Celebs Who Broke Up Before Getting Back Together

Many people have given love a second try with an ex-partner. Reconnecting with a former flame has its benefits, including having a shared history and knowing one another's quirks. It's happened several times in Hollywood and fans love reading about a high-profile romantic reunion.

For instance, it was written in the stars when Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez reunited. The pair was famously labeled "Bennifer" when they began dating in 2002 and got engaged later that year. However, as Affleck explained during an interview on "The Howard Stern Show" (via ET), the continuous and intense media scrutiny surrounding their coupling played a significant role in why they split for good after just two years together. Speaking to People in 2016, Lopez reflected on the past romance, sharing, "Who knows what could've happened, but there was a genuine love there." The couple famously started their own families with other partners after their split. Eventually, they each ended these respective relationships, leaving the two open to rekindling their romance in 2021. The pair got engaged for the second time in April 2022 and got married just three months later in Las Vegas. 

If that isn't a great example of reuniting with an ex, we don't know what is. The celebrities below have all shared similar stories of reviving an old romance. Whether that initial separation lasted for minutes, days, months, or even years, all of these celebs eventually found their way back to each other.

Actor Sylvester Stallone and his wife, Jennifer Flavin, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in May 2022. However, just three months later, Flavin filed for divorce from the "Rambo" star, leaving fans wondering what went wrong. The model-turned-entrepreneur hinted that their marriage was in trouble in August 2022 when she posted a cryptic Instagram post of herself embracing the three daughters she shares with Stallone. The post's caption read, "These girls are my priority. Nothing else matters." Stallone also seemed to hint at marriage woes when he covered his tattoo of Flavin with an image of his beloved dog, Butkus, from "Rocky."

According to Closer Weekly, Flavin filed for divorce that same month. In court documents obtained by the outlet, she claimed, "[Stallone] engaged in the intentional dissipation, depletion [and] waste of marital assets which has had an adverse economic impact on the marital estate." Upon the news of their impending divorce, the actor said to People, "I love my family. We are amicably and privately addressing these personal issues."

Page Six reported that Stallone and Flavin reconciled just one month after she filed for divorce. A source said, "They decided to meet back up at home, where they talked and were able to work out their differences. They are both extremely happy." Stallone took to his Instagram to share the happy news of their reconciliation with a photo of himself holding his wife's hand, along with the caption, "Wonderful ..." 

In May 2005, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor shared the heartbreaking news that they had separated after 17 years of marriage. The stars' most memorable movie roles included those in which they worked together, including "Zoolander," "Zoolander 2," and "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." Per People, the joint statement regarding the breakup read, "With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate. Our priority will continue to be raising the children as devoted parents and the closest friends." The stars share two children, a daughter named Ella, and a son named Quinlin.

In an interview for Esquire in February 2022, Stiller revealed that he and Taylor rekindled their marriage. After nearly five years apart, he moved back in with his wife and their children amid the pandemic. It prompted the couple to resolve their marital issues. "We were separated and got back together and we're happy about that," he gushed. "It's been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic."

Actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard celebrated ten years as a married couple in 2023. So what's their secret to marital success? In 2022, just ahead of the couple's milestone anniversary, the "Veronica Mars" star told ET, "Stay vulnerable. At least [that's] my secret. You've gotta be vulnerable — we have to be vulnerable when we don't want to be. That's what works for us."  Although the couple has found the answer to keeping their marriage flourishing, Bell did reveal that the beginning stages of their relationship were not all rainbows and butterflies.

Speaking to PopSugar, Bell admitted that she was already in love with Shepard after dating him for three months in 2007. However, when he did not reciprocate, telling her that he wasn't ready to be exclusive, she said, "And then, I, like, liquefied and fell to the ground, but I felt incredibly respected that he had the balls to tell me we weren't in the same place." It took four days for Shepard to realize that he had made a huge mistake, and the pair were back on. "He called me and he was like, 'I don't know what I was thinking. I was dating someone else but they're just not as interesting as you, and I don't know what I'm doing,' and he came back,'" Bell said. 

Pink and Carey Hart's relationship has been bumpy since the start of their 2001 romance. The songstress first met the motocross racer at the Summer X Games in Philadelphia, and the pair started to date soon after. However, they split after two years, only to come back together in 2004, per People. In 2005, Pink proposed to Hart at one of his races when she held up a sign that read, "Will You Marry Me?" Thankfully, it worked and the couple tied the knot in January 2006. 

Sadly, the couple hit another rough patch and announced they were separating just two years later. Their estrangement made its way to Pink's 2008 album "Funhouse." Her song "So What?" even references her estranged husband, with Hart later making a cameo in the music video after the pair had reconciled. Pink and Hart called off their divorce in May 2009, and the couple has since welcomed two children named Willow and Jameson.

In 2017, Pink shared with The Guardian that songs off her album "Beautiful Trauma" were inspired by the trials and tribulations of her marriage to Hart. "Monogamy is work! But you do the work, and it's good again," she said. Having gone through it all, Hart shared a touching tribute post to his superstar wife on Instagram in 2020, writing, "Two misfits when we met, we have grown together and now have an amazing family. Thank you for being my best friend and amazing mother to our wild kids."

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel celebrated ten years of marriage in October 2022, but not everything has always been smooth sailing for this Hollywood couple. The two reportedly began dating around 2007 only to break up four years later. Still, a shared statement regarding the split cheerfully announced, "The two remain friends," per Billboard. However, their status as just friends had changed by the end of the year when the "Sexy Back" singer proposed to Biel while vacationing in Wyoming. They got married in Italy in October 2012, with Biel wearing a pink wedding dress.

In November 2019, the couple's marriage appeared to be in trouble when The Sun released a video and photographs showing an intoxicated Timberlake holding hands with his "Palmer" co-star, Alisha Wainwright, while in New Orleans. After the photos made headlines, the former NSYNC star addressed the incident in an Instagram post. "A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgment — but let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my costar," Timberlake wrote. "... I apologize to my amazing wife and family for putting them through such an embarrassing situation." 

Biel and Timberlake appeared to work through their issues. In January 2021, during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," the singer revealed that they had welcomed a second child, Phineas, to their family during the pandemic. The couple previously celebrated the arrival of their son, Silas, in 2015. 

Gabrielle Union And Dwyane Wade may be one of Hollywood's most powerful couples, but they have also become one of the most relatable. The two have shared several stories regarding the ups and downs of life, including Union's fertility issues and how they helped Wade's daughter, Zaya come out as transgender. 

The couple first met at a Super Bowl party in 2007 but didn't start dating until two years later. In January 2013, they broke up, with the actor admitting to Glamour that their busy work schedules got in the way of their relationship. "I couldn't take time off, and I missed some quality togetherness we desperately needed," she explained. "... Moving forward, I decided my work schedule has to make sense for our family." During their break, it was revealed that the NBA star had fathered a child named Xavier with "Basketball Wives" star, Aja Metoyer. In her memoir, "You Got Anything Stronger?" Union described the revelation as being utterly heartbreaking to her. 

Despite this, Wade and Union worked through their issues and got back together, with the former basketball player proposing to her in December 2013. The couple was married a year later and in 2018, they welcomed a daughter, Kaavia, via surrogate. The couple also co-parents Wade's three other children, two of whom Wade shares with ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches, named Zaya and Zaire. The basketball star is also the guardian of his nephew, Dahveon Morris. 

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend are two open books, and they like to keep it that way. In 2019, the singer shared with The Guardian that he and his wife prefer to keep it real with their fans by sharing certain aspects of their lives — even if it can sometimes be controversial to do so. "I think it would be harder if we were trying to put up some facade that wasn't real," he mused. "But since who we are on social media is really natural and really a reflection of who we are in our private life in a lot of ways, I think it feels very unforced for us." 

The couple first met in 2007 and eventually tied the knot six years later. However, they'd almost broken up long before they'd reached that point. In 2016, Teigen revealed to Cosmopolitan that she had joined Legend on tour. When he got sick, he suggested the couple split. "He was feeling really bummed and stressed out. He was like, 'I can't be in a relationship right now.' That lasted for one day. Literally, a day,'" Teigen shared, adding that she often reminds her husband of that time.

Legend has also reflected on their breakup. However, he told The Guardian that their separation lasted for a mere half hour, stating, "I was just like, 'I'd just be happier single right now,' and she was just like, 'No.'" 

Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry's love story began around January 2016 when they met at a Golden Globes after-party. The couple made things Instagram official that March, but eleven months later, respective reps for both stars confirmed to People that they had split. Bloom addressed the breakup not long afterward, stating that things were amicable with Perry. "We're friends, it's good," he told Elle UK. "... It's between us. It's better to set an example for kids and show that [breakups] don't have to be about hate." 

Years later, Perry reflected that their initial separation helped them to establish a better relationship than before. "It's really about an individual journey that makes the whole thing better," she told People. "We both had to decide to go on that journey separately because it's not my half and your half that makes a whole. It's my wholeness and your wholeness that makes this whole thing happen."

In September 2018, the two stars were back on when they attended the Gala for the Global Ocean in Monaco. On Valentine's Day in 2019, Bloom proposed to the "American Idol" judge with a stunning ruby and diamond engagement ring that the songstress proudly showcased on Instagram. In August 2020, the couple welcomed a daughter named Daisy. They shared the news via an Instagram post from UNICEF, where they encouraged well-wishers to donate to the charity in support of newborns in vulnerable communities across the world. 

Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo's first encounter was via email. In an interview with Net-A-Porter, the Victoria's Secret model recalled being asked to star in a Maroon 5 music video but declined. However, she and the singer continued their conversation online, "It was such a natural correspondence that we kind of fell in love over email." The two met up a month later, with Us Weekly reporting that their first public event as a couple was in October 2012.

There was a brief pause in their relationship just a few months later. By May 2013, Levine was linked to model, Nina Agdal. However, that romance was clearly short-lived, as he quickly resumed his focus on his ex. "We broke up for two months, realized it was the worst decision, then got back together, got engaged, and got married. It was a wild ride!" Prinsloo told Net-A-Porter. Indeed, the couple followed up their July 2013 engagement with a wedding in Los Cabos, Mexico, the following year. 

Levine and Prinsloo subsequently became parents to two children named Dusty Rose and Gio Grace, with the model expecting their third baby in 2023. Despite Levine's cheating scandal, the couple appears to still be going strong as of this writing.

Debby Ryan is best known for starring as the titular character of the Disney series, "Jessie." However, she earned rocker creds when she began dating Josh Dun, the drummer of the pop rock duo, Twenty One Pilots. But between the start of their romance in 2013 and their surprise New Year's Eve wedding six years later, they split up for some time.

The pair appeared to go their separate ways in 2015. A fact seemingly confirmed by the actor on Twitter (via J-14), when she wrote, "Single and not tryna mingle." However, by June 2018, it was clear the duo had rekindled their romance when Ryan shared a touching birthday post on Instagram for Dun. She wrote, "Thanks for learning how to tie a bowtie for our first date and everything we've figured out together since." Although she didn't give details about their split, later that year, the "Insatiable" star did confirm to The Sydney Morning Herald that she was very much dating Dun. "I'm in love and very happy. We've evolved and grown up so much in our careers, in the relationship, as people since we first met." 

Justin and Hailey Bieber's romance has had its fair share of ups and downs. Although they first met in 2009 when Hailey was just 12, it wasn't until 2014, when the two were spotted attending a church service at Hillsong Church, that they appeared to reconnect. She told Vogue, "One day Justin walked into Hillsong and was like, 'Hey, you got older.' I was like, 'Yeah, what's up?' Over time he became my best guy friend. I was running around with him as his homie, but we weren't hanging out [romantically].'"

The pair constantly denied dating rumors that year. However, Justin seemed to confirm the relationship when he posted a New Year's Eve kiss between them on Instagram, celebrating the start of 2016. But there was trouble ahead, and they'd split a year later. Speaking to Vogue, Hailey explained that the two dropped out of each other's lives completely, stating, "It was ... a very dramatic ex-communication."

In the meantime, Justin's on-again-off-again romance with Selena Gomez was reportedly back on by October 2017 — only to end five months later. This time, the relationship was allegedly over for good, and he rekindled his romance with Hailey in June 2018. They moved fast and were married within three months. While the couple initially wed at a New York City courthouse, they hosted an extravagant second wedding a year later in South Carolina. 

Kate Middleton and Prince William, who became the Prince and Princess of Wales after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, have a love story that is cherished worldwide. However, the couple admitted to having a slight hiccup at the start of their relationship. The royal couple first met while attending St. Andrews University in 2001 and became romantically involved the following year. During their 2010 engagement interview with ITV News, Middleton recalled their initial introduction, telling William, "I think you said I actually went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off. [I was] feeling very shy about meeting you."

In 2007, the couple briefly called it quits. Neither appeared too devastated by the split as they were both individually snapped enjoying respective nights out in London. Their breakup only lasted two months, and they were back on by that June. In October 2010, while on vacation in Kenya, Prince William proposed to Middleton with the late Princess Diana's sapphire engagement ring.

During their engagement interview, the couple touched upon their short-lived split. However, they both agreed that the time apart allowed them to focus on themselves. "And I think I at the time, wasn't very happy about it, but actually, it made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realized," Middleton told ITV News. In April 2011, the couple tied the knot and welcomed three children.

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have a rare Hollywood love story. The pair met in 1995 on the set of the soap opera, "All My Children," where they starred as love interests. Their on-screen romance turned into something real, and they made their official debut as a couple at the Soap Opera Digest Awards in February 1996. Two months later, the couple briefly split. However, on a 2018 episode of the "Comments by Celebs" podcast, Ripla explained that she and Consuelos actually eloped to Las Vegas a week afterward. "Right before we got married, we broke up," she shared. "... And we got back together the day before ... we went to Vegas and got married." 

During an appearance on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" (via People) in 2022, Ripa looked back at her quick wedding with Consuelos and said she had no regrets that they didn't take the traditional route, instead. "I don't think we would have made it to the wedding," she reflected. "There would have been hard feelings and blame all over the place. And I can honestly say we do not feel less married. As a matter of fact, we feel more married than those people because we're still married." The star noted that they only spent $179 on the wedding, including airfare. The couple has since welcomed three children to their family – Michael, Lola, and Joaquin.

Hilary Duff and Matthew Koma have a long history together that began in 2013, with the two making things official four years later. The former Disney star first met the singer-songwriter during a two-hour meeting to discuss the development of what would become her 2015 album, "Breathe In. Breathe Out." At first, they kept things professional, which kept any potential chemistry at bay — but in time, that changed. "When we started talking about music, things started sparking and he was being funny enough, not flirtatious, but funny enough to where we started creating banter and a nice friendship right off the bat," she told Vogue. 

By the start of 2017, the two made their debut as a couple at a SAG Awards pre-party. However, in December of that year, Duff revealed on an episode of "The Talk" (via People) that the couple had twice broken up before hitting it off the third time around. "Timing is such a big deal," she insisted. "... Third time's a charm!" Six months later, the "Lizzie McGuire" star announced on Instagram that she was expecting the couple's first child, welcoming a daughter, Violet, in October 2018. Duff was already a mom, having welcomed her son, Luca, with her ex-husband, Mike Comrie six years earlier. 

In December 2019, Duff and Koma tied the knot in an intimate wedding at their Los Angeles home, before welcoming their second child, a daughter named Mae, two years later.