By Marisa Laudadio
8:05am PDT, Aug 20, 2018
Pete and Ariana aren't the only stars who got engaged ultra-fast this summer. On July 7, Justin Bieber proved he was really, truly over Selena Gomez when he proposed marriage to model Hailey Baldwin at a resort in the Bahamas just a few weeks after they'd rekindled their on-off romance that had been going on (between other hookups) for the last few years. TMZ reported that the pop star spent half a million dollars on Hailey's enormous oval-shaped diamond ring. The pair have been chillin' ever since, traveling between New York City, Los Angeles, Miami and Canada, attending Hillsong church services together and planning for a 2019 wedding, according to TMZ.
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Compared to Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber's respective whirlwind engagements, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra's summer courtship seemed positively lengthy. The pop star, 25, and the "Quantico" actress stepped out publicly on a series of dates over Memorial Day weekend. They got serious fast — she met his family at his cousin's wedding, he met her mom after they flew to her native India. Then, People magazine and other outlets reported, Nick popped the question on the former Miss World's 36th birthday on July 18 in London. On Aug. 14, Priyanka finally showed off her beautiful new engagement ring in an Instagram photo with a friend. Days later, she and Nick confirmed their happy news after celebrating their betrothal with family members in India.
It was one of the most beautiful celebrity weddings in recent memory (it certainly gave Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's royal wedding this spring a run for its money!). "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington married his former on-screen love interest Rose Leslie at the Kirkton of Rayne church in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on June 23. The couple then celebrated with a slew of friends and "GoT" co-stars at Rose's parents' nearby home, the 12th century Wardhill Castle, which has been in her family for 900 years.
Nearly two years after Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt and asked for sole custody of their six kids, she and the actor are still no closer to ending their marriage and no closer to resolving custody. After a period of relative calm, the pair's divorce drama dominated headlines this summer as their issues escalated. In June, a judge warned Angie she was in danger of losing custody if she continued to interfere with and limit Brad's time with their kids. The judge also set out a detailed summer visitation schedule for Brad, who's fighting for joint custody. In early August, things took another dramatic turn when Angelina hired new attorneys who claimed in court papers that Brad had failed to pay any "meaningful child support" since the couple separated. His lawyer countered, claiming Brad had not only loaned Angie $8 million to buy a home for herself and the kids but had forked over another $1.3 million to pay their bills too. Her attorney hit back, insisting, "A loan is not … child support."
Messy, messy, messy. On Aug. 7, multiple outlets reported that Kourtney Kardashian, 39, had split from her on-off boyfriend of nearly two years, boxer-turned-model Younes Bendjima, 25. According to TMZ, Kourtney quietly ended things back during the second week of July after they returned from an epic Italian vacation together because she'd learned that Younes had allegedly cheated on her when he went on another getaway without her. On Aug. 6, Younes was photographed in Mexico with his arms around Jordan Ozuna, a former Hooters waitress who's been linked to both Tyga and Justin Bieber, though he claimed he was really there with a large group of friends. Kourtney's sister, Kim Kardashian West, weighed in with a comment on one of Younes' social media posts: "Nice pics from your 'boys trip,'" she wrote, adding a Pinocchio emoji suggesting he was a liar.
It was the summer of love for "Flip or Flop" star Christina El Moussa and her British boyfriend, "Wheeler Dealers" host Ant Anstead, who've been dating since late 2017. The couple have been chronicling their loved-up adventures on social media — including when the cop-turned-car restorer whisked the HGTV star away for a surprise birthday weekend in July, and when she joined him and his two kids from his first marriage in England and Ireland for an archery, horseback riding and castle-filled getaway. They also shared a ton of gorgeous snapshots and videos from their August vacation to Hawaii with both his kids and hers. She's hinted that a wedding is in their future, telling People magazine in July, "I can see myself getting married to him." Ant gushed on social media that "she lifts me. she is a unicorn," which led Christina to respond that she "can't wait for what the rest of this year has in store for us." According to a summer report from Life & Style, Ant is already ring shopping.
Jennifer Lawrence debuted a new boyfriend this summer. In early June, Page Six revealed she'd quietly started dating Cooke Maroney, the director of New York City's Gladstone 64 art gallery, after her best friend, Laura Simpson, introduced them. The pair soon went public and were often seen out and about in Manhattan in June and July. In August, they vacationed together in Paris.
Attention, "Twilight" fans: Robert Pattinson stepped out with a new girlfriend this summer. On July 28, the actor was photographed kissing and cuddling with fellow Brit Suki Waterhouse — Bradley Cooper and Diego Luna's model-actress ex — during a late-night stroll through London after they saw "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" at the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill then spent time together at Soho House across the street. A source told E! News the two are "casually dating" and that "Rob is having fun right now… [He] and Suki have a great time together [but] he isn't looking for anything serious right now." An insider told Us Weekly, however, that the two actually "have been dating for months."
After months of trying to heal, compromise and work things out after she canceled their May wedding, Nikki Bella announced on July 30 that her long romance with John Cena just couldn't be salvaged and revealed that they'd split for good. "After I called off the engagement, we tried to work on our relationship to get back to where it was, and in order to move forward with our wedding. After much time and soul-searching alone and together, we have decided to officially part ways," Nikki told People magazine. "I had a beautiful and loving six-year relationship with a wonderful man. I have the utmost respect for John, but I know this is what's best for me."
Nearly a year after Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced that their marriage was over, the "Guardians of the Galaxy" star went public with a new romance (Anna moved on with cinematographer Michael Barrett last fall). In June, Chris was photographed having a picnic lunch in Santa Barbara, California, with Katherine Schwarzenegger — the 28-year-old daughter of action star-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver. Over the next several weeks, Chris and Katherine proved the romance was getting serious as they were pictured attending church services together, kissing on an outing with his son, Jack, and enjoying dinner with her family at Maria's home.
Singer-actress Katharine McPhee, 34, accepted a marriage proposal — and a stunning emerald-cut diamond engagement ring — from music producer David Foster, 68, in early July after more than a year of dating. "He did it at the top of this mountain in Anacapri," she later revealed on social media, adding that it was "totally dark only stars."
On May 5, Danielle Staub married Marty Caffrey in the Bahamas. But less than three months later, the marriage had broken down. The "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star's rep claimed that Marty — who accused Danielle of "financial, verbal and emotional abuse" in a lengthy statement he gave to Radar Online — had stopped speaking to his bride. By Aug. 13, Danielle had hired a divorce attorney and filed for a restraining order against her husband following an upsetting incident at their home.
Danielle Staub isn't the only "Real Housewives" franchise star whose marriage ended this summer. In June, the world learned that "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Alexis Bellino and husband Jim (pictured) are divorcing after 13 years of marriage. In July, new "RHOC" cast member Gina Kirschenheiter revealed she and her husband of seven years, Matthew, split while filming Season 13, which debuted this summer (she filed for divorce in April). In August, news broke explaining that "RHOC" couple Lizzie Rovsek had finally served estranged husband Christian with divorce papers this summer after they called time on their eight-year marriage last year.
Ten years after the devastating overdose death of her former partner, Heath Ledger — who's the father of her daughter, Matilda — actress Michelle Williams found love again. The public didn't even know the Oscar nominee was dating indie musician Phil Elverum when Michelle revealed in late July in a Vanity Fair cover story that she and the Mount Eerie singer-songwriter had quietly wed in the Adirondack Mountains earlier in the month. Phil, like Michelle, has tragedy in his past: His first wife, illustrator and musician Geneviève Castrée, died from pancreatic cancer in 2016 when their daughter, Agathe, was only 18 months old.
Another couple on ABC's long-running "The Bachelorette" franchise is engaged. Just a few months after "The Bachelor" star Arie Luyendyk Jr. broke Becca Kufrin's heart when he called off their engagement and proposed to his runner-up, Lauren Burnham, Becca got another proposal — and she said yes. The Season 14 star is now sporting an 18-karat yellow gold Neil Lane ring featuring nearly 4 carats of diamonds that she accepted from divorced medical sales rep Garrett Yrigoyen on the show's Maldives-set Aug. 6 finale episode.
All summer long, disgraced former "Today" host Matt Lauer and his wife of nearly 20 years, Dutch former model Annette Roque, have been negotiating the terms of their divorce. In July, Us Weekly claimed that Matt was preparing to pay Annette a massive sum. "He's going to be forking out around $50 million in a settlement," an insider told the mag. "She will receive the horse farm, their current residence and a one-time payment of $25 million. There will be no child or spousal support and they will split the costs for the [three] kids." In August, Page Six reported that he was prepared to give her up to $20 million but hoped to keep their $36.5 million family home in Sag Harbor, New York. Either way, the end is near. "Things really have settled down. Matt and Annette are getting on and they're both spending time with their kids," a source told Page Six. "They hope to settle the divorce very soon."
Despite a devastating cheating scandal that erupted just days before she gave birth to her first child, daughter True, in April, Khloe Kardashian and NBA player Tristan Thompson defied the odds and remained a couple all summer long. Despite months of reports of tense outings and fights behind closed doors, the reality TV star and Good American designer was repeatedly spotted out with Tristan, cheering him on at basketball games, cuddling with him at dinners and, in August, making out in the pool and riding Jet Skis while vacationing together in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Longtime bachelor Hugh Grant finally said "I do" at age 57. After six years of on-off dating, the "Notting Hill star married Swedish TV producer Anna Eberstein — the mother of three of his five children — in a low-key civil ceremony at London's Chelsea Register Office on May 25. "It was a nice thing to do," he later told "Entertainment Tonight." He explained to Reuters that being separated when his family traveled influenced his decision to wed. "We've got three kids together, we live together, and I didn't like the moment at immigration. Immigration people would say, alright, all the Grants through here, and I'd go through with my children. And all the others through there. She'd go through with the nannies. It wasn't right," he explained. "I still think [marriage is] nonsense really and so does my wife, by the way. But it just seemed like a nice cozy thing to do."
David Hasselhoff took himself "hoff" the market on July 31. After seven years as a couple, the "Baywatch" alum, 66, married Hayley Roberts, 38, a Welsh former shop clerk and factory worker, in Puglia, Italy, in front of a small group of friends and family including his two adult daughters from his second marriage.
On July 1, former One Direction member-turned-solo-artist Liam Payne, 24, and pop star Cheryl Cole, 35 — the mother of his toddler son, Bear — announced that they'd split up after about two and a half years as a couple. Barely a month later, he'd moved on: He was linked to Maya Henry, an 18-year-old Instagram model who's half Cheryl's age, after they had a "secret date" at a London hotel and hit a Dolce & Gabbana gala dinner in Italy, The Sun reported. Then on Aug. 14, Liam was photographed holdings hands with and kissing 20-year-old model Cairo Dwek — whom The Mirror reports he met on a trip to the French Riviera earlier in the summer — in Lake Como, Italy.
After a seven-month engagement, "The Big Bang Theory" star (and huge horse lover) Kaley Cuoco married professional equestrian Karl Cook at his Pomponio horse ranch near San Diego on June 30. "Legally KCSQUARED 6-30-18 ❤," the actress — who split from her first husband in late 2015 — captioned an Instagram photo of herself kissing Carl on their wedding day. The nuptials featured many horse-related elements including a stunning (and enormous!) floral and pampas grass altar in the shape of a horseshoe.
On July 3, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star Nia Vardalos filed for a big fat Greek divorce from her husband of nearly 25 years, "Cougar Town" actor Ian Gomez. Court papers revealed that the longtime couple, who share an 11-year-old daughter, had actually quietly separated a whole year earlier.
