The Most Shocking Reunions Of Celebrity Exes

Celebrity relationships are fascinating. Watching them from afar, many of us spend time "shipping" famous couples, making predictions on how long they'll last, learning from their mistakes and envying their fairytale endings. When a beloved celebrity couple breaks up, many of us feel personally affected — we cry "love is a lie" and worry about what it means for us if even John Mulaney and Annamarie Tendler, or Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, couldn't make it.

But sometimes, just sometimes, the universe is kind to us and these celebrity exes actually get back together. It doesn't always go well, but at least they tried, right? Some celeb couples try to make a bad thing work, but for others a break is just what they need to grow even stronger. Let us walk you through the good, the bad and the ugly of famous couple reunions. We hope you find comfort in the knowledge that even when love dies, it can come back to life — whether that's days, months, or 17 years later.

Once upon a time, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were *the* hot couple gracing the covers of celebrity gossip magazines — and it seems we can look forward to seeing more of them together from now on. It was 2002 when "Ben and Jen" met on a movie set (per People). They soon entered into a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged in November of that year, but unfortunately ended up postponing their wedding in 2003. "When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate 'decoy brides' at three different locations, we realized that something was awry," they said in a joint statement at the time (via People). They broke up in 2004.

But since J.Lo confirmed her split from ex-fiancé Alex Rodriguez in April 2021 in a joint statement to Today, Lopez and Affleck have sparked rumors of a reunion — 17 years after they broke up. TMZ reported that the pair had allegedly been exchanging emails back in February, before being spotted hanging out in LA a couple of months later. At the time, sources told TMZ that Lopez and Affleck were just friends, but the gossip mill was abuzz when the outlet shared that the exes spent time together at a resort in Montana before they headed back to Bel-Air. Seems pretty romantic to us — and clues that Bennifer might actually be back on are multiplying. A source told People, "[Jennifer] spent several days with Ben out of town. They have a strong connection. It's all been quick and intense, but Jennifer is happy."

Actors Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth first met on the set of "The Last Song" in 2009. Speaking at a press conference to promote the movie, Hemsworth said, "From the first day we met, it was good." Sadly, things weren't quite so smooth-sailing from there. They had their first public breakup in August 2010, but a source told E! News that this was actually their second breakup, and that the first just never made it to the press. They got back together shortly after, then a source told E! News they were "time out" in November 2010.

Cut to the spring of 2011 and they're giving their relationship another shot. Can't keep up? We're struggling too. It's at this stage of the courtship that things got serious — Cyrus and Hemsworth got engaged in 2012 but in September 2013, People confirmed they called it off. We know what you're thinking, but no, things still weren't over for the on-and-off couple, who announced a second engagement in 2016 and finally tied the knot in December 2018. In the end, things were just a bit too complicated and Hemsworth filed for divorce in August 2019. In her 2020 song "WTF Do I Know" — which she admitted to Howard Stern was about Hemsworth — Cyrus sings, "Am I wrong that I moved on and I / And I don't even miss you? / Thought that it'd be you until I die / But I let go." Make of that what you will.

Things started off sweetly for Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, who were spotted getting "cuddly" in an IHOP in 2010, according to TMZ. Gomez denied they were dating, telling Us Weekly Bieber was "one of my best friends...It was just pancakes!" Reader, it wasn't just pancakes: Jelena were spotted kissing in January 2011, officially kicking off a raucous and public on-and-off relationship.

They broke up in November 2012, with a source telling Us Weekly, "It's been a really challenging experience over the last year because of their crazy schedules. Selena definitely had some major trust issues with Justin." Not a great omen for the success of a relationship, but after playing the field for a while, Jelena appeared to give things another try in 2015. Bieber serenaded Gomez with "My Girl" in a hotel bar, which doesn't exactly scream "platonic" (per People). He then posted a "throwback" of the two of them on Instagram, but both stars were linked to other people just weeks later. They began dating again in 2017, as Us Weekly reported, but "decided to take a break" in March 2018, a source told People. The break ended up being permanent, with Bieber getting married to Hailey Baldwin in September 2018.

When you picture the ideal relationship, the story doesn't usually go that the lovebirds aren't even able to be in a room together. And yet, that's how things went for the now-very solid couple that is Mr. and Mrs. Bieber, who dated for a bit in 2016 before breaking up in a not-so-amicable way, it seems. "Negative things happened that we still need to talk about and work through," Hailey Bieber told Vogue in 2019. "Fizzled would not be the right word—it was more like a very dramatic excommunication. There was a period where if I walked into a room, he would walk out." Well, sheesh.

Thankfully, Justin and Hailey Bieber were able to set their differences aside in a big way. They were spotted looking very close while in a Miami nightclub in June 2018 and Justin confirmed their engagement on Instagram in July 2018. "My heart is COMPLETELY and FULLY YOURS and I will ALWAYS put you first!" he wrote. "You are the love of my life Hailey Baldwin and I wouldn't want to spend it with anybody else." They were married shortly after. These two might have had a rocky start, but things have definitely been looking up. Speaking to GQ in May 2021 about his marriage, Justin said, "[W]e're just creating these moments for us as a couple, as a family, that we're building these memories. And it's beautiful that we have that to look forward to."

You'd think divorces are pretty final, as far as breakups go — but different rules seem to apply in Hollywood. Makeup artist and entrepreneur Jillian Fink filed for divorce from "Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey in 2015, whom she married in 1999. "It is with careful consideration and mutual respect that we have decided to end our marriage," the couple said in a statement published by E! News. "Our primary concern remains the wellbeing of our children, and we ask with profound gratitude that you respect our family's privacy at this very sensitive time."

Dempsey and Fink never actually went through with the divorce, choosing instead "to work on our issues and improve," as the actor put it in an interview with People in 2016. Revealing the two had sought out couples counseling, he said, "Our marriage was not something I was prepared to let go of. I didn't feel like we had done all the work. And we both wanted to do that work. That's where it started." It sure looks like the couple did the work it took, as Dempsey posted a selfie of them together for Mother's Day 2021, captioning it, "Happy Mother's Day to the most amazing woman, wife, mother, and friend @jilliandempsey." The two share three kids, Tallulah, Darby and Sullivan.

Actors Sienna Miller and Jude Law met on the set of "Alfie" in 2003, and soon rumors began making the rounds that the two were an item. Addressing it for the first time in an interview with the Evening Standard, Miller played their relationship down, but did say, "You do fall a little bit in love with everyone you're working with on some artistic level. I'm convinced of it." Law proposed to Miller on Christmas Day 2004. "They are spectacularly happy," a spokeswoman told People at the time.

The couple didn't remain starry-eyed for long — in 2005, the relationship came crashing down when British tabloids reported that Law had been sleeping with his nanny, Daisy Wright, who outed their affair in the Sunday Mirror (via The Free Library). "It was amazing," she said. "Jude was a masterful lover who made my whole body tingle." Law promptly issued an apology, stating, "Following the reports in today's papers, I just want to say I am deeply ashamed and upset that I've hurt Sienna and the people most close to us" (via the Associated Press). It was too late to save his relationship, and he and Miller split days later, per the Evening Standard.

Despite how difficult this all proved for Miller, the pair eventually got back together in 2009, before ending things definitively in 2011. "It was an entirely an end-of-the relationship decision," a friend of theirs told People. "It had run its course."

Supermodel Bella Hadid and musician The Weeknd (AKA Abel Tesfaye) have already split twice and gotten back together once, but not everyone is convinced this is the end of the road for them. A source told Us Weekly in 2020, "there's always a possibility that they will get back together down the line."

The two first began dating in 2015. "They were hanging out in Coachella and were flirting lots," a tipster shared with E! News at the time. "They have many things in common and really enjoyed each other's company." Hanging out turned into what looked like a really loving relationship, but the couple broke up for a first time in November 2016. "They still have a great deal of love for one another and will remain friends," a source told People.

Things turned sour when The Weeknd was spotted canoodling with Selena Gomez in January 2017, as reported by TMZ. Hadid wasted no time unfollowing Gomez on Instagram, per Elle, then posting an Instagram of herself making a rude gesture, which many interpreted as directed at her ex. Gomez and Tesfaye's very public relationship ended in October 2017, as confirmed by People. The Weeknd bounced back pretty quickly, with E! News reporting he was "hanging out" with Hadid the next month. And then, Us Weekly said they were then seen making out at Coachella in 2018. E! News reported their last breakup in August 2019, but let's see what the future holds, eh?

Ex-Directioner Zayn Malik and international supermodel Gigi Hadid were first thought to be dating in 2015, when a source told Us Weekly that they were "seeing each other" and they were spotted out at the same restaurant. Hadid then heavily featured in Malik's music video for "PILLOWTALK," his first solo single. In the video, they get very, very cozy, but Malik still said he and Hadid were "good friends" in an interview with Zane Lowe in late January 2016. This denial was short-lived, as Malik confirmed that Hadid was his "girlfriend" on the "Zach Sang Show" just days later.

In June 2016, E! News reported that the couple called it. "Zayn and Gigi did break up, but they can likely get back together tomorrow," a source told the outlet. "It's all very unclear what's going on between them now." So unclear in fact that Hadid posted a picture of "his and hers" Nutella jars on Snapchat that same month, hinting that ZiGi was still a go (via Insider). In March 2018, the couple announced their separation, with Hadid tweeting, "I'm forever grateful for the love, time, and life lessons that Z and I shared." This breakup didn't last long, as TMZ reported that the two were "making out" in April 2018. Brace yourself, because they broke up again in January 2019, but were back together by 2020, just in time for a shock pregnancy announcement and the birth of baby Khai.

Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson's rocky relationship could easily fill its own "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" spinoff with drama. It all started when TMZ reported that the reality star and basketball player "were playing tonsil hockey" at a Halloween party in 2016, and progressed into an Instagram-official love story. After Kardashian confirmed her pregnancy on Instagram in December 2017, it all got pretty messy. Just before the birth of their daughter True, TMZ accused Thompson of cheating. Us Weekly then reported that this was far from a one-off, and that the sportsman had been two-timing "with at least four others." It's unclear whether the pair broke up after the scandal emerged, but by May 2018, they were "fully back together," a source told Us Weekly. But in February 2019, rumor had it that Thompson had cheated with Jordyn Woods, and that this pushed Kardashian to give up on the relationship, per TMZ.

Despite not being back together, True's parents decided to quarantine together during COVID, and Kardashian shocked the world by revealing she wanted to use Thompson as a sperm donor on "KUWTK." In an April 2020 trailer, Scott Disick asks some of the brood, "Has Khloé slept with Tristan yet?" to which Kris Jenner responds, "Oh, a hundred percent." A source told People their relationship was back on in July 2020. In March 2021, Kardashian shared a sweet birthday post for Thompson's 30th, writing, "I hope you know today and everyday [sic] how loved you are by me and so many."

Singer Pink and motocross racer Carey Hart have a lot of history. They first met and began dating in 2001, with Pink admitting that she was initially attracted to her future husband's dangerous side. "After you spend a couple of nights in the hospital with him when he's broken, the excitement wears off," she said to USA Today in 2012. "I keep my tires on the ground." They broke up in 2003 but were engaged by 2005, MTV confirmed at the time. They tied the knot in Costa Rica in 2006 but it was a long winding road to happily ever after.

In 2008, Pink officially announced her separation from Hart on her website. "The most important thing for you all to know is that Carey and I love each other so so much," she wrote (via MTV News). "This breakup is not about cheating, anger, or fighting. I know it sounds like cliché bulls***, but we are best friends, and we will continue to be." There was clearly still a lot of mutual respect there, since "the duo reconciled after seeking marriage counseling" in 2010, according to Us Weekly. The couple went on to bring two children into the world, Willow in 2011 and Jameson in 2016. "Marriage is awful, wonderful, comfort and rage. It is boring, terrifying, and a total nail biter," Pink wrote on Instagram in 2020. "But I'll tell you what. It's worth it. All of it."

Was football player Mike Caussin and country singer Jana Kramer's relationship all "beautiful lies?" It certainly looks like it from where we're sitting. The pair sparked up a romance in August 2014, before getting engaged late that year, on Kramer's 31st birthday, People reported. They wasted no time, and said their vows in May 2015. They welcomed daughter Jolie Rae in 2016, but it was all downhill from there.

That year, Caussin went into rehab for sex addiction, as the couple later shared on their podcast (via People). This came after the footballer had cheated on his wife, who was devastated. Kramer had been married twice before, and didn't see this coming at all. "Mike was the biggest of the betrayals because it was the first time in a relationship where I truly loved the version of me," she told People. "I didn't feel I had to prove that I was good enough, I was vulnerable and finally at peace with myself. But I was fooled." In September 2017, Kramer confirmed the two were working on their marriage in a podcast appearance. They renewed their vows and had a second child together, but Caussin's repeated cheating was too much in the end. In April 2021, Kramer wrote on Instagram, "It's time," confirming that they were divorcing. "I've fought y'all. I've loved hard. I've forgiven. I've put the work in. I've given everything I have and now I have nothing else to give."

In September 2020, superstar rapper Cardi B filed for divorce from Offset. Though court documents stated that the marriage was "irretrievably broken" (via Evening Standard), the reality turned out to be a bit more complicated. "It's hard not to talk to your best friend," Cardi said in an Instagram Live in October 2020. "We're just typical two folks [...] who got married early." In early November, Offset's attorney issued a statement to Billboard. "I can confirm that the divorce filed by Cardi B has been dismissed," the statement read. "We remain in Offset's corner and in support of him and his future."

The couple got married in 2017 and separated in late 2018 after Offset had been accused of being unfaithful. "When me and my husband got into our issues—you know, he cheated and everything—and I decided to stay with him and work together with him, a lot of people were so mad at me; a lot of women felt disappointed in me," Cardi B told Vogue in 2019. "Everybody has issues. I believe in forgiveness," she added. Explaining her divorce filing in an Instagram Live in September 2020 (via Teen Vogue), Cardi said, "It's not because of cheating." She continued, "I have a kid with this man, I have a household with this man...sometimes you're just tired of the arguments and the build up. You get tired sometimes and before something happens, you leave." Whatever happened, these days the couple is giving things another try: In November 2020, TMZ reported Cardi dropped the filing.

Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green's relationship over the years has been... interesting, to say the least. They first met on the set of "Hope & Faith" in 2004. Speaking to The New York Times in 2009, Fox said, "I liked him right away." She added, "Everyone was around the monitor watching a scene, and Brian accidentally touched my leg. I remember literal electricity shooting through me and out of me from every direction. It was like magic."

They started dating, got engaged in 2006, and called off the engagement in 2009. "The decision was mutual," a source told People. "They're still friends." Was that it for them, you ask? Not even close. They then got married in Hawaii in 2010, according to E! News, and had two kids. In 2015, TMZ reported "Fox filed for divorce, just days after announcing her separation" — and this wouldn't be the first time. Instead of going through with it, the two had a third child. Unfortunately, the couple didn't make it in the end, and in November 2020, E! News reported Fox filed for divorce again. Don't hold out hope for another reconciliation, though, because Fox is happily coupled up with musician Machine Gun Kelly.

Sixteen years and a marriage each after Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston divorced over "irreconcilable differences," they are apparently sparking up a friendship anew these days. As far as we know, they're not back together, but sources close to the pair don't want to rule out a proper reconciliation. "It's a never say never situation," a source apparently told Us Weekly in 2021 (via Gossip Cop). "Jen and Brad are on totally different wavelengths now, and both agree that everything happens for a reason. It's shaped where they are today, which is in an exceptionally positive place."

This comes after Pitt and Aniston were pictured looking very friendly at the SAG Awards in January 2020, giving faithful fans renewed hope for a Brad and Jen 2.0 announcement. No such luck so far. 

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston met in 1994, got hitched in 2000 in a gorgeous Malibu ceremony, and announced their divorce in 2005. Though he maintains that nothing nefarious happened, there was plenty of media speculation about Pitt's relationship with Angelina Jolie at that time. In a 2005 interview with ABC News, he said, "Most of these stories, you get probably 2 percent real fruit juice and the rest is just garbage with no nutritional value." Loaded with Vitamin C-riously.