Sayonara, Jen. Goodbye, Chris Klein. Substitution, please: Stavros Niarchos for Paris Latsis.
Years from now, when VH1 commentators look back on 2005, it will be remembered as the Year of the Split. For every Hollywood heartthrob, there was heartache–and an Us Weekly headline to match.
Of course, some other 2005 moments will live in history. Mariah Carey made a huge comeback with an album that didn’t bomb. Tom Cruise led a pack of celebrity meltdowns with his infamous “Oprah” appearance. The iPod got “Desperate.” 50 Cent redefined celebrity beefs by kicking The Game out of G-Unit. Bono was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Jacko wore his jammies to court. “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous” didn’t save the movie box office. And Britney Spears and K-Fed procreated. Top that, 2006.
BROKEN HEARTS CLUB
It seemed like almost every week a new pair of celebrity lovebirds went their separate ways. Remember when these couples were still goo-goo eyed?
Jennifer Aniston & Brad Pitt
After four years of marriage, Jen and Brad kicked off the Year of the Split by calling it quits in January. Who knew back then (other than Angelina, of course) what kind of drama would follow?
Katie Holmes & Chris Klein
Katie and her ex-fiance dated for five years before calling it quits in March, but we all saw how quickly her broken heart mended when she hooked up with Tom “I Jump On Couches” Cruise.
Renee Zellweger & Kenny Chesney
The only thing more shocking than this couple’s September annulment was their wedding. After meeting at a tsunami relief benefit in January, the star-crossed actress and the country crooner tied the knot in May–and lasted only four months.
Paris Hilton & Paris Latsis
For a while it seemed almost possible that Paris Hilton would give up her partying days to stay home with everyone’s favorite Greek shipping heir. (Sorry, Stavros, we like him better.) But the Paris-squared love affair was kaput by October, when the celebutante declared that she–drumroll–wasn’t ready for marriage.
Leonardo DiCaprio & Gisele Bundchen
The “Titanic” superstar will have to find himself a new supermodel after his five-year on-and-off relationship with the Brazilian Glamazon ended in early November.
Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey
Us Weekly and the other tab rags called it for months, but on Thanksgiving Eve, Nick and Jess announced that they’d separated–just in time for the DVD release of “Newlyweds” Season 3. Hey, they say any publicity is good publicity.
Nicole Richie & Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein
Because anything Paris can do, Nicole can do better, the reality TV star-turned author and her fiance called it quits early this month.
AND DON’T FORGET THESE HONORABLE MENTIONS: Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush, Tori Spelling and Charlie Shanian, Eddie Murphy and Nicole Murphy, Jamie-Lynn DiScala and A.J. DiScala, Babyface and Tracey Edmonds, Christina Applegate and Johnathon Schaech, and Kimberly Stewart and Talan Torriero.
