Every relationship has its ups and downs. There’s even the theory of the 3 year mark, based on some studies, but not decided beyond doubt yet, that at this point in a relationship couples are under most stress and likely to break up. And the corollary that if they make it past this point their chances of staying together improve.
And this whole up/down emotional roller coaster holds true for marriages as well. But, as love and keeping a long-term partner are such complicated subjects with many many factors involved, it’s difficult to predict exactly what will happen, let alone be prescient enough to counteract whatever things might lead to a break up.
So, in essence, it remains a hit and miss endeavor over which we have little control, apart from making the best effort we can and taking all the choices we consider to be right for us.
Which is probably what some stars believed they were doing when they left their partners for a younger one. At least rationalizing it after the fact if not considering this in advance. If they did the right thing or not is entirely up to debate, but surely theirs alone to decide.
In the lines below, 5 stars with a younger new flame will be presented.
1. Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson probably had one of the longest marriages attributed to a Hollywood actor. 30 years with his now ex-wife Robyn, to be exact. It ended abruptly when Mel got a 14 year younger woman named Oksana Grigorieva pregnant in 2009.
What was more abrupt than that? His relationship with Oksana. Which ended, with custody battles over the child, before Mel’s divorce to Robyn was legally finalized.
2. Marilyn Manson
Notorious for many things, this controversial music icon somehow managed to get married to Dita von Teese, herself a controversial artist, for a year. She was 33 and he was 37 when they tied the knot. But apparently a then 19 year old Rachel Wood was soon to come along like Alexander’s blade against the Gordian knot and sever Manson’s and Teese’s marriage just as easily.
3. Rowan Atkinson
Another long run ended unexpectedly, the British actor’s and comedian’s 23 year old marriage which produced 2 children is now a thing of the past as Atkinson announced that he had filed for divorce from his wife Sunetra Sastry in 2014.
He is currently with Louise Ford, who is 25 years younger than his ex-wife.
4. Ronnie Wood
The guitar player for legendary rock band The Rolling Stones, Ronnie Wood seemed to be a master of relationship-building as well, considering that he an his wife Jo were married for 24 years, until 2009. Even more impressive, they got married pretty late, too. Because they’d been together for 8 years before that, since they met in 1977, to their marriage in 1985.
So you can imagine everyone’s surprise, and especially Jo’s, when he started very publicly going out with an at the time 18-year old cocktail waitress, to the point of bringing her home one late night in 2009 after they’d both been drinking.
Ekaterina Ivanova, the girl in question, being more drunk than Ronnie, managed to light her hair on fire from the stove, as she tried to lit a cigarette. As a merciful Jo put out the flames, Ronnie had a line for the hall of fame of inappropriate, risky lines to say to you’re life partner, especially in that context. He said:”She reminds me of you when you were young”.
5. Johnny Depp
He and Vanessa Paradis were one of the couples that, although unmarried, people in general, along with every tabloid, took for granted. Judging by the 2 children they had together and the 14 years they’d shared with each other in what appeared to be a perfect match of tastes and pursuits.
Which only made it a field day for said tabloids when this partnership ended in 2012.
But Depp was quick to bounce back, soon showing up with his new partner Amber Heard, 14 years younger than Vanessa. He married Amber in 2015.
