither of us were grieving would be an out and out lie, and I don’t mind telling you that. I think the operative here is that we are civil to each other and we both have a tremendous amount of respect and love and we try and do this with as much dignity as we possibly can. And of course, when you have four children, you hope and pray that the rest of the world will respect that we have four children and that their little hearts are at stake, too.”
And why is Seal still sporting his wedding ring?
“I think it’s just pretty much a token of how I feel about this woman. We have eight years. Eight wonderful years together. Just because we have decided to separate doesn’t necessarily mean you take off your ring and you’re no longer connected to that person.
“We will be connected in many ways till the rest of our lives…through our children and also through this tremendous admiration, respect and love that we have for each other. Will we wear the ring for the rest of our lives? Who knows? But right now it feels really comfortable on my hand, so I have intentions of taking it off anytime soon.”
When it came to Smiley’s interview, he asked Seal about the timing of his split with the release of such a “romantic” album, and how he stays focused on the music with everything in his personal life “falling apart”, the singer seemed to have similar answers.
“We have a tremendous amount of love and respect for each other, and also, of course, our children are our first priority. I think we’ve pretty much said everything that we needed to say about it in the statement that we released.
“But how does one stay focused? Um, just because you decide to separate—I don’t think you all of a sudden stop loving each other, I don’t think you all of a sudden stop becoming friends. Especially when there are other things to take into consideration, like family. So to be honest, it’s not really that difficult and it’s not really that much of an issue. What one has to do in this situation is to remain civil and to retain one’s dignity and to be professional and to understand we are not the only people on this planet that go through this. It is just, unfortunately, a chapter of life.”
A lot of you pointed out that it was unfair of me to focus on Seal and his alleged bad temper as the reason for Heidi and Seal’s breakup, and you’re right. I’m a woman and I have a few friends who have gone through divorces. I always get my female friends’ perspectives on their breakups which is of course one-sided so that’s what I tend focus on in my coverage. In the case of my close friends (and a few acquaintances) their men cheated on them, got caught, and then their wives were the ones to pull the plug. The men wore their wedding rings well after their wives told them it was over, and they talked a lot about how much they loved their families and didn’t want to lose them. I see a lot of parallels in this story is what I’m saying. Given what I’ve seen in my friends’ divorces, and what we’ve heard about Seal and Heidi’s split and how their friends didn’t see it coming, I don’t think that the only thing Heidi and Seal are dealing with is conflicting schedules or communication issues. I do think they still have a lot of love for each other and for their kids, and I hope they keep it classy. TMZ is reporting that Heidi has already shopped around for divorce lawyers and has found one through which she’s going to file for divorce.
Update: I just found this article on USA Today [via WeSmirch] in which they interview a therapist who says that excessive PDA may be a clear sign of trouble in a relationship. I don’t necessarily agree, some people are just like that with their partner, but this is what a lot of you have mentioned and I wanted to report on it:
Exposing yourselves so literally, as Klum and Seal did, is about “overcompensation,” says New York psychotherapist Bonnie Eaker Weil, author of Make Up, Don’t Break Up, “because they want to prove not only to themselves but to the rest of the world that everything is fine.”
Sometimes, Weil says, overt affection is a means of overcorrecting for specific problems at home. “It’s like a tease,” she says. The guy who makes sexually suggestive comments about his wife at a dinner party? “That’s the couple that’s not having sex at all.”
The unsealed nature of their relationship made Seal and Klum Hollywood’s gift to the public’s fascination with celebrity matrimony.
There was their May 2005 marriage, the details of which they spilled in interviews. In May 2011, the two renewed their wedding vows, something they did every year around the time of their anniversary. Traditionally, the couple donned some sort of costume. Last year, she wore a mask, and he came decked out in a pirate headdress and blue vest.
The annual “I do’s” were “just unusual,” says Linda Mintle, a Chesapeake, Va.-based marriage and family therapist and a Beliefnet blogger. (Typically, couples renew their vows once, after enduring a hard patch.) “I kind of wondered if that was an attempt to get back on track every year, to get them focused on the marriage.”
There’s a reason The Seven Year Itch resonated. “If you look at the research, they’re at the really pivotal point when more than half of divorces happen, at the seven-year period,” Mintle says. “What that usually means is those seven years were not great.”
But they sure looked great, on the surface. Klum and Seal loved to celebrate. On Halloween, they threw their annual lavish costume party in New York, showing up — and hamming it up — in matching, elaborate ape get-ups. On Sept. 29, they appeared to be a vision of goofy happiness while posing for photos at Disneyland, as part of the Magic Kingdom’s Halloween Time celebration. And in August, they locked lips while boating in the Mediterranean Sea.
And the two never met a red carpet they didn’t love. Yes, that was them kissing while arriving at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar viewing party on Feb. 27, 2011. And yes, that was them kissing again while working the arrivals line at the Grammys on Feb. 13. And while showing up at a 2007 Lorraine Schwartz party in New York. And while going to the 2005 Vanity Fair Oscar party.
But the height (or depths?) of their onstage mutual admiration society was September 2010′s Secret romp, a (literally) black-and-white metaphor for appearance vs. reality when it comes to relationships. “That’s more telling than anything,” Weil says. “What they’re uncovering in that video is what they’re covering up” at home.
“I’m sure they were hoping they could fix the problem and transpose the video to their (real) life, but it doesn’t work that way. It takes effort and work,” Weil says. “Now, they’re really naked in front of the whole world. They’re naked emotionally because the cover has been blown.”
Mintle is more circumspect. The extreme expressions of ardor “could have been fake, but it also could have been an attempt in the public to say, ‘C’mon, let’s make this work.’ “
I like that last part, in which they comment on that Secret video in which Seal and Heidi rolled around in bed seemingly nude, making out for the camera. It was kind of ironic in that nothing about their relationship seemed secret, except for maybe the fact that they had a lot of problems and issues like other couples.
Seal on Ellen
Seal on Tavis Smiley
Seal is shown in the gorgeous grey coat on 1-20-12 at LAX. Credit: BJJ/FameFlynet Pictures. He’s shown in the black coat outside The Late Show on 1-16-12. Credit: Mr Blue/WENN.com. Heidi is shown at the Globes on 1-15-12, and she was still wearing her ring then. Credit: WENN.com. Photo from Ellen credit: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.
After playing a little backand forth with the media, and maybe holding some crisis talks this weekend, Heidi Klum and Seal have officially announced their separation. It’s sad to hear of such a well liked celebrity couple with four kids splitting, especially one that seemed as solid and loving as these two. Here’s their statement, given to People, in which they confirm the news that they’re splitting:
In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, the Project Runway host and the singer say:
“While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate.
“We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart. This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition.
“We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children’s sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy.”
The couple are parents to Leni, 7, Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2.
This leaves us wondering why, and assuming that something serious must have happened to break up what seemed from the outside to be a happy marriage. Seal has been on tour and Heidi has been working both in America and in Germany, which suggests too much time apart and also the possibility of infidelity. According to a new report in TMZ, which broke the story of Heidi and Seal’s impending divorce, there was no cheating going on and Heidi was just fed up with Seal’s temper:
Heidi Klum is divorcing Seal largely because she has had it with his volcanic temper … TMZ has learned.
Sources directly connected with the couple tell us … Heidi’s decision to divorce Seal has nothing to do with a third person. There is NO issue of infidelity.
But Seal’s inability to control his anger has become too much for Heidi to take, in no small part because it’s affecting their children.
TMZ broke the story that Heidi will divorce Seal, and we’ve learned this was not a snap decision. As one source said, “It was a long time in coming.”
We’re also told … their careers also played a part in Heidi’s decision. She has become a mega-entrepreneur and extremely rich, and that professional evolution has created a distance between them.
For his part, Seal has a new album coming out and he’s about to launch an international tour.
We’re told Heidi and Seal are still living under the same roof, but that will change very soon.
I believe that Seal has a nasty temper, because I remember reporting in 2008 about a video of him going off on the paparazzi and calling them “scum” for seemingly no reason. (You can still see the video here.) Seal was outside paparazzi hotspot Madeo with Heidi. Celebrities know they’ll be photographed there and it’s not like anyone was following those two or finding them at an out-of-the-way place. The photographers there were very respectful, telling Seal they liked his music and asking to shake his hand. Seal refused and said “why would I shake hands with scum?” He then got in an extended argument with the guys and claimed that paparazzi ruined lives. Heidi was kind of cowering there while Seal went off. To me it was a rare glimpse that all wasn’t as it seemed in their relationship.
British outlet The Sun points us to a recent interview with Seal in which he admits that he has issues with Heidi. He said “We certainly have differences of opinion. I mean, she’s German and I’m English, so if I said we didn’t have differences of opinion, no one would believe that.” He then went on to say they disagree about Christmas, as Heidi follows the German tradition of opening all the presents on Christmas Eve. “I just don’t see the logic in it, it’s Christmas, ie, Jesus Christ? And last time I checked, Christ was born on 25 December. But you know what, pick your battles. That’s one I don’t bother with.
“I’m going to make this T-Shirt up saying, ‘you can either be right or be happy’.”
We’ve also heard that Seal has been partying a lot and The Sun reported that he’s spent hardly any time with Heidi. They quote a source who claims “The marriage ended months ago in reality. They rarely saw each other and it wouldn’t be unusual for them to go months without spending any real quality time together. Ships that pass in the night would be an overstatement.”
Friday On Twitter, Seal posted a bizarre close-up photo of what looks like his arm with the caption “The End.” The Daily Mail mentions that Seal’s arm has a tattoo of angel wings on it, (It was such a strange picture that it was hard to see), which he probably got in honor of former Victoria’s Secret model Heidi. Tweeting that photo is the kind of douche move you would expect from someone like Ashton Kutcher, but it does suggest that Heidi pulled the plug, not Seal. So what happened exactly? Was Seal just too combative for Heidi as outlets are claiming? I’m thinking there’s probably more to it than that.
These photos are from 4-28-11, 2-17-11 and 2-13-11. Credit: WENN.com
For all you can say about how Jennifer Lopez jumps from one serious relationship to the next, her estranged husband isn’t taking his time in his currently relationship. Right after we saw a flurry of photos of J.Lo out with her new boyfriend, 24 year-old backup dancer Casper Smart, Marc was posting messages on Twitter and Facebook to make sure we knew about his new 24 year-old girlfriend, a Brazilian model named Shannon De Lima. Well now there’s news that Marc got someink for De Lima to seal the deal. He calls her his Statue of Liberty, so he had a Statue of Liberty inked inside his right wrist, which is where he previously had a tattoo for J.Lo. So smart.
Some say it in love letters, others in poetry.
Marc Anthony, however, opts to say it in ink of a different kind – etched permanently onto his skin.
The singer, 43, currently sports a new tattoo he got in honor of his new flame, Venezuelan model Shannon De Lima, on New Year’s Eve in Miami, according to TMZ.
The tattoo, of the Statue of Liberty inked onto the inside of his right wrist, is a direct reference to the 24-year-old beauty, whom he calls his “Statue of Liberty” – a nickname he gave her for “freeing” him of his past relationships, sources told the site.
Anthony very publicly split with wife Jennifer Lopez this past summer after seven years of marriage. The couple have two children together, twins Max and Emme.
The singer’s children from previous relationships, however, thus far approve of dad’s new relationship.
“To all my followers and everybody on twitter follow 2012 best couple and for many more years to come @MarcAnthony and @Shadelima !!!!” his son Chase Muniz wrote earlier this month.
Anthony and his 17-year-old daughter Ariana even decided to get unspecified matching tattoos on New Year’s Eve, replacing the “Jennifer” tattoo that used to cover his right wrist.
Lopez and Anthony will continue to work together on talent competition “Q’Viva! The Chosen” despite their split, and the couple opened up about their new relationship dynamic in a recent screening of the premiere episode, with Lopez calling it “very Sonny and Cher after divorce.”
Added Anthony: “Marriage is one chapter, kids are another.”
I can’t really tell from the way this story is worded on TMZ or The Daily News if Marc covered up his J.Lo tattoo with the Statue of Liberty tattoo. It sounds like he got another tattoo to cover up the J.Lo one and then added this Statue of Liberty tat in that same area. When is it ever a good idea to get a tattoo for a lover? I understand getting tattoos for your kids, parents or blood relations, but even for a spouse it seems misguided. Marc has been with this model a few weeks tops unless he was cheating with her and she was his jumpoff. Even if that’s the case, it’s supremely dumb to get a tattoo for her. At least he’s getting a symbol instead of her name, but he’s going to have to look at that thing every day for the rest of his life barring another tattoo covering it up or laser surgery. I could see maybe getting a tattoo for a girlfriend or boyfriend in a discreet spot that you don’t have to see all the time, but when it’s on your wrist it’s going to remind you of them constantly even after the breakup.
Marc and J.Lo really were perfect for each other. They’re both so stupid when they’re in love. Or maybe Marc still loves J.Lo and is trying to make her jealous. Given their dynamic recently that could be the case.
Marc Anthony is shown on 9-9-11 performing at The Meadowlands. Credit: Janet Mayer / PR Photos
Talk about leaking a story late on Friday for the least coverage. TMZ is reporting that Heidi Klum, 38, is about to file divorce from Seal, 48, after nearly seven years of marriage and four children together. (Three of whom are Seal’s, he adopted Heidi’s daughter from a previous relationship.) I’ve sometimes thought that Heidi and Seal aren’t as solid as they’ve seemed, as I get suspicious when couples seem to constantly tout how great their relationship is. Still, this is surprising and sad news. These two really did seem like they would be together until very late in life. Here’s TMZ’s report:
Heidi Klum will file for divorce from Seal … TMZ has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Heidi will file divorce papers in L.A. County Superior Court as early as next week. We’re told Heidi will cite “irreconcilable differences” as the cause for the divorce.
The couple married May 10, 2005. They have 3 biological kids. Seal adopted Heidi’s eldest girl from a prior relationship.
The couple is famous for renewing their vows every year on their anniversary … in a lavish ceremony.
As for splitting up the goodies, there’s a lot on the line. According to Forbes, in the last year alone, Klum raked in $20 million. It’s unclear how much Seal made.
Heidi attended last Sunday’s Golden Globes without Seal. The last photo she tweeted with him was back on December 26.
Seal was touring with his band throughout 2011 and will be touring in February and again in December of this year. He has a new album coming out at the end of this month. Was it the distance and the professional commitments that ate away at their relationship, or are we about to hear about one of them finding another partner while the other was away?
Kaiser reminded me that Heidi has been pregnant almost throughout her entire marriage. She met Seal when she was pregnant with her daughter Leni, now 7, and then they had Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2. In November, 2009, Seal adopted Leni, and then Heidi took Seal’s last name, Samuel, in December, 2009. (She still goes by Klum professionally.) Maybe the stress of having young kids got to them like so many other couples. I’ve seen photos of the family out with one nanny per each child, and Heidi has admitted that they have three nannies “two on at a time,” so it’s not like they’re dealing with the same reality as other families. Heidi kind of hinted at issues taking care of all their children. She told US in August that “it’s a huge responsibility to have four kids.” It must have been even harder for her with Seal away on tour. This is very sad news, especially for their children. I’m hoping it’s either not true or that they’ll try to work it out. Maybe they have been trying for some time and have been keeping it under wraps.
Heidi and Seal are shown out in Aspen on 12-27-11. Credit: Fame Pictures. The candids of them out with their kids and photographed separately are from 1-7-12 out in Brentwood. Credit: WENN.com. They’re shown at the Primetime Emmy Awards on 9-18-11, at the Globes on 1-16-11 and in August in Sardinia. Photos of Heidi in the striped dress are from 6-5-11. Credit: Fame.
