Love is supposed to be a fairytale, but for these stars, it turned into a living nightmare. From cheating scandals to bitter feuds, these celebrity breakups were so ugly that they made headlines for years.
Buckle up for a rollercoaster ride of drama, betrayal, and public humiliation. Let’s dive right into it.
Rihanna & Chris Brown: Broken Beats and Bruises
Rihanna and Chris Brown had one of the most volatile relationships of all time. Their ill-fated romance started with a music collaboration of RiRi’s Grammy winning song, Umbrella, in 2008.
One day we will talk about how Rihanna used Chris Brown. pic.twitter.com/WOLuOCjAt3
— DME 🇳🇦 (@dme_363) May 13, 2025
However, their fairytale romance shattered on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards on February 7, 2009, when Brown violently assaulted Rihanna. The Under The Influence singer was arrested for brutally beating her up, leaving her hospitalized with severe injuries.
This incident sent shockwaves through the industry and led to Chris facing criminal charges. In mid-2009, he pleaded guilty to the assault charges and was sentenced to five years of probation, community service, and domestic violence counseling.
If y’all forgot, this is how Rihanna looked after she was brutally BEATEN by Chris Brown: pic.twitter.com/ZJVSQJ0Snv
— Jenna (@JennaSStringer2) June 23, 2020
Later, in November 2009, the songstress spoke out publicly for the first time about the traumatic events surrounding her breakup with Brown during an interview on Good Morning America. She shared,
“I didn’t cause this. I didn’t do it. This happened to me and it can happen to anybody… I didn’t want people to think that’s the kind of the person I fell in love with. That’s embarrassing”.
In his 2017 documentary, Chris Brown: Welcome To My Life, Brown expressed remorse for his actions towards Rihanna. He said,
“My trust totally was lost with her. She hated me after that. I tried everything, she didn’t care. She just didn’t trust me after that. From there, it just went downhill…”
Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart: Epic Twilight Love Fades
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were the quintessential Hollywood love story, with their on-screen chemistry igniting a real-life romance with the Twilight saga as the backdrop. All seemed to be picture perfect, until the summer of 2012.
robert pattinson and kristen stewart for vanity fair, 2009 pic.twitter.com/7Q8Ef6jM7y
— PopCulture (@notgwendalupe) February 15, 2024
Their romance shattered on July 24, 2012, when paparazzi photos surfaced of Stewart passionately kissing married director Rupert Sanders. The director was working with her on the film Snow White And The Huntsman, at the time.
As the cheating allegations started making rounds online, Kristen issued an apology further confirming her scandalous betrayal. She wrote,
“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”.
this week ten years ago, kristen stewart was caught cheating on boyfriend robert pattinson with her "snow white and the huntsman" director rupert sanders: pic.twitter.com/ZF7cFEWzSe
— popculturediedin2009 (@pcd2009) August 17, 2022
Despite a brief reconciliation attempt later in 2012, Robert and Kristen ultimately ended their relationship for good on May 13, 2013. The betrayal of trust caused by the Stewart’s infidelity led to their permanent split.
Joe Jonas & Taylor Swift: Diss Track Feud
Swifties know this one well: the incredibly messy breakup between Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas. The teen idols started dating in July 2008, however, their romance was short-lived.
¿Son old, así de old?
— TSWIFT MX (@tswift_mx) November 27, 2024
Acá el team Taylor Swift y Joe Jonas sí, eso sí te toma menos de 27 segundos seguir a @JoeJonasMxico 😅💛#TaylorSwift #JoeJonas pic.twitter.com/WOCSEOBHY0
In October 2008, the pair called it quits. While Joe remained tight-lipped about the reasons behind the split, the songstress revealed some details of their breakup during her appearance on The Ellen Show, in November 2008. She shared,
“Some day… I’m not even gonna be able to remember the boy who broke up with me over the phone in 25 seconds when I was 18”.
Their breakup further took a bitter turn as the former lovers aired their grievances through their music. Swift’s songs, Forever & Always, Last Kiss, and Holy Ground, are widely believed to reference the painful split.
In retaliation, Jonas also released a song seemingly directed at his ex-girlfriend called, Much Better. The lyrics referencing Taylor Swift read,
“Done with superstars and all the tears on her guitar”.
In response to his diss track, Taylor again took a subtle dig at her ex, playfully acknowledging the infamous breakup phone call in her Saturday Night Live appearance in November 2009. Her witty retort was,
“You might think I’d bring up Joe, that guy who broke up with me on the phone, but I’m not gonna mention him in my monologue… Hey, Joe! I’m doing real well”.
After years of a public and bitter feud, a surprising truce occurred between the former couple in 2015. The pair seemed to have buried the hatchet and are now on good terms.
Evan Peters & Emma Roberts: Love Turned Toxic
Evan Peters and Emma Roberts’ relationship was a tumultuous rollercoaster marked by an on-again, off-again seven-year romance. The pair first started dating in mid-2012.
Their first breakup happened in July 2013, when a dispute led to Roberts’ arrest. Following a heated argument in a Montreal hotel room, the actress was charged with domestic violence against Peters.
While the X-Men actor chose not to press charges, the incident cast a long shadow over their relationship.
Despite the turmoil, the couple reconciled and even got engaged in January 2014. However, they called it off and broke up for the second time in June 2015, only to be rekindled later that year in September.
Their tumultuous relationship continued with a third breakup in May 2016. While briefly linked to her friend Christopher Hines, Roberts once again reconciled with Peters that same November.
Due to the instability and toxic pattern in their relationship, in March 2019, Emma and Evan called off their engagement and turbulent relationship for good. Since then, these two have just been friends.
Calvin Harris & Rita Ora: Tweet and Heartache
Calvin Harris and Rita Ora’s relationship was a rocky one, to say the least. The pair dated for a year from spring 2013 to April 2014, before their split made headlines in a most unexpected way.
While most couples opt for private conversations to end relationships, Harris chose to do it over a public X post! Ouch! This dramatic move even shocked Rita who felt blindsided by her boyfriend and became a tabloid sensation.
Harris’ now-deleted post read,
“To address speculation — myself and Rita ended our relationship some time ago. She is a beautiful, talented woman & I wish her all the best”.
Over a year later, in June 2015, the For You singer for the first time opened up about her infamous breakup from the musician. In an exclusive interview with Marie Claire magazine, she shared,
“I thought he had my back… There was a reason why I split up with him. I don’t know if it was because business was mixed with personal or what…”
Selena Gomez & Justin Bieber: Teenage Dream Shattered
Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber had a rollercoaster relationship of young love and heartbreak. Their on-again, off-again romance began in 2010 and lasted for nearly a decade.
The first crack in their romance happened in November 2012 when the couple split due to busy schedules. However, they were back again in April 2013. Their second split soon followed in November 2014, which led to Selena’s groundbreaking heartbreak song, The Heart Wants What It Wants.
Despite the brief separation, the pull between the two remained strong, leading to a reconciliation in November 2015. However, their reunion was again short-lived as Justin’s relationship with Hailey Baldwin began to blossom that same December.
Around this time, the heartthrob released his infamous song Sorry, which fans believed was a public apology to Selena.
The Jelena saga continued with a surprise reconciliation in October 2017. The former flames rekindled their romance, even celebrating the 2018 Valentine’s Day together.
However, their reunion proved to be short-lived once again, with Gomez and Bieber parting ways in March 2018. Bieber’s subsequent engagement to Hailey that same July marked a definitive end to their tumultuous relationship.
Following his marriage to Hailey in September 2018, Selena found solace through music. Her 2019 song, Lose You to Love Me, served as a poignant reflection on her toxic relationship with Justin. The lyrics that referenced her final breakup was,
“In two months you replaced us like it was easy”.
Gigi Hadid & Zayn Malik: Family Feud
Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik started dating each other in November 2015. The couple’s relationship was marked by a toxic cycle of multiple breakups.
They experienced their first separation in March 2018. The former One Direction member publicly announced their breakup on a social media post. He wrote,
“Gigi and I had an incredibly meaningful, loving and fun relationship and I have a huge amount of respect and adoration for Gigi as a woman and a friend… I’m grateful to all of our fans for respecting this difficult decision and our privacy at this time … we love you all”.
Only a month later, in April 2018, the couple reconciled. However, their reunion was short-lived, as they parted ways once again in January 2019.
However, a year later, Gigi and Zayn rekindled their romance in January 2020. Things seemed to be going strong for the couple this time around as they welcomed their daughter, Khai, that same September.
However, things took a dark turn and their relationship came crumbling down in October 2021. A heated argument between Zayn and Gigi’s mother, Yolanda Hadid, escalated into a physical altercation, leading to Malik being charged with harassment.
The incident marked the end of their on-again, off-again romance. Despite the tumultuous breakup, the former couple has maintained a cordial relationship, prioritizing the well-being of their daughter.
Tom Sandoval & Ariana Madix: Scandoval
Reality TV is notorious for its dramatic storylines, but the messy breakup of Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix broke the internet in the spring of 2023. The Vanderpump Rules stars had a seemingly perfect relationship for almost nine years which began in February 2014.
Unfortunately, in March 2023, longtime partners Sandoval and Madix confirmed their break up. This unexpected news came when Sandoval’s infidelity with one of his co-stars Raquel Leviss came to light, leaving Ariana heartbroken to say the least.
That same month, an anonymous production insider of the show spilled the beans of Tom’s affair to the People magazine. They revealed,
“This has been going on for upwards of 6 months — all the while, Tom was sleeping next to Ariana in bed. She was completely blindsided by this and devastated…”
The fallout from the messy scandal played out dramatically in the Season 10 finale of the Vanderpump Rules, where an explosive confrontation between Tom and his ex-partner unfolded on screen.
Sandoval’s actions sparked a firestorm of online criticism and condemnation. Overwhelmed by the public backlash, he issued a lengthy apology to Ariana on a now-deleted Instagram post, acknowledging his mistakes. He wrote,
“Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly…”
The damage done by his affair was irreparable, leading to the end of their nine-year long relationship.
Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth: Wrecking Ball Breakup
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth shared an on-again and off-again relationship for over a decade. The couple first started dating back in 2009 after meeting on the set of their film, The Last Song.
Their first breakup occurred in August 2010, only to be followed by a reconciliation a month later in September. However, their on-again, off-again pattern continued, with another split soon after in November 2010.
After three years as an on-again, off-again couple, the pair got engaged for the first time in 2012. But unfortunately, their engagement was called off in September 2013 due to rumors of a fizzled romance.
This separation marked a turning point for Miley, who channeled her emotions into her music. Her then hit song Wrecking Ball is widely believed to reflect the pain of the breakup. The lyrics that was inspired by it read,
“I never meant to start a war I just wanted you to let me in / I guess I should’ve let you win. Don’t you ever say I just walked away / I will always want you”.
After several years apart, marked by individual romantic pursuits, Miley and Liam rekindled their relationship in January 2016. Their renewed connection led to a second engagement that same month, culminating in marriage in December 2018.
Unfortunately, just ten months later, in August 2019, the couple announced their separation, finalizing their divorce later that year.
Amidst the breakup, allegations of infidelity and a toxic marriage surfaced with the release of Cyrus’ song Flowers, which many believe is about Liam and the couple’s tumultuous relationship.
Iggy Azalea & Nick Young: Betrayal Unleashed
Iggy Azalea and Nick Young started dating each other in November 2013. By June 2015 the pair even got engaged and the two began living together.
Iggy Azalea shares why she broke up with Nick Young https://t.co/mRuOkp4heu pic.twitter.com/y2cRpOka9n
— billboard (@billboard) June 30, 2016
However, their relationship began to unravel in March 2016 when an accidentally leaked video exposed Young’s infidelity.
He was caught confessing about sleeping with other women while being engaged to the rapper. The NBA player later confirmed the validity of the video during a press conference.
The final blow came months later in June, when Iggy caught Nick red handed cheating on her with multiple women inside their house through a home security video. Boy, that must have been painful to watch!
She dropped this huge revelation on a now-deleted X post which read,
“I broke up with Nick because I found out he had brought other women into our home while I was away and caught them on the security footage. This is just like a second shot to the chest…”
Thus, overwhelmed by Young’s infidelity, Azalea ended their engagement and relationship for good in June 2016.
Paris Hilton & Nick Carter: Love Wrecked Havoc
Paris Hilton and Nick Carter had a short-lived relationship in the early 2000s. The pair dated each other for seven months from late 2003 to July 2004.
On July 22, 2004, Hilton and Carter quietly called it quits over a private phone call. While the initial breakup appeared amicable, Nick later revealed the truth behind their split in a public statement to People magazine. He shared,
“Our relationship totally was based on distrust. She didn’t trust me. I didn’t trust her”.
Moreover, just one week after their breakup, Paris was photographed with alarming bruises on her body. The disturbing images ignited a media frenzy, with many speculating that the Backstreet Boy singer was physically assaulting his girlfriend, leading to their ultimate breakup.
Despite the public outcry, the socialite never publicly addressed the allegations.
The drama surrounding the Hilton-Carter breakup continued to unfold in the years following their separation.
In 2010, Nick Carter’s brother, Aaron, added fuel to the fire by alleging that Paris had cheated on the singer with actor Chad Michael Murray while filming House Of Wax. However, neither party confirmed the claims.
Years later, in 2013, Nick threw more shade at his relationship with Hilton in his memoir, Facing the Music And Living To Talk About It. Addressing his brief romance with the influencer, he wrote in the book,
“Paris was the worst person in the world for me to hook up with. She fed my worst impulses…”
Paris soon responded to her ex-boyfriend’s harsh comments with a statement defending her character and wishing him well. It read,
“I don’t believe I was a negative influence on Nick. We dated for a very short period of time almost 10 years ago… I’m glad he got help for his problems and wish him all the best”.
Thankfully, the former couple has since moved on, putting the drama behind them.
Khloe Kardashian & Tristan Thompson: Trust Torn Apart
Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson dated on and off again for around five years, from 2016 to 2021. They also share two children together, daughter True and son Tatum.
The first major rift in their relationship occurred in April 2018 when Thompson was caught cheating on Khloe with a model named Lani Blair. This incident led the couple to take a brief break, only to reconcile a month later in May.
Old habits die hard, and by February 2019, Tristan found himself in trouble again when news surfaced that he had kissed Jordyn Woods, a mutual close friend of Khloe and Kylie.
While the NBA player denied the allegations, Woods confirmed the kiss during an interview on Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith. She shared,
“On the way out he did kiss me… On the way out he just kissed me. It was a kiss on the lips”.
The reality star soon broke up with Thompson, however, two years later, in March 2021, the couple decided to give their relationship yet another chance.
They publicly confirmed their reconciliation through an Instagram post on Tristan’s 30th birthday, where Khloe shared a heartfelt message that read,
“The ones that are meant to be are the ones who go through everything that is designed to tear them apart and they come out even stronger than they were before…”
Unfortunately, Tristan’s infidelity saga persisted, leading the couple to break up again in June 2021. However, they reconciled later that year.
The final straw came in December 2021, when it was confirmed that Tristan had cheated on Khloe yet again, this time fathering a child with his personal trainer. The athlete issued a public apology to Khloe on Instagram that read,
The world was stunned when, in July 2022, they announced the birth of their son via surrogacy. It’s believed the child was conceived in November 2021, before news of Tristan’s latest infidelity came to light.
Since then, they have focused on co-parenting their two children, and it’s safe to say these two are officially over.
Zayn Malik & Perrie Edwards: Text-Triggered Split
Zayn Malik and Perrie Edwards dated each other for four years and even got engaged. However, the couple had a dramatic breakup that made headlines casting Malik in a negative light.
So Zayn Malik and Perrie Edwards might have just split up. HOW ABOUT NO. http://t.co/SRE7oj4Sml pic.twitter.com/hW7zQ4hi1I
— MTV UK (@MTVUK) August 4, 2015
After nearly three years of dating, in March 2015, things started to go downhill for the couple when rumors of Zayn’s infidelity surfaced. The Sweat singer was spotted with a woman named Lauren Rich in Thailand while vacationing without his fiancée, sparking widespread speculation.
Perrie and Zayn appeared to move past this hurdle, but a few months later, they called off their engagement and broke up in August 2015. At the time, the reason for the split remained unknown.
However, in October 2016, Perrie made a startling revelation in Little Mix’s book One World. She disclosed that her ex had ended their four-year relationship with a simple text message. Ouch! The excerpt read,
“It was horrible, the worst time in my life. A four-year relationship, two-year engagement ended by a simple text message. Just like that”.
The breakup also inspired Perrie to release the hit diss track Shout Out To My Ex, in 2016. The lyrics took aim at Malik for their split and his then-new romance with Gigi Hadid. The dissing lyrics read,
“Heard he in love with some other chick/ I hope she gettin’ better sex / Hope she ain’t fakin’ it like I did, babe / Took four long years to call it quits / Forget that boy, I’m over it”.
In response, Zayn fired back with his own diss track Common, released in December 2018. The lyrics suggested that he had never truly been in love with Perrie and only experienced real feelings for the first time with Gigi. He wrote,
“Always felt isolated, I don’t know why I was so defensive… Never been in love, never felt it all until now”.
Since then, it appears the two have moved on and put their bitter past behind them.
Halsey & G-Eazy: From Hits to Splits
Halsey and G-Eazy dated for nearly a year, from 2017 to 2018. Their romance blossomed during their collaboration on the hit song Him & I. Throughout their brief relationship, the couple was highly visible on social media, often sharing glimpses of their time together.
However, the couple’s relationship abruptly ended in July 2018 when Halsey announced their breakup on her Instagram story. She wrote,
“G-Eazy and I are taking some time apart… I wish him the best. Thanks for respecting our privacy at this time”.
Initially, no reason was given for the sudden split, but later, Halsey hinted at G-Eazy’s infidelity as the cause. On the day of their breakup, she also posted a cryptic message on X, referencing the saying – “Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater”. She wrote,
Despite their split, the two hooked up briefly as the songstress herself revealed this during a performance at the Common Ground Music Festival. She shared,
“The second lesson I learned is don’t sleep with your ex”.
Throughout the breakup, the Good Life rapper remained silent, but that didn’t stop Halsey from publicly dragging him through the muds.
In a heart-wrenching performance of her song Without Me, on Saturday Night Live in February 2019, she took a dig at G-Eazy. The performance backdrop featured a bold, public apology seemingly from him. It read,
“I’m so sorry Ashley, I cheated… At home in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Austin, and Minneapolis”.
This dramatic performance seemed to mark a definitive end to their time together.
Shakira & Gerard Pique: Fairy Tale Ends
Shakira and Gerard Pique were together for over a decade after meeting in 2010 on the set of her music video for Waka Waka. They also share two sons together, Milan and Sasha.
The couple’s 11 years long relationship came crashing down on June 4, 2022, when they announced their breakup. They issued a joint statement on Instagram that read,
“We regret to confirm that we are separating. We ask for privacy at this moment for the well-being of our children…”
Following the couple’s unexpected split, the songstress released a song called Monotonia, in October 2022. The music video loosely portrays the emotional impact of ending her decade-long relationship with Gerard.
After eight years of living in Barcelona with Gerard, Shakira moved back to Miami with her children in November 2022. Despite the relocation, the reason for the couple’s breakup remained a mystery.
However, in January 2023, the singer broke her silence through music, addressing the split and taking a jab at Piqué’s new relationship with Clara Chía Marti, in her hit song BZRP Music Session #53. The lyrics read,
“I wish you luck with my supposed replacement / I don’t even know what happened to you / You’re going fast, slow down…”
In September 2023, Shakira further revealed that Piqué had cheated on her multiple times. She praised the long-term nanny of her children, Lili Melgar, who had been the one to inform her about his infidelities, leading to their breakup.
In a bold move, Shakira took a dig at her ex by featuring the same nanny in the music video for her song El Jefe. This decision was a direct response to Gerard firing Lili for exposing his cheating.
So, the next time you witness a celebrity couple basking all loved up in the limelight, remember – behind the carefully curated social media posts, there could be an underlying ugly drama waiting to unfold.