15 Celeb Couples Destroyed By The Reality TV Curse
There is such thing as a reality television curse where relationships featured on some of our favorite unscripted shows die a slow death. It seems as if everyone has a great relationship until they decide to show off their significant other and then the fame, no matter how big or small, carefully chips away at a foundation that was once strong and solid.
We've seen this happen way too often, especially when it comes to the Kardashian crew. You'd think that they'd learn to not feature their boyfriends or husbands alongside them on their stream of shows, but it seems as if they're gluttons for punishment. They aren't the only ones that are guilty of ignoring the curse, however. Reality stars are told that the world wants to see their loving relationships played out in front of the camera, but doing that opens them up to criticism. All the tawdry tabloids need is to smell blood in the water, like the circling sharks they are, before they publish stories that would make it difficult for any relationship to survive. Cheating scandals, arrest records, addictions, salacious rumors… even the strongest pairs will find hiccups in their unions when they're subjected to that sort of public scrutiny.
15 Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom
The world was rooting for these two to work out. When former NBA star Lamar Odom hooked up with Khloe Kardashian, many people saw them as an odd pair. However, these two seemed happy and even had a reality series of their own, "Khloe & Lamar." The two met at a party just a month before they married in 2009. However in 2013, Khloe filed for divorce after finding out that Lamar cheated on her. This situation was further complicated when in 2015, Lamar was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel and was in a coma for four days, forcing Khloe to put the divorce on hold just in case she had to make any medical decisions on his behalf. Lamar later revealed that reality TV opened the door for infidelity.
“It also opened this gate up with other women who probably wouldn't have been interested in me,” he said. “When I became Khloé Kardashian's man and on TV, it made me look more enticing. People who didn't even know basketball would approach me because they knew Lammy.”
14 Cynthia Bailey & Peter Thomas
They started off as the calmer couple on "Real Housewives of Atlanta" amidst the make-ups-to-break-ups that happened on the show. Unfortunately as the seasons went on, fans watched as their marriage began to crumble. Peter opened another restaurant and bar in North Carolina and started to spend more time away from his wife. Cynthia played out her feelings for the cameras when videos circulated on social media and Peter was getting a little "handsy" with other women. The two were together for 10 years but allowed Bravo TV cameras to document their arguments and heart breaking confessions. Even though the two are still going through with their divorce, they've maintained a solid friendship. They still film together for the show, and some speculate that they've gotten back together but are keeping their rekindled romance a secret.
13 Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey
A match made in pop star heaven, 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey got together with Jessica Simpson was the perfect music industry relationship. Although they first met in 1998, the two didn't get married until 2002. The following year MTV aired the couples' reality series, "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica," where Jessica had her infamous “Is this chicken that I have, or is this fish?” gaffe. Within a few years, the relationship fizzled out and the couple announced that they were planning to divorce just months after the last episode aired in 2005. In 2006 it was finalized, and while they cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason behind their break up, later Nick told David Letterman in an interview that reality TV played a role.
He said, "It was just so invasive that it became a problem." The two have both moved on since then and eventually married other people.
12 Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown
There have been many music marriages that shook up the industry, but the pairing of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown was like none other. When America's songbird first began dating R&B's bad boy, no one believed it was going to last -- even when they had a child together. Bravo was able to give fans a glimpse into the wild, happy couple's lives by airing the show "Being Bobby Brown." The series only lasted for 11 episodes, but the couple's behaviors just added gasoline to the fire of rumors that Whitney had a serious drug habit. For years, people believed Bobby was influencing her negatively, and it seemed as if they were right because just a few months after the season finale of the show, Whitney checked herself into rehab. Around that time Whitney and Bobby also separated, and just a year later they filed for divorce.
11 NeNe & Gregg Leakes
This on-again-off-again-on-again marriage was once a sad tale, but Greg and NeNe Leakes of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" have salvaged their relationship to make it work. They were apart of the original cast of Bravo's hit show, and NeNe prided herself on mentioning to others that she was in one of the few successful marriages featured. However, it didn't take long for chatter about Greg's cheating to make the rounds. As if that wasn't already bad enough, their son had a few run-ins with the law, which can take a toll on any relationship. In 2010, NeNe filed for divorce from her wealthy husband, but for a time they still lived together. That same year Greg filed for divorce and in 2011 it was finalized. However, nothing can quench the fire of true love, and the pair were remarried in 2013. They remain together to this day.
10 Missy & Bam Margera
No one believed that any of those wild kids from the "Jackass" crew would even settle down and get married, but we were proven wrong time and time again. In 2007, Bam Margera married his girlfriend and friend since childhood Missy Rothstein and it was all documented for MTV's "Bam's Unholy Union." It's hard to believe that anyone could keep up with Bam and his antics, but if Missy could handle it, more power to her. However, two years later, Bam was in the hospital following a four-day drinking binge that could have killed him. He mentioned that this was the beginning to the downfall of his marriage. In 2010, Bam told Howard Stern that he and Missy were living in separate cities and she was aware of his other girlfriends. They were divorced in 2012 and in 2013, Bam married model Nicole Boyd.
9 Jennifer & Eric Williams
Former NBA star Eric Williams really wasn't the type of guy who made headlines, but when his wife Jennifer joined the VH1 cast of "Basketball Wives.", things went downhill from there between them. The two were together for nearly a decade but married in 2007. Fans watched as their relationship unraveled right in front of their eyes until the couple finally filed for divorce in 2010. Eric complained that Jennifer would rather hang out with her single friends who liked to hit up the clubs instead of playing the role of a devoted wife. Jennifer said Eric was always traveling and never returning her calls, and with his history of cheating, it didn't calm her fears that he was creeping once again. Their split came to a climax when, on the show, Eric threw a drink in Jennifer's face. In an interview for Essence magazine, Jennifer admitted that she has forgiven her ex but there is no chance of them getting back together.
8 Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro
In 1998, Carmen Electra exchanged vows with NBA star Dennis Rodman in Las Vegas, and nine days later their marriage was annulled. By 2003, she was in love with someone else and married Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. The rock star couple were a good fit for each other, or so everyone thought. MTV created a reality show about their relationship called "'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave." The cameras followed the couple for one season as they prepared for their wedding. It was less than three years later when they decided to split up. But the couple certainly didn't blame reality television for the break up. Dave didn't even think that the show represented who they really were "because you're not gonna be real with an eight-man crew in your house." Despite breaking up, the two remain on friendly terms.
7 Adrienne Maloof and Paul Nassif
Another "Real Housewives" couple that just couldn't make it was the mega-rich Beverly Hills pair, Adrienne Maloof and Paul Nassif. Adrienne comes from the billionaire Maloof family who have owned hotels, casinos, and even NBA basketball teams. In 2002, she married plastic surgeon, Paul. The two had a few arguments on their Bravo show that gave fans a glimpse into the not-so-glamorous lifestyle of the rich and famous, but for the most part they were a down to earth couple that didn't look as if they had issues.
In 2012 Paul filed for legal separation and while he said he hoped that he and Adrienne would get back together, he filed for a divorce just a month later. He claimed that she was "toxic" and "physically violent" it only took a couple of months for their divorce to be settled.
6 Kate & Jon Gosselin
If reality TV divorces had a hall of fame, the Gosselin's would have their photo hanging in the lobby. They were featured on TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8," a show about a happily married couple raising their brood of eight children - a set of twins and sextuplets. Viewers immediately saw that there was underlying tension between the two and picked up on Kate's controlling behavior and Jon's almost-mid-life crisis. Jon spiraled out of control and partied in Vegas, started smoking cigarettes, and was photographed out with younger women. He made comments saying TLC was exploiting his children and ultimately the network kicked him off of the show. It was rebranded "Kate Plus 8" and the couple divorced in 2009. Jon, on the other hand, didn't fare so well in life. He was last reported to have been a DJ and works part-time at a T.G.I Friday's.
5 Porsha Williams And Kordell Stewart
Let's revisit the sensationally dramatic marriage of Kordell Stewart and Porsha Williams. The NFL player married the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star in 2011 before she had her reality television fame. The newlyweds were featured on the show together, but almost immediately there were ripples in the ocean of their love. After being married for only two years, Kordell filed for divorce and Porsha claimed that she was totally surprised by the legal move. There were sly suggestions that Kordell was gay, an accusation that he vehemently denied and said was fueled by Porsha's bitterness. She also alluded to Kordell being abusive during their marriage, but none of those accusations have been verified. However, it appears Porsha has issues of her own. In an interview with Steve Harvey, he dispelled rumors that he left her with nothing. Despite what they've said about one another, Kordell has said that he has no hard feelings for her.
4 Shanna Moakler & Travis Barker
A beauty queen and a rock star fall in love… the perfect recipe for an MTV reality show. Model Shanna Moakler and Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker got engaged when he proposed to her in the Haunted Mansion lobby at Disneyland and the two were married in 2004. They two were like the perfect oddball couple and MTV wanted to capitalize off of their bliss with the show "Meet the Barkers", which showcased their wedding and birth of baby number two. Two years later, Travis filed for divorce and Shanna took to social media to vocalize how devastated she was. When it started going around that Travis was dating Paris Hilton, the ladies had a knock out drag out at a nightclub. Travis and Shanna broke up and got back together quite a few times before they finally divorced in 2008.
3 Linda & Hulk Hogan
One of the first families of wrestling are the Hogans, and they seemed to have lived a beautiful, bleached blond life of bliss before the reality TV cameras started rolling. They had their own VH1 show called "Hogan Knows Best" where Hulk, his wife Linda (m. 1983), and their children, Nick and Brooke, were all put on display in 2005. Two years later, Nick was in a serious car crash that landed him in jail for eight months. A woman who was a friend of Brooke's also came out and said that she was having an affair with the Hulk while he was filming his reality show. In 2007, Linda filed for divorce and got a multi-million dollar settlement. A year later, she met 19-year-old Charley Hill whom she dated until 2012. With that amount of drama, it's no wonder why this couple landed on the third spot on this list.
2 Camille & Kelsey Grammer
Who knew that Fraiser's life could be so messy? When Camille Grammer joined the cast of the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," she was more than happy to gloat about the huge property that she shared with her actor husband, Kelsey Grammer. He was sharing time between Los Angeles and New York City because he was starring in a musical in the Big Apple. It didn't take long to see how the distance was putting a strain on their relationship and soon, Kelsey would call NYC his permanent residence. There he met Kayte Walsh, a much younger woman whom he would leave his wife for. According to Camille her marriage with Kelsey had been on the rocks for a while and he had emotionally checked out long before their officially split. Camille also said that she believed Kelsey pushed her into doing reality TV saying, "He thought it would be good for me to do something that was separate from us being a couple."
1 Kim Kardashian And Kris Humphries
It was the 72-day marriage that rocked the world! After several high profile and, *ahem*, recorded relationships, the reality star began dating NBA player Kris Humphries in 2010. If there was ever a sign that a relationship just might not last, it's dating a guy with the same name as your mother. In August of 2011, the couple married and the E! network featured a two-part special about their wedding in October. Fans watched the two talk about how in love they were and prepare for their big day, but it was only weeks later that Kim filed for divorce. The couple were accused of staging the wedding for publicity, a claim that Kim said was untrue. Their divorce was finalized in 2013 and in 2014, Kimmy K. became Mrs. Kanye West and eventually gave birth to North and Saint West.