We have previously touched on the phenomenon of “gray divorce” — couples more than 50 years of age who decide to untie the marital knot.
Family law commentators point out statistics from various sources noting that, while the divorce rate nationally has declined a bit over the past two decades, the same is not true for gray divorcees. This demographic has actually experienced a doubling in its divorce rate over the same period. A study under the aegis of Bowling Green State University notes that baby-boomer divorce is presently at all-time peak.
As a recent media article on the subject notes, “celebrity couples are no exception” to this dichotomy, with numerous examples readily available of well-known “gray” couples” ultimately deciding to go separate ways after years of marriage.
We noted in a recent post entry the dissolution of Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman’s marriage after 30 years. A number of other noted splits underscore the fact that divorce among older celebrity couples is just as common as it is among other less in-the-news couples.
In other words, it is not the fame or a certain lifestyle that brings about divorce: Rather, it is concerns that are universally common — such as property division matters, infidelity and so forth — that serve as divorce catalysts.
In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s case, as was widely reported, it was marital infidelity that ended his marriage with Maria Shriver. Mel Gibson’s and Robyn Moore’s divorce after 30 years of marriage featured many factors, most centrally a high-asset property division dispute.
Other notable celebrity gray divorces of recent years include Al and Tipper Gore, Robin Williams and Marsha Garces, and Morgan Freeman and Myma Colley-Lee.
Source: Huffington Post, “Celebrity divorce after 50: 6 gray divorces in Hollywood,” Kelsey Borresen, Nov. 9, 2012
