5 Messiest Breakups in Hollywood History

Anthony Faccenda

It wasn’t entirely shocking when news broke that the 15-month marriage of 52-year-old Johnny Depp and 30-year-old Amber Heard were getting a divorce. But what began as a simple divorce announcement between the unlikely Hollywood couple soon spiraled into a he said-she said battle over restraining orders, police reports, and alleged accusations of domestic violence.

Immediately following the divorce announcement less than two weeks ago, Heard alleged that Depp threw a phone, which hit her in face, during an argument. Since then, Heard has alleged that Depp was “emotionally and physically abusive” throughout their 15-month marriage. According to court documents uncovered earlier this week, Heard has alleged three specific incidents of abuse against the Pirates of the Caribbean star, in December 2015, on April 21, and most recently on May 21. On Thursday photos surfaced on Heard with a dark bruise around one eye and a swollen lip from an alleged December 2015 attack.

Friends and family have all come to Depp's defense following the onslaught of allegations. “My dad is the sweetest most loving person I know,” said the Oscar nominee’s 17-year-old daughter Lily-Rose Depp on Instagram. “He’s been nothing but a wonderful father to my little brother and I, and everyone who knows him would say that same.”

Depp’s ex-partner of 14 years Vanessa Paradis penned a handwritten letter to TMZ in his defense writing in part, “In all the years I have known Johnny, he has never been physically abusive with me and this looks nothing like the man I lived with for 14 wonderful years.”

While the outcome of the assault charges remains to be seen, one thing is for certain: this is not the first messy breakup in celebrity history, and it certainly won’t be last.

Here are five more messy celebrity breakups

Sandra Bullock and Jesse James
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One of the most famous faces in Hollywood, the Oscar-winning Bullock left many fans scratching their heads in 2005 when she married tattooed reality star Jesse James. It didn’t exactly come as a surprise when Bullock filed divorce five years later, but was surprising was the scandal surrounding the breakup.

In March 2010, reports surfaced that James had had affairs with several women during his marriage to The Blind Side star. James subsequently apologized to Bullock and checked himself into rehab. Bullock filed for divorce one month later. James went on to date tattoo artist Kat Von D, who later broke up with him after he allegedly cheated on her with 19 women.
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Since their divorce, James has written a tell-all book and appeared sporadically on reality television programs, while Bullock continues to be one of the top female stars in Hollywood.

Heidi Klum and Seal

In somewhat of a shocker, the seemingly perfect marriage of Seal and Heidi Klum ended in 2012. The couple had four children together and had renewed their vows each year of their seven-year marriage. The honeymoon ended, however, when Seal accused the super model of cheating on him with their bodyguard Martin Kirsten.

Seal would go on to call Klum “classless,” while Klum accused the pop singer of having anger issues.

Klum went on to publicly acknowledge her relationship with Kirsten—although the two broke up in 2014. The America’s Got Talent judge is now dating art dealer Vito Schnabel. Last year, Seal revealed that he disliked their over-the-top wedding renewal ceremonies, telling Andy Cohen that they were “a little bit of a circus.”

Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry

Although Halle Berry has been married and divorced three times, it’s her five-year partnership with model Gabriel Aubry that makes our list. The two began dating in 2005, and Berry gave birth to their child three years later. When Berry and Aubry called it quits in April 2010, the two became embroiled in a highly publicized custody battle.

The friction centered on Berry’s desire to move with their daughter from Los Angeles to the home of her new boyfriend Oliver Martinez in France. In 2012, a judge ruled against Berry’s request to move their daughter to France on the grounds that it would interfere with Aubry’s visitation rights. Weeks after the ruling, Aubry and Martinez got into a physical altercation at Berry’s residence, which resulted in hospitalization for both men. In 2014, a Superior Court judge ordered that Berry pay Aubry $16,000 a month for child support and $300,000 in attorney fees.
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As for Berry and Martinez, the couple married in March 2012; had a son; and divorced last year. 

Liza Minnelli and David Gest

Liza Minnelli managed to avoid scandal in her first three divorces, but wasn’t so lucky when her separation from entertainer David Guest became tabloid fodder in 2003. Following their short-lived marriage, Gest dropped a laundry list of accusations against Minnelli, including that she physically abused him and that she failed to disclose that she had herpes. Gest also claimed that Minnelli physically assaulted his manager during a drunken rage. The Cabaret star returned fire accusing Gest of poisoning her and controlling her with drugs. Gest went on to file a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Minnelli, which was eventually dropped.

Minnelli, the Tony and Oscar-winning entertainer still tours. Gest passed away in April 2016

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger

This Hollywood power couple’s divorce began amicably in 2002, but turned nasty due to a custody battle over their daughter Ireland. During the drawn-out conflict, Baldwin accused Basinger of turning their daughter against him. Matters got even messier after an angry voicemail message from Baldwin to Ireland was released. In the message, Baldwin called his then-11-year-old daughter a “rude, thoughtless little pig.” The 30 Rock actor also threatened to “straighten (her) ass out” in the verbal tirade.

In 2015, the father and daughter made light of the 2007 incident on Twitter while reading the children’s book If I Were a Pig.

Despite their nasty divorce, Baldwin and Basinger began speaking again last year after Ireland entered rehab. Baldwin is currently married to yoga instructor Hilaria Thomas.