Celebrity Divorces: Is Marriage Meant Only for the Movies?
Kim Kardashian was not the first or only celebrity causing the world to question the sanctity of marriage after announcing that her 72-day legal union had come to an end in October.
Before the end of 2011, Ashton Kutcher and Ashlee Simpson’s names appeared on documents that represented the legal dissolution of their respective marriages.
Actress Demi Moore announced that she would divorce Kutcher in November, months after a scandal erupted concerning his infidelity. Moore released a statement about her divorce “with great sadness and a heavy heart.” Kutcher later informed the world about his experiences with marriage saying that it “is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail."
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Kardashian seemed to have the same sentiments after ending her 72-day marriage saying, “I had hoped this marriage was forever but sometimes things don’t work out as planned.”
Meanwhile after the news that singer Ashlee Simpson would divorce her musician husband, Pete Wentz, inside sources told People magazine that everything was harmonious between the two despite the decision to end their marriage.
"It's very amicable. They're on very friendly terms and speaking - it's fine," the source said. "They've just grown apart"
Dr. Juli Flattery, Family Psychologist for Focus on The Family, told The Christian Post that she is not surprised at celebrities’ complacent approach to divorce.
“I would think that for many people it’s not a big surprise. A lot of marriages in Hollywood are just based on physical attraction and star power and money,” Flattery said. “Those things are not going to hold marriages together. The commitment of marriage is not talked about and valued.”
The psychologist said Hollywood’s definition of love might have something to do with the amount of time marriages last for celebrities off of the big screen.
“If love means ‘you make me feel good,’ and that’s what Hollywood promotes, then marriage will never last,” Flattery told CP. “You don't really know you love someone unless it costs you something to do so.”
People outside of the Hollywood hills are experiencing that first hand, with a global recession taking a toll on marriages. The Office for National Statistics released data stating that divorce had risen almost 5 percent in the United Kingdom, and explained a possible reason for the spike.
"The small rise in the divorce rate and the number of divorces in 2010 could be associated with the economic climate following the 2008-09 recession,” ONS said in a statement.
Despite the recession presenting an issue in marriages, the Focus on Family organization managed to help save over one million marriages in 2011. Flattery explained the reason behind her organization’s success during a time when divorce seems to be a trend in Hollywood.
“The biggest key is remembering that the spouse is not the enemy. When there’s financial problems you start to point the finger because you’re not earning enough,” Flattery said. “As soon as the other person becomes the enemy you have problems.”
She suggested looking at divorce from a different perspective.
“Divorce isn’t going to solve your problems,” the psychologist said. “Divorce causes new problems, it doesn’t make you happier.”
