From ending three-month flings to several years of marriage: Here are celebs who broke up with partners over text or phone
Celebrities, despite their wealth and popularity, grapple with the same relationship hurdles as the rest of us. The "we're done" moments among stars happen as often as movie premieres amid the glittering spotlight. Interestingly, some have opted for a unique approach to ending their relationships -- through text messages or phone calls. Let's take a look at some notable instances of stars reportedly breaking up with their partners over the phone.
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake
In her memoir 'The Woman in Me', pop icon Britney Spears revealed that Justin Timberlake ended their high-profile relationship over a text message in 2002. She recalled that the text conversation left her "devastated," as reported by The New York Times. She reminisced, "I was comatose in Louisiana, and he was happily running around Hollywood."
Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas
In 2008, Joe Jonas ended his three-month relationship with Taylor Swift in a phone call that lasted only 27 seconds. This was confirmed by Swift herself during an interview on 'The Ellen Show', where she noted that the brevity of the call must be some kind of "record".
Katy Perry and Russell Brand
The documentary 'Katy Perry: Part of Me', which focuses on Katy Perry's life, captured the precise moment when she received a text message from Russell Brand, marking the end of their 14-month marriage. "Let’s just say I haven’t heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011," she told Vogue in 2013.
Cazzie David and Pete Davidson
Pete Davidson was in a relationship with Cazzie David, the daughter of Larry David, for over two years before his rapid-fire romance with Ariana Grande. But their relationship hit a rough patch when Davidson ended things via text, according to Insider. In less than a day, David discovered through Instagram that Davidson had already moved on to Ariana Grande.
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline
According to Us Weekly, Britney Spears is said to have terminated her two-year marriage with Kevin Federline in 2006 via text messages, mirroring the method used by her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake.
Chrishell Stause and Justin Hartley
'This Is Us' actor Justin Hartley reportedly ended his two-year marriage with Chrishell Stause via text in 2019. Stause revealed on an episode of 'Selling Sunset' that she got a text from Hartley stating he had filed for divorce following a phone argument they had that morning. The news was made public just 45 minutes later on Page Six. "Um, I found out because he text[ed] me that we filed. Forty-five minutes later, the world knew," she said.
Jordin Sparks and Jason Derulo
When Jason Derulo sat down with radio host DJ Envy of New York's Power 105.1, he confessed that he ended his three-year relationship with Jordin Sparks over the phone. "I wasn't in town," he stated. Derulo implied that the split was long overdue while denying having cheated on Sparks. "There was a lot of pressure from the marriage perspective," he noted, as cited by CBS News.
Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
Perrie Edwards once revealed that Zayn Malik called off their engagement via a text message. She described the experience as "horrible, the worst time of my life" in Little Mix’s book 'Our World'. She expressed her shock at how a four-year relationship and two-year engagement could be ended by a mere text message "just like that." "After I split with my partner, out of the blue, I had nowhere to go, which was incredibly stressful," she noted, as per E! News. "For a while, I had no idea what to do," she added.
Prince William and Kate Middleton
In the early stages of their relationship in 2007, it was reported that Prince William ended things with Kate Middleton over a phone call while she was at work, as stated in Robert Lacey’s book 'Battle of the Brothers'. The book claims that Kate stepped out of a meeting to take William’s call — who was then known as a "hard-drinking Army officer often seen at nightclubs" — "and shut herself in a room for more than an hour while the pair discussed their future. They broke up during the call but the split didn’t last long — they got back together 10 weeks later."
Tiffany Haddish and Common
In an interview with The Washington Post, Tiffany Haddish revealed that her split with Common after more than a year of dating was not a mutual decision. She further said that he initiated it over a phone call. She quoted him as saying, "I think this relationship has run its course." To which, she responded, "OK. Like you gonna be a 50-year-old single man. OK?'"
