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split image showing Maria Shriver & Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, and Lamar Odom & Khloe Kardashian© Getty

Longest celebrity divorces of all time: Brad and Angelina, Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger and more

Some Hollywood A-List divorces take longer than others 

Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
2 days ago
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Break ups are never easy, and celebrities are certainly not immune to the stresses that come with separations and divorces.

Over the years, there have been many famous couples who have decided to part ways for various reasons and, quite often, the legal process is a long one.

Most recently, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt finalized their divorce after an eight-year back and forth in the courts.

Brad and Angelina have been embroiled in court proceedings since their 2016 divorce© David M. Benett
Brad and Angelina recently finalized their divorce settlement

But they aren't the only pair whose break-up has taken up a significant amount of time.

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's ongoing legal battle

Click through the gallery to see some of the longest celebrity divorces ever…

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Screening Of The Film "Les Egares" At The Cannes Film Festival with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver© Getty Images

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger – 10 years

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger are certainly up there when it comes to the longest celebrity divorces of all time given it took 10 years for their marriage to legally come to an end.

Divorce proceedings began in July 2011 when Maria filed papers against the Terminator actor after 25 years of marriage. The news of the divorce came two months after Arnold admitted to an affair with their family housekeeper, Mildred Baena, with whom he'd fathered a child in the late 1990s.

MORE: Meet Arnold Schwarzenegger's five kids

MORE: Arnold Schwarzenegger's biggest revelation about relationship with Maria Shriver confessed in new Netflix documentary

"There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused," he said in a statement. 

"I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry." But it wasn't until ten years later in December 2021 that they were no longer legally husband and wife. 

Afterwards, Arnold was bound to pay for Maria's attorney fees and spousal support.

During their union, they welcomed four children, Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.

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Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt
WSJ Innovator of the Year Awards, New York, America - 04 Nov 2015© Broadimage/Shutterstock

Brad and Angelina Jolie – 8 years

In December 2024, it was reported that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had finally reached a settlement, eight years after the Maria actress filed for divorce from the Fight Club actor.

In 2016, Angelina began the legal proceedings citing "Irreconcilable differences". She also sought physical custody of their children, Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 16.

The custody element was solved in 2021 when a judge awarded joint custody to both parents.

But things didn't end there, the former couple, who met on the set of the 2005 film Mr and Mrs Smith, were wrapped up in a battle over their French vineyard, Château Miraval, with Brad suing his wife for selling her stake in the property. It's not clear the status of this part in the legal proceedings yet.

MORE: Angelina Jolie explains why she stepped away from Hollywood amid 'dark' time: 'Didn't have a lot of light'

Things were also messy for the pair since Angelina had filed separate court proceedings accusing her ex-husband of being abusive to her and two of their children while taking a flight on a private jet.

Brad denied the allegations and was not charged after a police investigation into the incident. 

This week, Angelina's lawyers said in part: "This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over." 

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Bethenny Frankel and Jason Poppy arrive at their hotel after their wedding at Four Seasons Restaurant on March 28, 2010 in New York© WireImage,Getty

Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy — 8 Years

Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel and her ex-husband Jason Hoppy married in 2010 but just two years later, the pair announced their separation. It took eight years before they came to an agreement and legally divorced.

The divorce was finalised in 2021 when a judge finally signed off their settlement. They share a 14-year-old daughter, Bryn.

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Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum attend the premiere of "War Dog: A Soldier's Best Friend" at Directors Guild Of America on November 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California© Getty

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan – 6 years

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan met on the set of the beloved dance movie Step Up and quickly became a fan-favourite couple. 

The pair married in 2009 and welcomed a daughter, Evelyn, during their union but they separated in 2018.

According to the Daily Mail, the former couple clashed over the rights to the film, Magic Mike, during their divorce proceedings.

It was only settled recently as they were both due to head to court in December, however, that was called off after both parties agreed to waive spousal support and work out future disagreements privately.

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Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet attend the Tom Ford AW20 Show at Milk Studios on February 07, 2020 in Hollywood, California.© Getty Images

Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet – 4 years

Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet began dating in 2005 but didn't marry until 12 years later.

Despite many fans thinking their love was rock solid, they called it quits and publicly announced their separation in 2022.

But the couple are somewhat different from other divorced pairs.

Their divorce was finalized in 2024, but Lisa only filed papers that week, meaning it was very quick. 

However, it eventually came out that Lisa had cited the break-up as 2020 when she filed for divorce, meaning it took four years before their separation was legal on paper.  

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Actor Josh Duhamel (L) and actress/singer Fergie attend the premiere of Relativity Media's "Safe Haven" in 2013© Alberto E. Rodriguez

Josh Duhamel and Fergie – 3 years

Actor Josh Duhamel and Black Eyed Peas star Fergie began dating in 2004 and five years later they made it official and tied the knot.

In 2013, the couple welcomed their son, Axl, but in early 2017 the pair split. Their divorce wasn't finalized until November 2019.

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Khloe and Lamar Odom smiling at the camera in a dark room© Getty Images

Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom – 3 years

Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom were adored by fans who loved watching them on Khloe's reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

The pair married in 2009 but four years later Khloe filed for divorce.

In a tragic twist, Khloe withdrew papers when the NBA star had a near-fatal overdose in 2015. Lamar spent a significant amount of time under medical attention and Khloe also served as his primary carer during this time.

In May 2016, after Lamar's recovery, Khloe filed divorce papers again and it was then finalized legally seven months later.

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Actress Jennifer Garner and actor-director Ben Affleck arrive at the Oscars at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 24, 2013 in Hollywood, California.© Getty Images

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner – 3 years

Though Ben Affleck was famously engaged to Jennifer Lopez in the early 2000s, his first wife was Jennifer Garner to whom he was married from 2005 until 2018.

During their marriage, Jennifer and Ben welcomed three children, Violet, Fin and Samuel, and publicly announced their separation in 2015.

Both parties filed for divorce jointly and both were seeking joint physical and legal custody of their children, which somewhat implies that Ben and Jennifer were seeking as smooth sailing and amicable break-up as possible. 

The divorce was finalized in 2018 and they continue to be friendly for the sake of their family, often spending holidays together with their kids despite their marriage not working out.

In July 2022, Ben married Jennifer Lopez after the couple famously reignited the 'Bennifer' flame the year prior. However, it wasn't to last as J-Lo filed for divorce from Ben earlier this year.

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