Celeb Couples That Split After Renewing Their Vows

A vow renewal can serve as a meaningful way for a couple to mark a marriage milestone, or it can be the special ceremony happily married spouses weren't able to have when they originally wed. But when partners gather their loved ones together to watch them reaffirm that they meant it when they said, "'Til death do us part,'" could it also be the death knell for a relationship?

In a 2023 episode of "Live! With Kelly and Mark," Kelly Ripa said that she and her hubby co-host will never renew their wedding vows. "I just feel like a vow renewal is a pre-divorce," she explained (via Page Six). Mark Consuelos agreed that they aren't a sign of a happy, healthy union, suggesting that husbands use them as marital Band-aids when they majorly screw up. Sometimes, this actually works. In 2017, rocker Ozzy Osbourne and former "The Talk" co-host Sharon Osbourne renewed their vows after Ozzy was unfaithful. "Sharon and I have been through so much, and this honestly feels like a new beginning," the Black Sabbath frontman told Hello!.

Hilaria Baldwin told Extra it was Alec Baldwin's idea to renew their vows in 2017, which is the same year David Beckham told "Desert Island Discs" that he and Victoria Beckham had done the same. As of this writing, both couples are still going strong. But there are also a number of failed celeb marriages Ripa can use as evidence to support her vow renewal claim.

"Sister Sister" actor Tia Mowry and her "Hollywood Horror" co-star Cory Hardrict renewed their vows on a Malibu beach in 2014, almost five years after they tied the knot. At the time, their son, Cree, was almost 2 years old. "Cree was my motivation and inspiration to renew our vows," Tia said in an interview with Us Weekly. "We now have this new miracle in our lives and I wanted to celebrate our love, and what our love together created — Cree!" Their short guest list included Tia's twin sister, Tamera Mowry.

After the couple welcomed their second child, a daughter named Cairo, in 2018, their family life seemed idyllic. Tia regularly shared videos of her hubby and kids on her YouTube channel, such as her 2021 vlog chronicling their family trip to Hawaii. That same year, she recreated her wedding day look. "Cory is very serious. He's only cried when both of our kids were born, and then on our wedding day," Tia said while having her makeup done. Less than a year later, she announced that she and Hardrict were getting divorced. 

Tia revealed on "Today" that focusing on her own happiness made her realize it was time to move on. She also said that she doesn't view her marriage as a failure. "I feel like ... when (people) look at marriage, success equals longevity," she said. "But, no, at the end of the day, it's are they happy?"

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott both had spouses when they met on the set of the 2005 Lifetime film "Mind Over Murder," but they succumbed to their mutual attraction. "We had sex the first night we met," Spelling admitted on a 2014 episode of "True Tori." They tied the knot in 2006, and their marriage has seemingly been a work in progress for years. When the couple renewed their vows in 2010, they were already disputing rumors that their relationship was on the rocks. "There's no divorce in our future," McDermott said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" a month before he and Spelling renewed their vows at a private residence in Beverly Hills.

Spelling used some of her favorite shoes as décor for the event, and guests were asked to use a typewriter to write notes for the couple. "This is a rebirth," Spelling told Us Weekly at the time.

Four years later, McDermott admitted to cheating on Spelling as the "True Tori" cameras rolled. Still, the couple kept disproving those divorce rumors that just wouldn't die. Then, in June 2023, McDermott posted and deleted a message on his Instagram Story that read in part, "It's with great sadness and a very very heavy heart that after 18 years together and 5 amazing children, that @torispelling and I have decided to go our separate ways." A source later told People, "He can't take it anymore. He told her he's done."

After tying the knot in Mexico in 2005, Heidi Klum and Seal found celebrating their marriage so nice that they did it twice ... but didn't stop there. During the seven years before they announced their divorce in 2012, their annual vow renewal ceremonies became the wedding anniversary equivalent of Klum's extravagant Halloween parties. The events often had themes, with Radar reporting that the former Victoria's Secret model and the "Kiss From a Rose" singer chose a "trailer trash" theme for their 2009 beachside ceremony in Malibu. The décor included pink flamingos — Seal rocked a mullet, and Klum wore her hair styled in glittery cornrows. Naturally, the ceremony was officiated by an Elvis Presley impersonator.

The following year, the couple asked their guests to dress up like grooms and brides when they returned to Mexico to renew their vows, per People. Those in attendance included their four children: Leni, Henry, Johan, and Lou. The couple chose a masquerade theme for their final vow renewal in 2011 and picked Mar-a-Lago for their venue, per the Daily Mail. (This was four years before the club's owner, Donald Trump, told The New York Times that "[Heidi's] no longer a 10."

On "Radio Andy," Seal revealed that the yearly celebrations were his wife's idea. "It kind of turned into a little bit of a circus, which I wasn't terribly fond of," he said. At least Klum didn't turn one of them into an actual circus.

After almost a decade of marriage, "Jon and Kate Plus 8" stars Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin decided to say "I do" again in 2008. Eight special guests who weren't present the first time around got to witness the moment, as did TLC viewers. "Our first wedding was for us. This time, it is also for us but mostly to publicly promise our children that we will always be together, complete as a family," Kate said to Jon during the ceremony. It also served as a family vacay, as the Gosselins opted to fly to Maui for the television event — er, vow renewal. The kids had a blast. "Collin actually keeps asking me, 'Mommy, can we go back to your wedding?' I think the kids equate the wedding to Hawaii," Kate later told Good Housekeeping.

TLC milked the moment for all it was worth by having Kate shop for a new wedding dress on "Say Yes to the Dress." She found two gowns that she liked, so the consultants at Kleinfeld Bridal had to come up with a way to give her the best of both. Less than a year after viewers watched her walk down the aisle in her dream dress, she and Jon announced that they were divorcing. When Kate's brother, Kevin Kreider, and his wife, Jodi Kreider, appeared on "The Early Show" (via HuffPost) to discuss the failed marriage, Jodi said of the vow renewal, "That was for ratings."

A number of divorces have become "Real Housewives" plotlines over the years, and there's a subset of divorced franchise stars who also had their vow renewal ceremonies filmed. Ramona Singer and Mario Singer, for example, redeclared their commitment to one another during Season 3 of "The Real Housewives of New York City." They'd been married for 17 years at the time of their 2009 ceremony, which took place at Manhattan's Pierre Hotel. Mario said to his wife, "Sometimes it takes quite a while before you know if you've made the right choice. I was fortunate to have known very early that I had made the right decision," per Bravo. Ramona later bragged to The New York Times, "Everyone cried. That is really important to mention. Every person cried. Every man and woman."

The couple's marriage was tested in early 2014 when Ramona discovered that Mario had cheated on her with Kasey Dexter. The couple attempted to work things out, but a few months later, Ramona told Us Weekly that she decided to ditch Mario for good after getting him to admit that he hadn't stopped seeing Dexter.

While the end of Ramona's marriage was heartbreaking, it didn't make her look back on her celebration of matrimony with acrimony. While reflecting on her fondest "RHONY" memories with The Daily Dish in 2017, Ramona said, "Now I'm gonna show my vulnerability. My all-time moment was when I renewed my vows with my ex-husband."

Cynthia Bailey and Peter Thomas' 2010 wedding was actually filmed for Season 3 of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." Bailey later recalled to Essence, "I woke up with cameras in my house." When Thomas surprised her with a vow renewal ceremony in Anguilla just two years later, it was also filmed for "RHOA." Bailey appreciated having the meaningful moment captured on camera. "Honestly, I have now watched it at least 100 times, and I still tear up every single time," she wrote on her Bravo blog. "I still can't figure out how Peter's sneaky butt managed to pull this off without me finding out."

However, Bailey didn't believe that her husband was being sneaky in a 2015 video shared by The Shade Room. In it, Thomas touches the chest and neck of an unidentified woman. "I don't think that there was more to the story with the video," Bailey said on "Watch What Happens Live" in January 2016 (via The Daily Dish). But four months later, she told The Daily Dish that her marriage was over.

Bailey became the first housewife to get married twice on her show when she tied the knot with Mike Hill in 2020. After announcing her second divorce two years later, Bailey told Page Six, "Peter reached out to me. He said he just wishes me the best. He told me I was a queen and that I deserve the best, so that was really, really nice."

In 2015, "Real Housewives of Orange County" viewers watched Shannon Beador recount how she discovered a secret that rocked the foundation of her 15-year marriage to David Beador. "I caught him whispering to this person on the phone and I suspected something was wrong," she said (via E!). Receipts from a hotel confirmed her fear that David was having an extramarital affair. However, Shannon declared, "Divorce is not an option."

Shannon and David started couples therapy, and David treated his wife to a big birthday surprise in 2016: a vow renewal ceremony at their original wedding venue, the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. The event was filmed for "RHOC," and an elated Shannon said that it made her feel justified in her decision to stick with David. "I'm proud of both David and I. Because both of us could have given up. It would have been easier to give up," she stated (via People). "But I look at our three children and they are what makes it all worth it."

The following year, Shannon announced that she and David had separated. "I felt alone in my marriage," she explained to People. Shannon and David's divorce was contentious; in addition to the usual fights over finances and custody, David tried to get a court order barring Shannon from being inebriated around their daughters, per The Blast. But the exes were all smiles in a photo Shannon shared on Instagram in 2023.

Kim Kardashian's first vow renewal was really just a way for her and her husband at the time, NBA player Kris Humphries, to promote their "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" wedding special. When the couple tied the knot in August 2011, their guest list included many famous faces. But when they renewed their vows, they did so in front of a large group of non-famous strangers — and Ellen DeGeneres, who officiated the ceremony on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." The talk show host told the couple, "It's been five weeks since your wedding, which is a long time for reality TV stars, so it's time to renew your vows." Humphries and Kardashian didn't get much of an opportunity to plan their own vow renewal ceremony, as their marriage famously lasted just 72 days.

In 2014, Kardashian topped the extravagance of her previous wedding with some help from Kanye West. The couple got hitched in Florence, Italy, after having their rehearsal dinner at the Palace of Versailles. Five years later, the rapper and the reality show star renewed their vows. On "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," Kardashian revealed that she'd been hoping to surprise Ye with a small backyard ceremony, but she was forced to coordinate with him instead when she learned that he'd been making his own plans. Per Page Six, they decided to not have their actual ceremony filmed. However, they couldn't dodge the vow renewal curse; Kardashian filed for divorce in 2021.

When Kim Zolciak first met Kroy Biermann in 2010, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star made the first move on the former Atlanta Falcons linebacker with the pickup line, "I've never in my life seen an a** like that. Can I see it? Will you turn around?" (via Yahoo! Entertainment). After a whirlwind romance, the pair rushed to the altar, possibly so they could have the perfect palindrome wedding date: 11/11/11. 

Bravo filmed Zolciak and Biermann's nuptials, and their wedding planning process was documented for the first season of their own series, "Don't Be Tardy." The spinoff also starred Zolciak's two daughters from previous relationships, Brielle and Ariana, whom Biermann has adopted. Zolciak and Biermann's first child together, Kroy "KJ" Jr., was just an infant at the time of the couple's wedding, and the series followed their brood as it grew to include their son Kash and their twins, daughter Kaia and son Kane.

In 2017, the entire family celebrated with Zolciak and Biermann as their vow renewal ceremony in Turks and Caicos was filmed for "Don't Be Tardy." Afterward, Zolciak told People, "Kroy's still the hottest thing I've ever seen. That a**? Nothing's changed, it's pretty insane." But the Bravolebrities' wedded bliss ended in 2023, with a source telling People that financial issues had put a strain on their marriage. The insider said that the $1 million they reportedly owed in back taxes was particularly challenging for the pair.

When you're Mariah Carey, you don't need a hero to come along on a white horse and whisk you away to his castle; you can use your own vast wealth to make your princess dreams comes true. When Carey married "Wild 'n Out" host Nick Cannon in 2008, they chose Carey's property in the Bahamas as the location of their wedding. Reflecting back on how their relationship began after Carey cast Cannon in her "Bye Bye" music video, Cannon told People that they were both young at heart. "I'd write little third-grade notes," he said. So, what better place to renew their vows than somewhere that appeals to the inner child? When Carey and Cannon celebrated five years of marriage at Disneyland in 2013, they also shared the magical moment with their twins, Monroe and Moroccan. In fact, their fun-filled Disney day started out with a birthday party for the then-2-year-olds.

Carey wore a white ballgown that any fairy godmother would be proud to have conjured up for her princess, and she and Monroe got to ride in a fairytale carriage that presumably started its life as a pumpkin. Cannon and Moroccan met them in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle, which is where the ceremony took place, per ET.

Cannon and Carey's romance ended in 2014, but in a 2022 appearance on "The Hot Tee Talk Show," Cannon had nothing but love for his ex, saying, "It was literally like a fairytale with Mariah."

The moment many "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" fans likely remember most from the Kar-Jenners' 2011 Bora Bora vacation is when Kris Humphries tossed Kim Kardashian into the ocean. She lost her diamond earring, and the internet gained its favorite cry-face meme. But the point of the getaway was actually for Kris Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner to renew their wedding vows after two decades of marriage — unbeknownst to Kris. On "KUWTK," Kris told daughters Kim and Kourtney Kardashian that she was feeling self-conscious about her body ahead of the trip, but the momager's children weren't exactly sympathetic. "You should have been working out for years," Kourtney told her. In a confessional, Kim later said, "I'm like, 'Mom, don't ruin it for everyone just because you have weird feelings about being in a bikini."

When Kris learned about the vow renewal surprise during the trip, it didn't cheer her up. "I don't want to stand up there and have everyone watch me," she told Caitlyn (via the Daily Mail). "This was like a drive-by wedding, I didn't prepare for this." But after some gentle cajoling and a vow from Caitlyn to help her start exercising, Kris agreed to say "I do" again. Per Us Weekly, a Tahitian priest officiated the ceremony, which took place on the premises of the group's $5,000-a-night hotel, the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa. Kris and Caitlyn announced that they had separated two years later.

When "One Tree Hill" star Jana Kramer married former NFL player Mike Caussin in 2015, she had no idea that her marriage was about to become like a real-life primetime soap opera. She'd already dumped Caussin once before their wedding because he'd been unfaithful, according to an Us Weekly report, but she believed that he had changed. The couple welcomed their daughter, Jolie, in January 2016, and a few months later, a source told Us Weekly that Kramer was wrong about Caussin. "Mike cheated on her multiple times with multiple women," the insider said. Kramer confirmed reports that she and Caussin had separated on the "Mouthing Off" podcast in September 2017. However, she said they weren't giving up on their marriage.

In a December 2017 Instagram post, Kramer revealed that she and Caussin had renewed their vows in Hawaii. "2017...you broke my heart, you broke me down, you made me question everything, but damn did you make me strong," she wrote. She suffered a miscarriage days after the ceremony, but she and Caussin had cause to celebrate the following year when they welcomed their son, Jace.

They split for good in 2021. On "Red Table Talk," Kramer said she'd learned that Caussin had cheated on her again. "I destroyed all of his Xboxes and all those things he said was his only vice," she said of her reaction to the discovery. "I wrote all over his tux. I went real crazy for a minute."

When Khloé Kardashian and Lakers player Lamar Odom got ready to walk down the aisle in 2009, they'd only been dating for a month. Their whirlwind courtship and Odom's proposal, which happened just nine days before their wedding, were filmed for "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." While they may have rushed to the altar, they succeeded where Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries failed by staying together long enough to score their own E! spinoff: "Khloé & Lamar."

Haste seemed to be a virtue for the pair, who renewed their vows in 2010. For their first anniversary, Odom decided to surprise Khloé by bringing her back to their wedding venue, music mogul Irving Azoff's residence in Beverly Hills, so they could celebrate their marriage milestone in a memorable way. Odom also devised a clever way to get his wife to the mansion. "The day has been somewhat like a treasure hunt, moving from one surprise to the next," Khloé wrote on her Celebuzz blog. 

While the couple seemed like a perfect match, Khloé filed for divorce after four years of marriage in 2013. In a 2014 episode of "KUWTK," Kourtney Kardashian noticed that Khloé still had her bouquet from the vow renewal, which prompted Khloé to open up about Odom's infidelity. "Last year on my birthday, I lied to everyone," she confessed. "I had to lie and say I was with my husband, when in fact my husband was missing with another girl."

Fergie and Josh Duhamel's Fergalicious wedding took place in 2009 at the Church Estate Vineyards, which is located in Malibu, California. Per Us Weekly, Slash and Kid Rock performed at their wedding reception. 

While planning a wedding — especially a star-studded celeb affair — can be an exhausting ordeal, Duhamel was back in planning mode less than one year after he and Fergie tied the knot. According to Radar, the day before they celebrated their first wedding anniversary, Duhamel surprised his wife by whisking her away to a secluded seaside bluff via helicopter. There, the couple had an intimate vow renewal ceremony. "Fergie was crying and seemed very emotional," said an eyewitness. Duhamel confirmed that the ceremony happened in an interview with ET and revealed that another doomed celebrity couple had inspired him and Fergie to start renewing their vows annually. "We got the idea from Heidi Klum and Seal, they do that. ... and [Fergie] said 'I want to do that,'" he said.

Two months before their first vow renewal, Duhamel's rep had to deny a stripper's claim that the "Las Vegas" actor had an affair with her, per People. The allegation was just a small hump — a lump, really — that he and Fergie seemed to easily move past, and they welcomed their son, Axl, in 2013. However, the couple's opportunities to plan romantic new vow renewal ceremonies ended when they called it quits in 2017.

When "Shotgun Wedding" star Jennifer Lopez got a second shot at making it down the aisle with Ben Affleck, they ended up getting hitched in Las Vegas. It wasn't the first time Lopez was a participant in a romantic Sin City ceremony, as she and Marc Anthony decided to renew their vows there in 2008.

The couple had previously tied the knot in 2004 at Lopez's home. "She didn't hardly tell anyone. Everyone was surprised," a source told Us Weekly (via Entertainment Weekly). Whereas their intimate wedding was a planned surprise, Lopez and Anthony's vow renewal at Caesars Palace was reportedly spontaneous. "They decided around 12:30 in the morning that they wanted to do it and started calling for ministers," a source told People.

Lopez and Anthony, who share twins Emme and Max, announced that they were getting divorced in 2011. "I had kids when I was 38, because I never wanted to not be with the person I was with and had kids with," Lopez said during Oprah Winfrey's 2020 Vision Tour, per Hola! "I just felt like, when we got divorced, it was the lowest time of my life, I felt like I had failed miserably." It would take a few more failed romances to bring Lopez back to Affleck, but the Bennifer relaunch was worth the wait. Now, we just have to hope that the couple is satisfied with their two weddings and doesn't tempt the vow renewal curse.