Celebrities are more well-known for getting a divorce than they are for staying together. Celebrity couples face a lot more pressure than the average American couple, which may be why we are all so fascinated when celebrity couples manage to beat the odds and stay together. In the United States, about 42%-45% of first marriages will end with a divorce. What can our favorite celebrity couples that have beaten the odds tell us about staying together?
Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker Recommend This
Statistically speaking, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have beaten the odds. Studies show that when the wife is the main source of income (Mrs. Parker is a much busier actor than Mr. Broderick is) the likelihood of divorce is 33% higher.
They have been married since 1997, and one of their key pieces of advice is to keep your marriage sacred and do not gossip with other people about it. In other words, address your problems in your relationship with your partner, not your friends or family.
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelo Have Been Married a Long Time
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelo are soap opera sweethearts. They met on the set of All My Children and were married in 1995. They have weathered the storm and raised a beautiful family together. One of the key pieces of advice that this couple has provided is to stay flexible and let your relationship evolve.
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have been married for about 17 years. They attribute the success of their marriage to being open and honest with each other and addressing problems as they come up. One of the things that Catherine mentioned in an interview is that this couple will not go to bed angry at each other or hang up the phone without saying “I love you”. They are willing to hash things out late into the night to clear up any issues.
Sylvester Stallone and Jenifer Flavin
Sylvester Stallone, the famous action movie star, and his model wife Jenifer Flavin have been married for 23 years. Their advice? Maintain your identity. This couple gave an interview a few years back and talked about how many couples make the mistake of thinking that they have to give up their own identity to be married. Hanging on to your identity makes you a whole person, which means you have more to bring to the relationship.
Kate Capshaw and Stephen Spielberg
Kate Capshaw and Stephen Spielberg have been married for almost 30 years and are still going strong. Their advice is to put your family first in everything that you do. Many people make the mistake of putting on their happy faces for the world and then taking out frustrations on their families. Your family (husband, wife, kids) should get the best of you according to the Spielbergs.
Couples That Did Divorce The Right Way
Unfortunately, in the celebrity world, divorce is a fairly common occurrence. Some celebrity couples have done divorce well. Ben Affleck and Jenifer Garner are a good example. In most cases of divorce when kids are involved, like in the case of Ben and Jenifer, the non-custodial parent spends about 88 days out of the year with the kids, but Ben and Jenifer have done a great job of co-parenting and Ben spends more time than average with the kids.
Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey are good examples of how to divorce the right way. They co-parent together beautifully and never have public displays of aggression toward each other.
Other celebrity divorces were awful and dragged the entire family through the mud. Divorce is not ideal but there is a right way to divorce where everyone can walk away, co-parenting is possible, and everyone gets a fresh start without hanging on to anger.
