Celebrities are just like us! Celebrities have all experienced some very difficult breakups. However, what makes these A-listers so different from us is not only the wealth, fame and privilege, but also the fact that their splits are made public to millions of people around the world.
This is an example: Kate Bosworth posted a touching black-and-white photo on August 5 of Michael Polish and Kate Bosworth kissing. The accompanying message was far more than the image depicted. She wrote, “Our hearts are full as we have never been more in love with one another and so deeply grateful for each other as we are in this decision to split.” “In the process we have learned to accept that our love will never cease.”
This caption, which is six paragraphs long, includes sentences like “We hold hands today as tight as we did on our wedding day” and “We believe that the most epic love stories transcend expectations.” Bosworth is not being criticized. Her caption was beautiful. It also reminded me of the celebrity split caption as an art form.
Bosworth’s post fell on the touchy-feely, personal side of the separation announcement spectrum. Not all celebrity breakup captions can be as eloquent. Take .Dove Cameron who shared a statement on her split from Thomas Doherty to the Instagram story in December 2020. It wasn’t a formal post on her Instagram, but it got the message across: Cameron wrote, “We know there have been some confusion and rumors lately about our relationship status and we wanted the facts straight.” “In October, Thomas was and I split. Although it was difficult to make this decision, we still love each other and will continue to be friends. We are grateful for your privacy during this difficult time.
Celebrities are now used to communicating with their followers via social media. Before Bosworth was sharing her heart on Instagram, and Kylie Jenner was capturing her whole life on Snapchat, celebrities spoke directly to the public through the media. The celebrities spoke out about their relationship through interviews, calculated statements by PR reps, and the classic photoshoot with paparazzi – such as the 2005 US Weekly spread featuring Angelina Jolie, Maddox, and Brad Pitt while on vacation. This confirmed the Brangelina rumors (which some claim Jolie and Pitt orchestrated), months after Jennifer Aniston and Pitt announced the end of their marriage. Celebrities can now reach their fans through social media in a more personal and direct way. They are able to share their secrets with their fans directly in the name authenticity.
This is the promise. Although Cameron and Bosworth seemed quite different at first glance, when you take out the fluff, it was surprising how similar they were. I was struck by the similarities in their statements. The apparent dedication to remaining friends, nod towards the love that remained and the use of “we” made me wonder if there was some template for celeb split-up posts. It made me wonder if celebrities actually write these statements or if they simply use a fill-in the blanks statement created by their “people”. ”
Nina Irani Surya (president of UniqueSpeak consultancy agency), answers my question about who is behind breaking up announcements for celebs. It’s either the PR team, or the celeb. She says that it’s a mixture of both. It’s different for different people. Surya says that sometimes [the celeb] will just talk, and she will write things as they talk,” but she cannot comment on the celebrity breakup announcements that she helped to craft. “I am a wordsmith and then I ask, ‘Does it resonate with you? Is this true to 100 percent? She asks, “Is there anything we can take out?” “Authenticity is something I value a lot. If they are on good terms, sometimes both parties will write it together.”
Melissa Morris is a celebrity publicist with Can We Schmooze Consulting. She has worked on several high-profile celebrity split-ups but can’t give details. However, she says she prefers a simple, straightforward approach to splitting statements. “I am one of very few publicists who doesn’t like sugarcoating things. I’m not doing a piece to get you press.” “I want to get my message out.” “People don’t need to be stupid if they read this. Many people are turned off by sugarcoating and they will lose their followers.
Some celebs are more hands off than others and have their representatives write their announcements. Surya believes that announcements with less personal involvement are more likely to be spare. (Cameron’s comes immediately to mind.) “Ignore those that state, “We are separating. We remain the best friends. We’re grateful for our years together. Our sole focus is now on co-parenting the kids as best we can. Thank you for your kind wishes, and we ask for privacy.” She says that if you see something so simple, it is likely that it was a PR professional.
Rhea E. Skinner is principal publicist at agency1408, and a cheerful caption is a sign that there’s an inept ghostwriter. Skinner states that it is normal for a publicist to make it all rainbows and unicorns when there are agencies behind it. Anything that sounds like a heaven-sent divorce usually means it was written by another person. It’s like those famous divorces. They’re like, “Oh, we’ve made this decision together, and we want to handle this privately,” and then it’s like: Okay, which of your reps sent this out? We know you hate each other.
Of course, Bosworth’s statement was very much rainbows and unicorns, and while she certainly may have consulted with a PR person or publicist before pressing post, Surya still says that the caption definitely .”sounds like something [Bosworth] wrote.”
Despite the rise in celebrity breakup posts, many stars do not release breakup announcements or address the end of a relationship publically until years later. For example, the Kardashians are notoriously secretive about their relationships’ beginnings and ends (think: Kylie and Travis). It is possible that this is a publicity strategy, as the constant speculation about what happened can keep celebrities relevant in the news cycle.
Others stars prefer to go the traditional route and issue split statements through their representatives to media outlets. Most recently, .Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez .used this strategy to announce their allegedly contentious split in a short statement they shared exclusively with us. Today, saying: “We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so. We will continue to support one another and work together on our shared projects and businesses. We wish each other the best and our children all the best. We want to express our respect for their children and say thank you for your support and kind words.
These announcements can be written in the first or second person, but they are less personal and candid than captions posted on Instagram or Notes. Surya states that the approach a celeb uses “depends on how they relate to their fans and their relationship within the media. Everyone has their own publicity machine.”
Morris claims that while it is clear that creating the perfect breakup post takes a lot of effort, she usually finishes them in two days. Surya says that the captions are often short because they are written to control the story of a separation and get ahead of the news cycle. Surya explains that if a breakup is likely to occur, which it usually does, then it’s better for you to be the one who breaks the news. “Whoever breaks news is the one who owns it.” Celebrities can use social media to scoop other traditional publications and gossip-driven accounts.
Surya claims that celebrities often announce their splits weeks or months in advance. Although they have managed to keep the details secret, fans may start to suspect that something is amiss. She says, “When the news of the split is about to break – when it becomes impossible for them to hide it — that’s when it’s announced.”
Some people even acknowledge the need for control over their own story – Solange Knowles is one example. After her divorce from Alan Ferguson, she wrote this message on her Instagram: “11 Years ago, I met an incredible man who has changed every aspect of my life. We separated early in the year, and although it isn’t a body business, i feel it necessary to preserve my sacredness and live in it fully as I have done before and will continue to do so.”
Even though a breakup may not be fresh, that doesn’t mean people aren’t still thinking about it. These emotions can spill over into an announcement. It’s up to the publicist to decide what’s in the best interests of the celebrity and what’s not. Surya’s client, a person with “a lot” of followers and “very much in public eye”, was anticipating the release of the news about her recent split. Surya states that she saw her getting ready to post, but she was still distraught and not thinking clearly. She was like, “I have to get it out now. I have to be first.” She wanted to say everything, but it wasn’t clear. Surya did her job and convinced – and also “debated and “cajoled” – the star to stay.
She says that she was able to teach her how to meditate during those two days. She was able to visit her therapist several times and spent some time with her family. She was able write a draft and I was only going to help with the words. Surya says that this is what we do most often together. Surya describes Surya’s client’s second attempt to write a post about a breakup as elegant, classy and poignant. It represented her and was not going to cause any more trouble.
We don’t want to be too harsh on the “just like us” thing. But who among us hasn’t sent an ill-advised message to an ex or posted a subtweet that we ended up deleting after a split? There is a difference. Celebrities have millions of eyes on their lives. Surya states that it’s more difficult for those involved than most people realize. It’s devastating to think about your worst or most painful day and live it out in front millions of people.
