Finding love in showbiz can be hard. Keeping that love alive can be even harder. From actors to musicians, several celebrities such as Aamir Khan, Sushmita Sen, plus Samantha Akkineni and Naga Chaitanya, have all endured splits and hartbreaks this year. Here, we take a look at five of the biggest celebrity splits of 2021, from high-profile divorces to on-and-off relationships that are most definitely over now.
Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao
Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao announced their divorce on July 3 after 15 years of marriage. Describing their divorce as the start of a “new journey,” the pair said in a joint statement, “In these 15 beautiful years together we have shared a lifetime of experiences, joy and laughter, and our relationship has only grown in trust, respect and love. Now we would like to begin a new chapter in our lives – no longer as husband and wife, but as co-parents and family for each other.” Aamir, one of the most respected and loved actors in the country, was married to Reena Dutta for 16 years but the couple got divorced in 2002. Following his divorce, Aamir found love again in Kiran Rao and married her on December 28, 2005. They welcomed their son Azad Rao Khan through surrogacy in 2011.
Samantha Akkineni and Naga Chaitanya
Samantha Akkineni and Naga Chaitanya didn’t get the happily ever after they were hoping for in 2021. They are filing for divorce after four years of marriage. Samantha and Chaitanya announced their separation in a joint statement on social media in October. “To all our well-wishers. After much deliberation and thought Chay and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans, well-wishers and the media to support us during the difficult time and give us the privacy we need to move on. Thanking you for your support,” the statement read. The separation announcement came after rumours of Samantha and Naga Chaitanya’s split-up trended for weeks online. It had started when the actress had changed her name on her social media profiles from Samantha Akkineni to “S.”
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes
Singers Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello decided to call it quits in November after dating for two years. The popular couple had announced the sad news on their respective Instagram Stories, sharing a message signed by both of them, which read: “Hey guys, we’ve decided to end our romantic relationship but our love for one another is stronger than ever. We started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends.” After being friends for years, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello officially started their romance in July 2019.
Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid
Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid, who had been in an on-again, off-again relationship since late 2015, had a messy breakup in 2021. News of their split came after a source told TMZ that Zayn “struck” Gigi’s mother, Yolanda, the month prior. Later, Zayn released a statement and “adamantly” denied Yolanda’s “false allegations” that he struck her. In a statement shared on Twitter, the former One Direction member said that he wanted to create “a place where private family matters aren’t thrown on the world stage for all to poke and pick apart,” adding that the incident “was and still should be a private matter.” Zayn and Gigi first sparked romance rumours in November 2015 and share 15-month-old daughter Khai.
Sushmita Sen and Rohman Shawl
Rumours about Sushmita Sen and boyfriend Rohman Shawl’s breakup had been doing the rounds for quite some time. The former Miss Universe recently confirmed that her romantic relationship with Rohman was “long over” but they remained “friends”. Posting a picture with Rohman, Sushmita Sen wrote in her post: “We began as friends, we remain friends! The relationship was long over… The love remains.” She accompanied the post with the hashtags #nomorespeculations, #liveandletlive, #cherishedmemories, #gratitude, #love and #friendship. Rohman Shawl and Sushmita Sen reportedly started dating in 2018.
