Do Celebrities Divorce More Frequently Than the Rest Of Us?

While no scientific study could definitively answer this question (define celebrity – Brad Pitt and other A list’ers only? Anyone who has had his or her fifteen minutes of fame – Nene Leakes?)   There are some indicators that certain celebrity names recur in divorce proceedings for reasons which may be completely unrelated to their celebrity status.

According to www.divorcestatistics.org, there is a higher rate of recidivism among divorced people. The more divorces you have had, the more you are likely to have!

While the overall rate in the United States seems to continue at about 50% of all marriages, according to the website: “The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%. The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%. The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%.”

There could be several reasons for this alarming set of statistics.  Maybe some people are better suited for marriage than others; but keep trying anyway.  Maybe Elizabeth Taylor, for example, loved the idea of being a bride but was not cut out to be someone’s wife.

There have also been psychological studies devoted to the idea that some people like the experience of falling in love, more than the work of being in a committed relationship.  Anecdotally, there are stories of people who have been engaged 10 or more times, purchasing dresses and making deposits; only to end the engagements before the weddings ever take place.

Some statistics support the idea that a first marriage between people in the early twenties (Olivia Wilde) are more likely to end in divorce (37%) than marriages between people in their mid to late 30s (6%) www.divorcestatistics.org (Hugh Hefner?!).  Early marriages leave more time for subsequent marriages.

There is also the folk wisdom that “cheaters cheat,” meaning somebody who leaves his or her first wife for you is likely to leave you for a newer model when the time is ripe. (Kelsey Grammer?)

Maybe people who have gotten into and out of one bad marriage relatively unscathed feel bolder to try the next marriage even if it may not be a perfect fit, knowing they can always survive another divorce.

Whatever the multiple and varied reasons behind the statistics, one thing is certain. Each divorce is a unique set of facts and factors between two people who never intended to be involved in a divorce.  Each divorce needs to be treated as carefully and tactfully as humanly possible so that the people who emerge on the far side have a real chance at starting again in a better situation.

What We Love:  The relative normalization of divorce in this country is what gives all marriages accountability.  People are no longer trapped in a bad marriage; making the decision to get out is the first – and frequently most difficult – step.

Related articles

• Why the divorce rate isn’t really 50% (psychologytoday.com)
• Women Waiting Longer To Marry, Divorce Rate Drops [REPORT] (hellobeautiful.com)