For many children, having divorced parents is a reality with which they will have to come to terms.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 103,592 divorces granted in England and Wales in 2020, many of which will have involved children.
In this article, we will take a look at how some celebrities felt their parents’ divorce affected them and discuss some tips to help your children deal with divorce.
Britney Spears
Britney Spears reportedly described her parents’ divorce as “the best thing that’s ever happened to my family”.
“Mom and Dad, bottom line, do not get along,” she explained.
Her parents, who divorced after 30 years of marriage, have been said to have had a toxic relationship.
In cases such as this, divorce can be a much more beneficial path for the whole family and children will often recognise this, if not immediately, later on in life.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo’s parents separated when he was a baby. Leo lived with his mother and maintained regular contact with his father.
Leo describes being “completely indebted to” both his parents.
“I don’t care if you’re successful or not, just have an interesting life. Just be happy,” his father reportedly told him.
Leonardo’s success must be at least partly credited to the support that he received from both of his parents, proving that it is not necessary for parents to be in a relationship together to support and bring up a child.
Selena Gomez
It is not unusual for children to blame one or both parents for splitting up their family.
Selena Gomez was no different.
“I blamed my mom a lot [for the divorce] because I wanted a family so bad,” Gomez revealed. “I wanted to have my mom and dad together. I remember just being angry with my mom. I still feel really bad about that.”
Selena has since apologised to her mother for blaming her.
Justin Timberlake
For children of divorced parents, the repercussions can last a lifetime.
Justin Timberlake’s parents divorced when he was three years old.
“I’m humbly and honestly finding out that I have a lot of issues with that,” Timberlake told Elle magazine.
“I’m finding more and more that… I’m going to break the chain because that’s what you want to do, break the chain of your parents. But at some point, it’s in your blood and you have a thing that happens and you’re like, ‘Holy s**t, my parents did that.’”
Jennifer Aniston
For Jennifer Aniston, being the child of divorced parents has had some positive impacts in her life. In fact, she credits her parents’ separation for her sense of humour.
“It was pretty crappy, I came home from a birthday party and he was moved out. It was pretty abrupt,” Jennifer revealed. “Sure, your dad leaves and disappears for a while, that’s pretty brutal. But that’s sort of the beauty of it. Like I said, I would never exchange any of it… Me making people laugh, finding the humour in things, trying to lighten up the mood between disgruntled parents, getting attention… It sort of was a survival technique.”
What can you do to help your children through the divorce process?
- Communication is key – encourage your children to talk and regularly ask them if they have any concerns or questions
- Talk to your children together, if possible – portraying a united front with the other parent can signal to your children that you will both be there for them, now and in the future
- Do not involve your children in any arguments – keeping your children out of any disagreements with your ex can help to reduce stress and worry
If you are about to go through a divorce and would like to know more child arrangement options, get in touch to book your free consultation with one of our experienced family lawyers today.