It’s not an easy summer when it comes to love. Statistics show that summertime is the time when most breakups and divorces occur, and celebrities can’t escape this time either. And even less so this summer, when the stars seem to be aligned for the media to report a surprise breakup or an expected but no less shocking divorce virtually every few days. Many on social media have described the last few weeks as the summer of broken hearts. And there was time for everything: infidelity accusations, songs in search of a possible reconciliation, viral magazine covers and love triangles.
June began with a nationwide breakup: Alejandro Sanz and Rachel Valdés ended their relationship after three years. It was exclusively the magazine “¡Hola!” that announced the separation, citing the reasons that led the Madrid singer to this decision: a wear and tear in living together and differences of opinion. This breakup ushered in the summer of heartbreak. “A separation is the trigger for a previous crisis, for conflicts that were not addressed and covered up over time. In summer we have more free time for ourselves and to think, to think about what we want, about our feelings and ask ourselves if we are there and who we want to be with,” explains couples psychologist Lorenlay Fraile. In addition, summer has always been associated with freedom, which helps Fraile recover after a breakup: we tend to believe that it is the best time to deal with grief.
More information
The separation of Sanz and Valdés would not be the only one in June. Just a few days later, American media confirmed that singers Taylor Swift and Matt Healey had ended their volatile romantic relationship. Not her, but social networks and the tabloids brought to light a romance that ended up being more of a summer affair. But beyond the typical breakups, these summer months were marked by broken marriages. The first celebrity couple to file divorce papers were Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott, after 17 years and five children together. Another protagonist was Kevin Costner, who, despite finding out in May (and surprisingly) that Christine Baumgartner had asked for a divorce, there was no summer week without news and headlines about his ex’s financial demands.
Billy Porter, Pose actor and Broadway singer, has ended his relationship with Adam Smith after seven years of marriage. According to Porter’s rep in a statement sent to People, the decision was “amicable and mutual.” A divorce that, in terms of timing and manner of communication, is similar to the announced divorce of singer Ricky Martin and painter Jwan Yosef. Six years of marriage ended like Porter and Smith’s with a statement to the same magazine: “Our desire is to continue to have a relationship focused on peace and friendship.”
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott at an event on October 17, 2019 in Culver City, California. Rodin Eckenroth (Getty Images)
These last two breakups were the ideal breakup in the eyes of the world: everything ended well and with no hard feelings. But it was just a taste of what was to come. Ariana Grande and her husband Dalton Gomez have called it quits after two years of marriage. Although close sources assure that their relationship is now good, the possibility that there was a third party raised alarm bells. American media quickly linked Ariana Grande to Ethan Slater, her co-star in Wicked. They were both married and ended their marriage at the same time.
July 17th was a hard day for love. A few hours later, Ariana Grande’s divorce was followed by the separation of the acting couple Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello. They themselves confirmed their separation after seven years of marriage: “We have made the difficult decision to divorce. Everything seemed to have ended well, but as the weeks went by, the irreconcilable positions and demands of both became apparent. Vergara has asked Manganiello in court to honor her prenuptial agreement: She wants to ensure she keeps the artwork, jewelry and other valuables she owned before he came into her life.
Joe Manganiello and Sofía Vergara, at the Vanity Fair post-Oscars 2023 party, last March in Beverly Hills, California. Cindy Ord/VF23 (Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
Few expected what was to come: the singers Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro separated after two years of dating and an announced wedding. Here too, it was People who exclusively spread the news and confirmed it days later via Instagram. Social networks have been full of sad messages, theories and assumptions about possible infidelity, which the protagonist has denied. “We have little access to what happens every day, we only see what they want to show us.” These couples serve as a mirror for us. If they are doing well, that is my focus, my wish or my envy. When things are bad for them, we console ourselves with the thought that they also suffer, are unfaithful and abandon them,” defends Lorenlay Fraile.
Just a week later, two more new breakups would arrive, again announced on the same day: August 2nd. Singer Tini Stoessel and soccer player Rodrigo de Paul said within a minute of each other that they had agreed to end their relationship. Then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire’s marriage collapsed after 18 years together.
Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau arriving for the coronation ceremony of King Charles III. in London (United Kingdom) on May 6, 2023. Andy Rain (EFE)
It was the beginning of August and the separation that would trigger a media earthquake was still missing. Britney Spears, the singer who transforms her every move – and every dance – is making headlines, and Sam Asghari ended a seven-year relationship and a marriage. Within 48 hours, the now ex-couple separated statements to his followers: he, via his Instagram account with a short story; her, with one of her traditional dances and a detailed text.
At the national level, this month of August there was an unexpected protagonist on the front pages of the hearts: the former politician Albert Rivera, who made headlines, hours of TV shows and conversations on social networks. Although it was an open secret for a few months, it wasn’t until this summer that Rivera and Malú confirmed their split. He made it with acting and appeared in magazines with other women. And her in an interview
These have not been easy months for those who believe in love, nor for those who think they know what is happening in a couple just by looking at their social networks. It’s clear that heartbreak has come to make these summer months even more enjoyable. Readings about summer vacations and luxurious vacations have given way to those about breakups and prenuptial agreements. “We thought, ‘If even they kept it that way, what a good couple they were and how happy they seemed, then who would guarantee me forever?'” Fraile explains.
Credits
Design: Ruth Benito
Development: Carlos Muñoz
Format: Guiomar del Ser