20 Messy And Costly Divorces In The Music Industry
Love and music don’t always mix, and when famous musicians split, the fallout can be as dramatic as their biggest hits. Some paid millions, others lost bands, and a few saw their reputations crumble. The price of these breakups went beyond emotions. Here are 20 divorces that got messy—and expensive.
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike and Tina Turner’s marriage and divorce had profound emotional and financial repercussions. Tina’s harrowing recollection of abuse suffered, and her escape with just 36 cents to her name makes this union anything but a model marriage. The divorce left her responsible for significant debts, forcing her to rebuild her career from scratch.
Sonny & Cher
Sonny and Cher’s partnership looked like the picture-perfect union as they dominated the pop genre in the 1960s and 1970s. However, their rollercoaster divorce in 1975 revealed that Sonny controlled around 95% of their joint company, leaving her with limited control over their assets. Career-wise, they both struggled after their divorce, as their solo careers were unsuccessful.
John Lennon & Cynthia Lennon
Although John Lennon and the Beatles were famous for their music, the end of John and Cynthia Lennon’s marriage diverted attention from their craft to their personal lives. John’s substance dependence and infidelity led to their divorce in 1968. Although the divorce damaged his relationship with their son Julian, it is also notable for costing him a meager settlement of around $130K.
Tommy Lee & Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s whirlwind marriage is a classic example of the negative effect of fame and invasion of privacy. Their marriage suffered from an unauthorized release of their private tape, which Anderson later described as a traumatic event. In addition, in 1998, the year they finalized their divorce, the Motley Crue drummer was arrested for domestic violence against Anderson.
Phil Collins & Orianne Cevey
Phil Collins is considered a highly successful artist today. However, his marriage to Orianne Cevey was a saga of love, loss, and legal battles. They married in 1999 and divorced nine years later, with Cevey receiving a record $46 million settlement. Although it was one of Britain’s costliest divorces at the time, their on-again, off-again dynamic confused the public and must have left them drained.
George Jones & Tammy Wynette
George Jones and Tammy Wynette’s marriage was a whirlwind of passion and turmoil. Their six-year union was marred by Jones’ battles with alcoholism and volatile temper and Wynette’s drug dependency. Emotionally, the strain was immense, with Wynette initially filing for divorce in 1973, though they briefly reconciled. Financially, their divorce in 1975 complicated the splitting of their joint ventures and assets.
Anni-Frid Lyngstad & Benny Andersson
Beyond their ability to produce hit songs, ABBA is also known for the marriage of its four members. However, the 1981 divorce of Andersson and Lyngstad marked the end of their relationship and contributed to ABBA’s eventual hiatus. Emotionally, the split was challenging, as it coincided with the dissolution of the band’s other couple. Although ABBA remained successful, the personal rifts made collaboration difficult.
John & Michelle Phillips
John and Michelle Phillips’ marriage proves that workplace romances don’t always go well. Michelle’s reported infidelities, including with a band member, led to their divorce in 1969, which coincided with the disbandment of their group. Career-wise, while both pursued individual projects post-divorce, neither achieved the same success they had enjoyed performing as members of “The Mamas & the Papas.”
Billy Ray Cyrus & Firerose
This divorce had a long list of damning allegations and counter-allegations from both parties, turning them from a power couple to tabloid fodder. Although their whirlwind romance culminated in a seven-month marriage, it didn’t make their divorce in August 2024 less contentious. Financial misconduct and verbal, emotional, and psychological stress were some of the allegations from both artists.
Jack & Meg White
Jack and Meg White’s relationship was as enigmatic as their music. They married in 1996 and divorced four years later as their band gained momentum. The absurdity of their marriage was their decision to portray themselves as siblings to help them focus on making music. Emotionally, maintaining that lie for years must have been taxing, but it allowed them to avoid unnecessary tabloid scrutiny.
Lionel Richie & Diane Richie
In 2004, Ritchie and ex-wife Diane Alexander made headlines with a high-profile split that brought unwelcome media attention and momentarily overshadowed his career. The split was challenging, given their nearly decade-long marriage and two children. Although his career survived unscathed, it cost Ritchie approximately $20 million.
Kim Gordon & Thurston Moore
Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore’s separation in 2011 sent shockwaves through the indie music scene. The month after their 27-year marriage ended, their band Sonic Youth disbanded. Career-wise, both pursued fairly successful solo projects, but the breakup marked the end of a band that had been together for 30 years.
Kelly Clarkson & Brandon Blackstock
According to Kelly Clarkson, her 2020 divorce from Brandon Blackstock was depressing and negatively affected their kids. The divorce settlement required Clarkson to pay Blackstock a one-time sum of $1.3 million and $45,000 monthly in child support. However, the split spurred Clarkson to release deeply personal songs like “Piece by Piece,” which peaked at 32 on the Billboard Top 100.
Paul McCartney & Heather Mills
Paul McCartney’s marriage to Heather Mills may have looked like a fairytale union, but it ended in a highly publicized divorce. The split was emotionally draining, with both parties airing grievances in the media. Mills claimed that he was constantly under the influence of alcohol and drugs while asking for a significant part of his fortune. Eventually, the singer paid her around $30 million.
Mick Jagger & Jerry Hall
Although Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall were together for over two decades and had four children, their relationship was a rollercoaster of emotions. Their 1990 Bali wedding was later declared invalid, leading to an annulment in 1999 with technically no room for divorce. The split was rough, with public revelations of Jagger’s infidelities, losing him ownership of Downe House and eventually costing him over $30 million.
Peter & Jennie Criss
Peter Criss, the original drummer of KISS, and his first wife, Lydia Di Leonardo, divorced in 1979 after nine years of marriage. The split coincided with Criss’s struggles with fame and substance misuse. It also affected his career as the personal issues led to conflicts and his departure in 1980.
Axl Rose & Erin Everly
Axl Rose and Erin Everly’s marriage in 1990 was as intense as it was brief. Tying the knot in Las Vegas, their nine-month marriage was marred by emotional turbulence and physical and mental mistreatment. Although their divorce was finalized in 1991, Everly later filed a lawsuit against Rose for physical and emotional abuse in 1994, which was settled out of court.
Eddie Van Halen & Valerie Bertinelli
Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli’s 1981 marriage made headlines due to Eddie’s well-known substance dependence and infidelity on both Van Halen and Bertinelli’s part. Despite their efforts to keep the marriage, they separated in 2001 and divorced in 2007. Although details about the financial implications remain private, Bertinelli openly reflects on their difficulties, saying he wasn’t a soulmate.
Madonna & Guy Ritchie
It’s anyone’s guess as to how much the divorce of Madonna and Guy Ritchie cost her, with some reports estimating as much as $92 million. What is known is that their 2000 marriage ended in a highly publicized divorce eight years later. While they didn’t suffer from any infidelity, their difference in lifestyle, disagreements, and public scrutiny took their toll.
Gregg Allman & Cher
Cher’s first marriage to Sonny may have taught her a thing or two, but her second marriage to Gregg Allman brought unique challenges. Barely a week after their wedding, Cher filed for divorce due to his alcohol issues. They reconciled briefly and had a son, Elijah Blue. However, Allman’s ongoing substance abuse, occasional paranoia, and failure of their collaborative album culminated in a divorce by 1979.
