21 Black Hollywood Breakups That Left Us Heartbroken
Damn! Damn! Damn! — 21 Black Hollywood Breakups That Left Us Heartbroken And Denouncing Relationship Goals - Page 3
Whether it was due to unforgivable actions like adultery, addiction, or abuse, or simply growing apart, here are the couples whose shocking splits had us gagged.
Just like people have their favorite actors and singers, some also have their favorite couples. You know, the ones they hope will last forever and maintain a relatively healthy relationship. But over the years, with social media giving a more in-depth look into celebrities’ lives, people have quickly realized that the relationships they thought were goals…weren’t.
As the drama between couples unfolded on screens, and some were even candid about their breakups on podcasts, fans were shocked to learn the truth about some of their favorite couples, and thus took a step back from being enamored by them. What was even more complicated for people to process were the couples who had been together for over a decade with no public scandals or arguments, but still decided to go their separate ways.
Whether it was due to unforgivable actions or simply wanting to move on, here are the couples that gave their supporters secondhand heartbreak.
La La Anthony and Carmelo were definitely one of those couples we thought would go all the way. After meeting in 2003, they got engaged, had their son Kiyan Anthony, and got married all in a seven-year time span. Though there were some infidelity rumors regarding a 19-year-old woman and Carmelo, the couple moved past it. When a woman claimed La La had cheated on Carmelo with rapper Maino, they paid the accusation dust.
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But the straw that broke that camel’s back came in 2017, when it was revealed that the NBA player welcomed a daughter with another woman. They separated that year and had an on-again-off-again relationship, but La La officially filed for divorce in 2021.
Back in 2022, Sister, Sister co-star Tia Mowry dropped a major bombshell when she revealed that she and her husband Cory Hardrict were separating. The two were married for 14 years, and to our knowledge, there hadn’t been any public scandals or issues between them.
Hardrict didn’t seem like he wanted the divorce, however, Mowry said she was in a place in her life where she wanted to prioritize her own happiness. Their divorce was finalized in 2023, and now Mowry is dating 35-year-old artist and educator Javon’e Armada.
Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert seemed like a great couple, too. They matched each other’s swag well, and their playful personalities complemented each other. They built their family of four beautifully after welcoming their two daughters, Iman Rose Shumpert Jr., 10, and Rue Rose Shumpert, 5. Plus, they even had a family reality TV show called Teyana and Iman on VH1.
But in 2023, Taylor filed for divorce and said that they were “still best friends” and family. However, things got a little ugly in court. In March 2025, she accused him of leaking information about their divorce to the blogs in order to shine more light on his rap career. When she called him out on it in an Instagram Live, Shumpert accused her of breaking the terms of their settlement, and she had to pay him $70,000 in legal fees.
No one saw Remy Ma and Papoose’s marriage ending up the way it did. They were thought of as a ride or die couple, the way Papoose held Remy down during her six-year prison sentence. They even got married while she was incarcerated. Once she got out in 2014, everything seemed good. They had their dream wedding and welcomed their first child together, expanding their family of kids they had in previous relationships.
But in 2023, rumors surfaced that Papoose and battle rapper Eazy The Block Captain got into a fight. Though Remy tried to shut it down, pictures later surfaced of the two of them hanging out. Papoose started publicly dating professional boxer Claressa Shields, and later, he and Remy got into a social media argument where they accused each other of cheating. They also blamed each other for stalling their divorce, which they both claimed they wanted. So far, their divorce has still not been finalized.
Even though Lori Harvey and Michael B. Jordan never got married, it still shocked people when they split up. They sparked a lot of chatter when they first went Instagram official in 2021. Jordan had never publicly claimed any woman in his entire career, and Harvey had dated several famous men before him. But who doesn’t love very attractive people together?
Jordan even got the approval of his girlfriend’s famous step-dad, Steve Harvey, who once said in an interview that he couldn’t find “nothing wrong with him.” Things seemed to be going great, but in 2022, they surprisingly split up. Neither one of them really gave a reason why they split, and now Harvey dates Snowfall actor Damson Idris. Jordan is either back to his discreet dating ways or he’s single.
When Tina Knowles and Richard Lawson got together, it seemed like the two had truly found “the one” in each other. They had known each other for four decades before anything turned romantic, so there was already some rapport there. They dated for about two years before tying the knot in 2015, with permission from Knowles’ daughters Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Solange Knowles, of course. Then, a couple of years later they cofounded Where Art Can Occur theatre together in Los Angeles.
But after years of appearing happy and smitten with one another, the two called it quits and divorced in 2023. In 2025, Knowles said in her book Matriarch, that she wanted to be happy and she didn’t think she “would never feel whole, cherished, loved and respected,” in her marriage.
Nia Long and Ime Udoka’s split in 2022 really made some jaws drop. The two maintained a relatively private relationship after they got together in 2010 and announced their engagement five years later. They even welcomed their son, Kez Sunday Udoka together in 2011. Udoka’s career in the NBA was on an up, but it briefly exploded when news broke that he had been suspended from his NBA head coach position with the Boston Celtics.
The Boston Celtics hired Ime Udoka in 2021, but in September 2022, the team announced that he violated organizational rules by having a consensual intimate relationship with a female staff member. As if it wasn’t bad enough, Udoka and Long were still a couple when he was involved with the woman. They officially split in December of that year, and in February 2023, the Houston Rockets hired Ime Udoka after his tenure with the Boston Celtics ended.
This is another couple that didn’t really let us in their business like that. Fans knew that Nazanin Mandi and Miguel had spent decades together — and turned heads as a seriously attractive couple. They started off dating for 10 years before tying the knot in 2018. In 2021, they announced their first separation, and in February 2022, they decided to give their love another shot. But it looks like for them the second time around wasn’t necessarily better than the first, because about eight months later, Mandi filed for divorce. The next year, their divorce was finalized. Miguel has since gone on to have his first child, a son, with partner Margaret Zhang.
Paula Patton wasn’t playing when she and Robin Thicke called it quits. They met in Los Angeles when they were 14 and 15, and actually began dating two years later. They married in 2005 when Thicke was 28, and Patton was 29. Five years later, they became parents, welcoming their son Julian Fuego Thicke. Things seemed great between the two until Thicke reached a career high in 2013, after releasing his funky single “Blurred Lines.” A photo came out of him grabbing a woman’s butt at a party.
Patton filed for divorce in 2014, and amid their ongoing custody dispute, she accused Thicke of physical and emotional abuse, infidelity, and claimed he had a drug and alcohol addiction. Thicke denied that infidelity was the reason behind the split but admitted to taking painkillers. They officially finalized their divorce in 2015, but years later, they maintained what appeared to be an amicable co-parenting relationship.
People may have thought that Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin were a match made in heaven. They met on the set of Jumping the Broom where Good was a cast member, and Franklin was an executive for the distribution company. They started dating in 2011 and got married the next year. Throughout their marriage they held a united front against church members who criticized Good about her clothes. Together, they also released a book in 2015 called The Wait: A Powerful Practice for Finding the Love of Your Life and the Life You Love.
Fast forward to 2021, Franklin filed for divorce from Good, citing irreconcilable differences. Though neither of them was really specific about why their marriage didn’t work, they both seemed eager to move on. Good got married to actor Jonathan Majors in 2025, and Franklin tied the knot with celebrity trainer Maria Castillo that same year.
Gospel singer Tina Campbell’s marriage to Teddy Campbell is about to end after 26 years of marriage. Teddy filed for divorce in April 2026, citing irreconcilable differences, and though no one knows the root cause yet, their former marital woes have resurfaced on social media. People began to remember the huge scandal that the couple endured on national television. She had a show called Mary Mary with her sister and Mary Mary group member Tina Atkins-Campbell. On it, Teddy was accused of cheating.
Turns out he had an affair with a woman who worked for the couple and was the godmother of their children. In 2015, Tina admitted to Steve that she was so angry that she “destroyed three cars” and “tried to stab and plot murders.” They decided to work things out, and the couple’s marital affairs seemed to quiet down. But it seems like it’s really over between them now.
No one knew the alleged complications that Tisha Campbell and Duane Martin endured in their marriage until it came spilling out during their divorce. The couple met in 1990 and got married in 1996. In their 21-year marriage, they welcomed two sons, Xen Martin, 24, and Ezekiel Czar Martin, 16, and all seemed well. But in 2016, they filed for bankruptcy with nearly $15 million of debt.
Fast forward to 2019, Campbell filed for divorce, and a year later, she accused Martin of physical, mental, and emotional abuse. She said it started months after their wedding, and that he would belittle her about her weight and her struggle to land roles. She was granted a restraining order, and their divorce was finalized in 2020. Their bankruptcy case was closed about four years later.
When it comes to Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, it will be BIG news if these two ever give their relationship another go. Nick Cannon still often mentions his legendary ex-wife, probably because it was one of his most highly publicized relationships to date. The two got married in 2008 after dating briefly, which was shocking enough since Carey, 57, is 11 years his senior. They got pregnant and welcomed their twins, Moroccan Scott and Monroe, in 2011.
But by 2014, their relationship was over. The split took a toll on both of them, as Nick Cannon later said he would never marry again and admitted he would never experience another love like the one he shared with Mariah Carey. The “We Belong Together” singer wrote in her 2020 book The Meaning of Mariah Carey that she thought she and Cannon could’ve worked it out, but egos and emotions got in the way. In 2024, the Wild N Out host said he would get back with his ex-wife, but claimed she didn’t want him.
Judge Greg Mathis and his wife, Linda Reese Mathis’ temporary split seemed to be a wake-up call for the judge. After 39 years of marriage, Linda filed for divorce in 2024, citing irreconcilable differences, and applied for spousal support. After years of supporting Mathis’ career, starting five preschools, and raising their three children, the matriarch felt that she needed time to pour into herself, hence why she filed for divorce.
Not so fast, though! Judge Mathis vowed to get his wife back and put that determination into action. Their separation only lasted about three weeks, then they both decided to put in the work to mend their relationship. So far, they have been going on strong, and the divorce filing has since been dismissed.
Ryan Destiny and Keith Powers nearly broke our hearts when it was announced that they parted ways in 2022 after four years of dating. Though they kept their relationship private, people loved them together. They initially met at a Teen Vogue party in 2015 and started getting to know each other on a personal level. They kept their relationship quiet until 2019 when they decided to go official on social media.
Since there was never any public drama or scandalous events that took place in their union, they had a lot of people rooting for them. Which is why their split devastated people. But they worked on themselves in therapy and came back together in 2023. Two years later, the couple took their relationship to the next level and got engaged in October 2025.
Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson had a cute run. The NBA player seemed to be a gentleman by the way he spoke to the Houston raptress and wooed her with beautiful gestures like renaming his boat after her and gifting her a Bentley. Thee Stallion was real smitten with Thompson, too. She went all out for his birthday by setting up an oceanside picnic for him and later surprised him with a private performance by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. She even cooked a Thanksgiving meal for his parents.
They looked like they were happy. But that all came crashing down when the “Savage” artist took to her Instagram to reveal that not only did Thompson cheat on her, but that he also did not treat her well during his basketball season. She also claimed he said he wasn’t sure if he could be monogamous. No one saw that coming.
Shaunie and Shaquille O’Neal seemed equally yoked in that Shaunie brought the boss lady energy while Shaq was a superstar in the NBA. They met in 1996 when Shaq left the Orlando Magic for the Los Angeles Lakers. At the time, Shaunie was a film marketer. They got married in 2002, blending their families and expanding for the next few years. But in 2007, Shaq filed for divorce, citing that the marriage was “irretrievably broken.” The next month, Shaunie sought to dismiss the divorce, and they called it off nearly a year later. In 2009, Shaunie decided to file for separation, and they officially divorced in 2010. Over the years, Shaq has admitted to his faults in their marriage, sharing that other women were around. Shaunie has since gotten remarried to pastor Keion Henderson.
Ashanti and Nelly were definitely an it couple back in the early 2000s. They were both fine and on their grind, with Ashanti being one of the misses of Murder Inc. Records and Nelly taking off as a solo artist with Universal Records. They were first seen together in 2005, but they attempted to keep the media out of their business by claiming they were just friends — chile, please. Because they kept their relationship discrete it’s hard to tell what caused their split, but they apparently went their separate ways around 2013. Ashanti later said she had been “betrayed” publicly, and many thought she was talking about Nelly.
Fast forward to the moment that changed everything for them in 2021, when they both showed up to support their friends Ja Rule and Fat Joe at Verzuz. Nelly walked across the stage and gave Ashanti a hug. From there, the two were back together and inseparable since. Not only did they get married in 2023, but they also welcomed their son Kareem Kenkaide Haynes in 2024.
Victoria Monét and John Gaines were one couple that was just too fine together. The world first saw Gaines in Monét’s music video for “Moment” where the two shared a steamy kiss. They started dating soon after that. By December 2020, 10 months after the music video dropped, they announced that they were going to be parents. They welcomed their baby girl, Hazel, in February 2021. Every so often, they would give us a peak into their family life on social media over the years. But by September 2024, Monét announced that she and Gaines had called it quits 10 months prior.
Gina Torres and Laurence Fishburne were married for quite some time before fans knew. The two actors met in the 90s and got engaged in 2001 before tying the knot the next year. They welcomed their daughter Delilah Fishburne in 2007, which was Laurence’s third child because he already had his son Langston Fishburne and Montana Fishburne with his first ex-wife, Hajna O. Moss.
Because there wasn’t any public drama about their relationship and they often spoke glowingly about each other in interviews, their split was a shock to many. They shared the news about their split in 2017 with a statement saying that they had split the year prior. But the statement made it clear that they remain on amicable terms.
Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker really gave the impression that they were going to be locked in for life. In 2011, Real Housewives of Atlanta brought them together with Burruss being a cast member and Tucker being a producer on the show. Eventually, they both were a part of the cast as they embarked on their relationship. Two years into their relationship, Tucker asks Burruss to be his wife, and in 2014, they said, “I Do.”
Though they each already had one daughter from previous relationships, they welcomed two more kids together. They also joined forces in the business space, owning companies like their Atlanta-based restaurants Old Lady Gang and Blaze Steak and Seafood. But Burruss filed for divorce in November 2025 and has since been healing. She has yet to divulge the motivation behind her filing. She has only said that it has to do with something that occurred in July 2025.
