Major Roles That Destroyed Celebrity Relationships
We've all heard about actors who go truly method when they're playing a part (looking right at you, Daniel Day Lewis and Jim Carrey) or who get a little too committed. Extreme weight loss or weight gain, bad haircuts, shaving their eyebrows — you name it, some celeb has probably done it (and maybe even received an Oscar in return).
But the following stars may have gone a little too far, diving headfirst into their romantic roles or just letting the drama of a part intrude on their personal life. And yes, we're talking extreme situations like Shia LaBeouf possibly getting way too into character for a film called Nymphomaniac and Ben Affleck potentially relapsing into alcoholism just to portray a realistic hangover. However, instead of an Academy Award, all these unlucky-in-love A-listers ended up winning was a proverbial session with a couples therapist. Let's see who went from method acting to relationship mayhem.
Brad Pitt in Mr. & Mrs. Smith
During filming of 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith, rumors ran rampant about Brad Pitt's blossoming relationship with co-star (Mrs. Smith) Angelina Jolie, especially after photos emerged of the duo looking quite cozy on set. In the movie, the pair played a married couple who are also — surprise! — trained assassins hired to kill each other. It seems Pitt really got into character with Jolie (whom he eventually did marry in 2014.) For years, the co-stars denied they had an on-set romance, but those rumors seem to have been substantiated.
What's the big deal? Pitt was still married to Friends star Jennifer Aniston during filming. Those two A-listers had been together since 1998, so even the faintest whiff of infidelity fueled a media circus. Pitt and Aniston split up for good in January 2005, and just one month after Aniston filed for divorce, photos surfaced of Pitt cavorting with Jolie and her son, Maddox, on a Kenyan beach, proving the former co-stars were more than just ... friends. Aniston's reaction pretty much sums it up: "The world was shocked, and I was shocked," she told Vanity Fair.
Pitt and Jolie grew their family to six kids and went on to star in another movie together, 2015's poorly-received By the Sea, but this love affair borne out of movie magic ultimately did not survive. The Pitt-Jolie marriage blew up in 2016, prompting an equally intense tabloid firestorm.
Ben Affleck in Jersey Girl
In the early 2000s, it was nearly impossible to escape the tabloid coverage of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. "Bennifer," who starred together in the 2003 bomb Gigli, was all over the news, especially after the co-stars got engaged that same year (and filmed a particularly memorable music video for her song "Jenny from the Block.")
One flop brought them together, and it seems another flop may have helped tear them apart. The stars had planned a September 2003 wedding while also working on a second movie together, but just four days before the nuptials, Affleck reportedly called the whole thing off. Bennifer released a statement saying, "Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date." Unfortunately, they couldn't call off the movie. By the time the critically-slammed Jersey Girl was finally released in 2004, the real life romance was no more.
Affleck told GQ the whole experience "was really bad for me in all kinds of different ways, particularly in terms of my emotional life, my sense of self."
Meg Ryan in Proof of Life
Rumors started to swirl in 2000 that America's sweetheart, Meg Ryan, had been involved with co-star Russell Crowe on the set of Proof of Life. As the press ran with the story, Ryan and then-husband Dennis Quaid promptly split after nine years of marriage.
In Ryan's defense, she later claimed Quaid had his skeletons too, telling InStyle in 2008 that the tabloid narrative about Crowe breaking up her marriage to Quaid "was a great story," but it wasn't the full picture. "Dennis was not faithful to me for a long time," Ryan revealed, adding, "And that was very painful." She also clarified that "Russell didn't break up the marriage. He was definitely there at the end, but it wasn't his fault."
Quaid wasn't particularly impressed with Ryan digging up the past nearly 10 years after their marriage imploded. "I find it unbelievable that Meg continues publicly to rehash and rewrite the story of our relationship," he told The New York Daily News in response to Ryan's InStyle remarks. Oof. The worst part of all? Proof of Life was basically a bomb.
Andrew Garfield in Silence
British actor Andrew Garfield picked up a ton of buzz and critical acclaim for his role as a Jesuit priest in Martin Scorcese's Silence (2016), but he may have paid the price with his personal life. In April 2015, reports suggested he'd became so immersed in his work that long-term girlfriend Emma Stone (They'd been dating since 2011) had no choice but to end things and move back to Los Angeles.
An insider told US Weekly, "He'd been in a dark place for months, getting into his role... He wasn't being the best partner." Garfield reportedly had to spend tremendous amounts of time in Taiwan and lose 40 lbs for the part. It's probably safe to assume took that all the fun out of date night. However, the split didn't stop them from respecting each other's artistry — at least not in Garfield's case. In January 2017, he told Vanity Fair's Little Gold Men podcast, "For me, it's been bliss to be able to watch her success and watch her bloom into the actress that she is. And it's also been wonderful to have that kind of support for each other. It's nothing but a beautiful thing." As far as Stone's thoughts about Garfield post-romance? Well... she hasn't been as forthcoming.
Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman
In July 2012, Us Weekly broke the story that broke the hearts of millions of Twilight devotees. The magazine published photos of then-22-year-old actress Kristen Stewart making out with 41-year-old filmmaker and director Rupert Sanders. Stewart had just starred in Snow White and the Huntsman, which Sanders directed. What made the canoodling catastrophic: Stewart was still dating Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, and Sanders was married with two children.
Stewart quickly released a heartfelt, apologetic statement (via Us Weekly), saying, "I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry."
But the damage was done. "Robsten" soon called it quits, as did Sanders and his wife. Sanders was subsequently fired from the 2016 prequel, The Huntsman: Winter's Warrior, and Stewart ditched her role, claiming the new script; not past indiscretions, was to blame.
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra
A classic Hollywood tale: two beautiful actors meet on the set of a movie, fall in love, and live happily ever after. Or, in the case of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (pictured right), they meet on the set of Cleopatra (1963), experience nonstop drama during a troubled shoot, get married, get divorced, and get married again. Oh, and did we mention that Taylor left then-husband Eddie Fisher (pictured left) to start said relationship, and Burton, who was also married at the time, was reportedly more than happy to carry on their torrid affair. That's two relationships destroyed by one film.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the glamorous couple's life together didn't exactly calm down after the affair was out in the open. Taylor and Burton's relationship became nearly as mythic as the roles they played in the film. They wed in 1964, divorced in 1974, remarried in 1975, and split again in 1976.
Billy Crudup in Stage Beauty
This one was a bruiser. In 2003, Billy Crudup was playing the part of Ned Kynaston in Stage Beauty (2004), co-starring My So Called Life lead Claire Danes. Crudup was in a serious relationship with actress Mary-Louise Parker at the time, but that allegedly didn't stop him from diving into a supposed affair with Danes and abruptly calling things off with Parker. Never mind that Parker was reportedly six months pregnant. Oh wait, yes mind.
Parker described the devastating aftermath of that breakup in her 2015 memoir Dear Mr. You. Crudup has remained mum on the topic. He and Danes continued their romance for about four years, ending things in 2008. Reflecting back on the relationship, Danes told Howard Stern (via Us Weekly) in 2015, "I was just in love with him ... And needed to explore that and I was 24 ... I didn't quite know what those consequences would be."
Suzy Amis in Titanic
Suzy Amis got more than just the tip of the iceberg after signing on to play Lizzy Calvert in the mega blockbuster Titanic (1997). The film's director, James Cameron, reportedly grew infatuated with the actress, despite the fact he was with actress Linda Hamilton at the time.
According to an interview with Hamilton in the Daily Mail, Cameron got together with Amis during shooting, then went back to Hamilton, married her, divorced her, and ended up back with Amis. Phew. "It's interesting because while he was making Titanic, Suzy at that time was the gargoyle on the end of my bed, waiting to swoop in," she said. "Now I'm the gargoyle on her bed because for Jim, the one who doesn't end up with him is always the one he wants. I'm the one who got away, and she has to live with that."
Be that as it may, Amis and Cameron wed in 2000, had kids, and have been together ever since.
Ben Affleck in Gone Girl
Another role, another Affleck relationship meltdown; or, if you will, same Ben, different Jen. This time, Affleck was playing the role of writer and accused murderer Nick Dunne in Gone Girl (2014). At this point, Affleck had moved on from J-Lo to J-Gar, marrying Jennifer Garner in 2005.
Affleck reportedly went to great lengths to get into character, telling Details magazine (via the Daily Mail) that he resumed heavy drinking (he'd done a stint in rehab in 2001 and would go again in 2017) to bring authenticity to the screen adaptation. "In the book it said that he was puffy and hungover. And I dedicated myself to that, and I think it's quite convincing." Also like his character in the film, Affleck allegedly confessed to cheating on Garner.
Though it may be a stretch to heap too much blame on Gone Girl, perhaps Affleck's so-called dedication to the role (aka shady real-life behavior) became too much for his wife. After a long separation, Garner finally filed for divorce in 2017.
Billy Bob Thornton in Pushing Tin
Back in 1999, Laura Dern was happily involved in a serious relationship with Billy Bob Thornton, or so she thought. Dern was working on a film while Thornton shot a role in Pushing Tin (1999), and as Dern told Talk magazine (via ABC News), he ghosted her. "I left our home to work on a movie, and while I was away, my boyfriend got married, and I've never heard from him again...It's like a sudden death. For no one has there been any closure or clarity."
So what happened? Like some kind of proto-Pitt, Thornton got the hots for co-star Angelina Jolie and threw caution to the wind. The new couple quickly made things official, getting hitched in Las Vegas in 2000 after about two months of dating.
Two vials of blood, some weird tattoos, and a few awkward red carpet appearances later, Thornton and Jolie called it quits in 2003 (just in time for Brad Pitt to swoop in.) Dern moved on to marry (and then divorce) musician Ben Harper.
Shia LaBeouf in Nymphomaniac
When you're starring in a movie titled Nymphomaniac (2013), it's not that shocking if some less-than-family-friendly high jinks go down. It seems that's exactly what happened with co-stars Shia LaBeouf and Mia Goth.
When filming began, LaBeouf was in a highly-publicized relationship with designer Karolyn Pho, but then the tabloids began reporting that he was taking his role in the film super seriously and getting tangled up in real life with his on-screen love interest. The pair initially denied any shenanigans (as did Pho, saying "It's none of anybody's business...Everything is fine with us. It was nothing affiliated with his movie.") But, whad'ya know, LaBeouf and Goth got married in Las Vegas in 2016.
LaBeouf and Goth wouldn't make it in the long run, however, calling it quits just two years later amid his rumored fling with yet another co-star, Honey Boy actress FKA Twigs. Maybe LaBeouf needs to consider a script titled, No Thanks, I'm Taken.
Jennifer Lawrence in Mother!
Jennifer Lawrence may have starred in Darren Aronofsky's Mother!, but she is young enough to be the filmmaker's daughter. However, the age difference wasn't what doomed their relationship. It was, in part, the failure of the project. Though the flick maintains a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as of this writing, it had a bumpy start.
According to The Telegraph, Mother! was met with "the lowest wide-release opening of Lawrence's entire career." Audiences hated it so much there were reportedly "mass walkouts." One critic from Observer even called it the "worst movie of the century." The film's onslaught of negative reviews really took a toll on Lawrence's relationship with the director. In an interview with Adam Sandler for Variety, she admitted the criticism consumed them.
"I was doing double duty of, you know, trying to be a supportive partner while also being like, 'Can I please, for the love of God, not think about Mother! for one second," she said. "And then he would start reading me reviews, and then I finally was just like, 'It's not healthy.'"
The pair, who met on-set, didn't even last through Mother!'s press cycle. According to Entertainment Tonight, they split in October 2017 after a year of dating. Mother! had premiered a month prior.
LeAnn Rimes in Northern Lights
LeAnn Rimes' juicy cheating scandal remains an absolute tabloid prize. Perhaps it's because it bizarrely involves a Bravo-approved Real Housewife and two co-stars on a Lifetime movie (which is arguably the least likely place for a tabloid scandal to erupt). Of course, it didn't help that Brandi Glanville waged a Twitter war with her ex-husband's mistress for years after he filed for divorce. After all, tabloids starve if you don't feed them.
Rimes met Eddie Cibrian in 2001 on the set of Northern Lights, a film her then-husband of six years, Dean Sheremet, reportedly encouraged her to do. According to E! News, the affair was just as scandalous on Cibrian's side. He was married to Glanville since 2001. They have two sons, who at the time, were very young.
Of course, the fledgling couple canoodled in secret and denied all rumors about their extramarital affair, but their marriages didn't last too long after that. The Daily Mail reports that Cibrian filed for divorce in August 2009, and Rimes filed for divorce the following month. Glanville then proceeded to slash Cibrian's tires.
"He broke my heart, so I broke his Harleys," she told E! News. "I had that Carrie Underwood song in my head, and I just went for it!"
There was a happy ending for Rimes and Cibrian, if you can shake the public shame and deceit. They wed in 2011.
Tori Spelling in Mind Over Murder
You can thank the forgettable TV flick Mind Over Murder for the reality gold that is Tori Spelling's string of reality shows with Dean McDermott (pictured right). Seriously, you thought you had problems, right? If it wasn't for the 2005 movie, the actors might have never met and fallen in love.
At the time, the Beverly Hills 90210 star was married to actor-writer Charlie Shanian (pictured left). McDermott was married to TV personality Mary Jo Eustace. That didn't stop them from letting sparks fly during their three-week shoot. Once Mind Over Murder wrapped, the stars wrote down a list of their shared goals on their flight back to L.A.
"We wrote things like, 'Bicycling with Lance Armstrong. Both of us!' And we wrote that we'd have lots of babies. He wrote, 'I'd die for you,' and I wrote, 'I die a little bit every time I'm apart from you.' And we said we were never going to be apart for more than two days," Spelling said (via People).
In an interview with GQ (via E! News), Shanian admitted he found out that Spelling had been cheating by reading the National Enquirer. She later "officially dumped him" during a therapy session. McDermott reportedly filed for divorce "immediately" after returning home, and Spelling announced her separation the following week. They wed 30 days after McDermott's divorce was finalized, according to ABC News.