Quick Links

Celebrity breakups are much different than the average person because they are always done in the public eye. It’s really difficult for celebrities to just move on with their lives after calling it quits with a loved one because they probably feel like they have to make a statement and let fans know why they’re not at the family Thanksgiving dinner or the Christmas party that year. But something else to consider is how someone who isn’t a celebrity deals with a breakup from someone who is famous and always in the public eye.

It’s like the non-famous person was probably going about their business when they started dating a celebrity who came and flipped their lives upside down before they could truly realize what was going on. Whether they were accused of being a gold digger or dating someone because of their status, it’s safe to say a normal person’s life just won’t be the same after dating a celebrity. The famous person could have improved their life or made it worse even to the level of ruining it. I’m not saying someone can’t bounce back after taking on a celebrity relationship, but there is most likely a moment when they think their life is completely destroyed — whether the reason for breakup was infidelity or moving on to someone else famous. It’s just difficult to get over a breakup period. So take a look with us at 15 normal people whose lives were ruined after they dated celebrities.

Karrueche Tran And Chris Brown

Karrueche Tran certainly wasn’t famous when she and Chris Brown first started dating. She got a pretty bad rap in the beginning of their relationship as she was his first serious girlfriend (at least the only one fans really knew about) since his breakup with Rihanna. But just when it seemed like they were getting a good grip on their relationship and fans were starting to like her, he and Rihanna released the “Birthday Cake” remix in which Brown said he missed Rihanna’s body. Can you say ouch? Rihanna also reportedly took a jab at Tran when she rapped, “Sweeter than a rice cake,” possibly speaking on Tran’s Asian descent.

What made matters worse is just after that, Rihanna confessed to Oprah Winfrey of all people that she still loved Brown. Next thing we knew, we saw them sitting court side at basketball games together. There was a back-and-forth between Tran and Rihanna that ultimately ended with Tran winning Brown’s heart. But they broke up for good when it came out that Brown fathered a child with another woman during their relationship. That was apparently the last straw for Tran. She’s definitely making up for the public humiliation as she makes a name for herself and tries to get out of his shadow. Most recently though, she filed a lawsuit and restraining order against him with claims that he was physically abusive. Shocking.

Nick Loeb And Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara might play a lighthearted character, Gloria Pritchett, on the hit series Modern Family, but her ugly split with her now ex, Nick Loeb, possibly ruined his entire life. The two dated in 2010 and called it quits after two years only to get back together just months later. Still, in 2014 they split in what they said was their final call. But while it seems cut and dry, it definitely wasn’t that simple. Loeb ended up suing Vergara in hopes of stopping her from getting rid of two embryos that she used his sperm to create through in vitro when they were going strong in 2013. They were even going back and forth about it earlier this year and were unsuccessful at using a surrogate. Loeb, as reported, already named the two embryos Isabella and Emma. But Vergara has taken a jab of her own when she tried to stop him from using a surrogate. This is really ugly. Could Vergara be a worse “life ruiner” than Regina George?

Sara Hicks And Taylor Lautner

So just looking at Taylor Lautner it’s no surprise that he could really break someone’s heart. But it was Sarah Hicks who reportedly held him down as his high school sweetheart and was even there for him between his breakups with famous women Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift. It looks like things didn’t work out with them despite the trial and error as Lautner has moved on with Marie Avgeropoulos. But the thing is, can you imagine the level of heartbreak Hicks experienced? It’s like their final breakup was probably more devastating than the first for the simple notion that it happened in the public eye. And Lautner was well into a high level of fame. Like, you lost Taylor Lautner. But hey, maybe there are things about him we don’t know that makes Hicks happy he’s not her guy anymore. Well, it’s certainly not his looks that’s for sure.

Kevin Federline And Britney Spears

Kevin Federline was just a backup dancer when he was thrust in the spotlight because of his high profile relationship with Britney Spears. What’s crazy is that he was actually with another actress, Shar Jackson (fans might remember her as a main character on the hit show Moesha), when he left her despite having children together (oh, she was also pregnant when he left her). But apparently he got more than he bargained for with Spears because they ended up divorcing too. But not before he had to get custody from her amid her very ugly and very public breakdown. He actually had to go to a judge about the entertainer after she locked herself and one of their young sons in the bathroom. Of course this was all after Britney was the one who actually filed for divorce herself. Federline tried to get back into the spotlight with a reality show but that didn’t go well either. It looks like he’s been laying low himself. That’s probably for the best considering the circumstances.

Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian

Kris Humphries was probably just minding his own business when he was allegedly approached by Kim Kardashian’s mother, Kris Jenner, to be Kardashian’s latest boyfriend. While how they started dating is still a blur in the eye of the public, Humphries made several appearances on E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians as Kim's boyfriend. They even ended up getting married in an extensive and lavish wedding ceremony. But things in Humphries’s life took an unexpected turn after 72 days of marriage when Kardashian shocked everyone and filed for divorce. Interestingly enough, during their marriage Kardashian’s now husband Kanye West proclaimed his love for Kardashian despite her being with Humphries at the time. West and Kardashian didn’t wait until the divorce was final before they moved on with one another and even had their first child, North West. As for Humprhies, he was voted the most disliked player in the NBA around the same time.

Lyndall Locke And Beyonce

Fans might not know Lyndall Locke by name, but the unanimous “oohhhh, him!” phrase usually comes up when it’s pointed out that he was Beyonce’s first boyfriend who cheated on her. What’s interesting is that Locke was pretty open about his past with Beyonce in an interview in 2015. He admitted that while he cheated on her, the two were able to get past it. But it was when she went on tour with rapper Jay Z that he and the mega superstar decided to go their separate ways. He said that Beyonce tried to convince Locke, who met Beyonce through Kelly Rowland during their teenage years at church, that she was not at all interested in Jay Z. She went as far as saying he wasn’t her type. But they took a break when Beyonce and Jay went on tour and just never got back together. Now, Beyonce and Jay Z are married with a daughter and twins on the way. As for Locke, he’s probably kicking himself every time Queen Bey is mentioned.

Camille And Kelsey Grammer

Camille Grammer was also put into the spotlight thanks to her marriage with Kelsey Grammer. He was the face of the hit sitcom Frasier as well as the brains behind other popular television shows like Girlfriends. But they called it quits and fans got to see how much it impacted her on every episode of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. What’s crazy is Camille was willing to work things out and even wanted to go to therapy but apparently Kelsey was determined to end their marriage. Camille even said at one point that she was scared about what the future held for her. Thankfully, it looks like Kelsey’s possible power to ruin Camille’s life didn’t last as she said she’s now excited about her future and ready to see what it will hold for her as she finds herself and works on being an independent woman. You go, Camille!

Scott Disick And Kourtney Kardashian

Scott Disick wasn’t famous at all when he started dating Kourtney Kardashian. While fans met Disick in the earlier days of E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians, he was pretty much a no one before he was embraced into the Kardashian clan. Interestingly enough, he is now just as famous as they are despite his split with Kardashian ten years and three kids later. But could he be the first male to undergo the urban legend of the Kardashian curse? Many people look at Disick as the first one before Lamar Odom, Kanye West, and Kris Humphries were also said to have their lives ruined because of their connection to the famous family. Still, Disick will be linked for life considering the three children he has with Kourtney. As for his personal issues, he’s been in and out of rehab and arrested all amid losing both of his parents within a couple of months for one another. The Kardashian family seemed to shun him and let them know in more ways than one that they were Team Kourtney after he was spotted getting too close to his ex.

Ryan Sweeting And Kaley Cuoco

I think it’s safe to say that Kaley Cuoco filed for divorce from her non-famous husband, Ryan Sweeting, before the ink even dried on their marriage license. It has been said that Cuoco pulled the plug on her union because Sweeting’s struggle with his addiction to painkillers was way too much for her to handle. He allegedly “refused to get sober” and was addicted to the medicine after he received surgery. Struggling with something like this was probably terrible for Sweeting. But to go through it in the public eye surely didn’t help. As for Cuoco, while she said she was “devastated” from the split (who wouldn’t be?) she was relieved after she knew they weren’t meant to be despite them getting engaged after they dated for three months. Cuoco said she had sworn off dating but moved on shortly after with a guy who is a professional equestrian, Karl Cook.

Carlos Leon And Madonna

Madonna took a risk at dating a non-famous person in 1994. Carlos Leon, who was Madonna’s personal trainer also took a risk of his own. They went strong for about two years and even had a daughter, Lourdes, in 1996. But apparently that wasn’t enough to keep them together because they split shortly after (less than a year to be exact). Leon attempted to use his relationship with the singer for his benefit but it doesn’t seem to have worked for him; at least not in the level he hoped. He did make an appearance in a whopping three episodes of Nash Bridges and recurring roles in shows like The Replacement Killer and The Big Lebowski. His most recent roles include one episode of the hit series Person of Interest and even an appearance in the hit show Blue Bloods. He ended up moving on but it’s safe to say his relationship with Madonna didn’t really give him that boost he had hoped for.

Malaak Compton-Rock And Chris Rock

Actor and funny guy Chris Rock went through a super ugly divorce with his soon-to-be ex-wife Malaak Compton-Rock. The two were married for 16 years but the interesting thing is that while they were pretty quiet about their marriage and divorce, now that it’s final, Chris has been going around talking about sowing his royal oats with other celebrities like Kerry Washington, who he claims he cheated with while filming a movie I Think I Love My Wife, in which he cheats on his fictional wife with Washington’s character. He also said he cheated with a woman from Destiny’s Child, but made clear to mention it wasn’t Beyonce. To make matters worse, Chris moved on with actress Megalyn Echikunwoke just after the divorce was finalized and there is speculation that they are married. Malaak was never in the spotlight with their marriage but she’s certainly getting lots of attention thanks to Chris’s actions during their split and even after. I can only imagine how much she probably desires to just move on from it all.

Sarah Larson And George Clooney

Let’s face it, it would be difficult for anyone to bounce back from a relationship with hottie actor George Clooney. If anything, it was proof for Larson that she actually didn’t want to date a celebrity. That had to be tough for her because she didn’t just date anyone, she dated Clooney, who was still considered one of the most attractive bachelors at the time. The two dated in 2007 and broke up the following year. Larson kind of disappeared after that and hasn’t been photographed publicly since 2009. Dude, that’s almost ten years. We do know, based on reports, that she relocated to New York City. She went on to work for a medical spa. As for her drop from the spotlight after being arm candy for Clooney, the now yoga teacher seems to be okay with it. “The spotlight is not for me,” she told Celebuzz in 2013. “I don’t enjoy it.”

Matt Jordan And Kenya Moore

This is, like, one of the craziest relationships in The Real Housewives of Atlanta history. Matt Jordan joined the show as Kenya Moore’s physical trainer turned boyfriend. While they seemed to be in love, things went awry when Jordan seemed to spin out of control as a result of his relationship with Moore. Let’s just say it ended with windows getting busted out of her car, and him breaking into her garage. He has such a bad rap right now but he blames Moore for it. He even accused her of wanting to get back together when they’re alone and shunning him in front of her friends and the camera. He said it literally drove him crazy. Jordan seemed like a completely normal and sane person before his run-ins with Moore, who has said that he has driven her crazy too. But the sad part is both of them seem to play the victim role. It’s not clear what happened but it might be safe to say it’ll take a while for Jordan’s life to get back to normal status if it ever does.

Elin Nordegren And Tiger Woods

So Elin Nordegren is now much more known than she was before her divorce with Tiger Woods. But now she’s not only recognized as the ex-wife of the pro-golf phenom, but the one who made it clear to him that she does not play games when it comes to infidelity. The athlete apparently tried to hide his affairs, that ended up being with more than 11 woman. But when a now cryptic voicemail of Tiger trying to cover up one woman was released to his now ex-wife, she went ballistic and used a golf club to tear up his luxury car. Now that is what she is known for — she got lots of applause from fans who wanted to add her to their list of girl power she-roes and a couple of guys probably were attracted to her too. But one thing is for sure, we didn’t know who Nordegren was before, but we certainly know now. So maybe it didn't ruin her life?

Dean Sheremet And LeAnn Rimes

Yikes… Talk about ruining lives. LeAnn Rimes' divorce with Sheremet wasn’t in the headlines because of who she was. Instead, it was because Eddie Cibrian was the guy she had been cheating with. And Cibrian had his own wife, Brandi Glanville, who joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo. Rimes and Cibrian had worked together on a Lifetime movie in 2009 and apparently fell in love off camera. While Sheremet and Rimes divorced in 2010, seven years after tying the knot, Sheremet still had lots to say about it back in 2015 and even had a few words for Cibrian. “Never in a million years did I think something like that would have happened,” he said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. As for Cibrian, he said, “I just remember being like, ‘… Just another one of those Hollywood boys. But I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw this table.” Sheremet ended up moving on and remarried but he divorced his second wife as well.