By Jessica Wedemeyer
1:58pm PDT, Apr 11, 2019
Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the stars who found love, suffered heartbreak or experienced some other major event in their love lives in mid-April 2019, starting with one of our favorite leading men… People magazine and Us Weekly reported on April 11 that Ben Affleck and Lindsay Shookus called it quits for the second time following a reconciliation of just a few months. "She has a kid and an ex-husband and a job in New York and Ben has his family and a job in L.A., and while they love and respect each other, they just realized it wasn't going to work," an insider told both outlets. "They really gave it another solid try." Now keep reading for more of the week's biggest celeb love life updates…
RELATED: Celebrity splits of 2019
Cole Swindell and WWE Diva Barbie Blank made their red carpet debut as a couple at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas on April 7. There had been a few indications that they were an item leading up to the annual celebration of Nashville's finest. On Feb. 20, the Kelly Kelly wrestler sparked romance rumors when she called the country crooner "babe" while congratulating him on his ACM Award nomination for best song via Twitter. "I am beyond excited and proud of you babe!!!" she tweeted at the time.
RELATED: New celeb couples of 2019
Wendy Williams filed to divorce her husband of nearly 22 years, Kevin Hunter, on April 11, her attorney confirmed to Page Six. Just last month, the daytime talk-show hostess addressed rumors that they were headed toward a split. After calling Kevin her "best friend" and "lover," Wendy said, "I'm still very much in love with my husband. … Anybody who has been married for five minutes or 500 years, you know marriages have ebbs and flows. Marriages are not easy. And don't ask me about mine until you see [my wedding ring] gone — it ain't going anywhere, not in this lifetime."
People magazine reported on April 8 that, according to a witness, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor — who announced in May 2017 that they'd separated after nearly two decades of coupledom — were holding hands while taking in a performance of "Pretty Woman: The Musical" with their kids, daughter Ella and son Quinlin, at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City on April 6. "It was a sweet family night out," said a spy. "The kids were glowing because they all love the theater, and Ben and Christine looked happy together, smiling and laughing and holding hands, especially during intermission. They seemed to really love the show and being around one another." After the curtain call, the family of four headed backstage to pose with two stars of the Broadway show's stars, Andy Karl and Orfeh.
On the April 10 episode of "The Bellas Podcast," Nikki Bella opened up about her ex-fiancé, John Cena, and his new relationship. "He's one of the people … who's made me an amazing person. But because of how sad [he was] and how much I hurt him, when I saw the big smile on his face [when he was photographed holding hands with Shay Shariatzadeh], I felt happy for him," she said. "I am very happy for him. As long as John is happy, I'm happy." She went on to say that she's still protective of her ex: "Let me tell you, she breaks his heart? Wow. I will rack attack her in a heartbeat," she joked. The "Total Bellas" star added that she was aware John had started dating before his relationship with Shay was exposed to the rest of the world: "He and I had talked about it," she said. "Maybe that's why it didn't hurt me. … I think I was just really curious to see who he was going on dinner dates with, which, you know, they'll never be like ours. Just kidding!" Concluded the brunette beauty, "John is an amazing man and our timing wasn't right. Who knows, can timing be right for us in the future? Maybe, maybe not. Are we meant for other people? Maybe. … That's the thing about love. I think when you're on a reality show and you put your love out there, we get judged on it so hard and people only see us together. … I have to see why I wasn't happy and him, the same. Sometimes you learn that way and that's how people get back together but you grow that way." Not long after "The Bellas Podcast" hit the Internet, John cryptically tweeted — seemingly in response to Nikki's comments about their relationship, "Instead of trying to find the right person, try to be the right person. Get to a point where you love yourself, and you might be surprised at the company you choose to keep."
During an April 9 appearance on Power 105.1 FM's "The Breakfast Club," Jennifer Lopez addressed the cheating allegations Jose Canseco leveled against Alex Rodriguez the day after they got engaged: "It doesn't matter," she said. "I know what the truth is. I know who [Alex] is. He knows who I am. We're just happy. We're not gonna let other people come out and tell us what our relationship is. I know what our relationship is." The singer-actress also opened up about how she and A-Rod are compatible in spite of both being Leos: "It's hard. It's hard when the Leos come out," she joked. "We're both so bossy, strong alphas. The combining of that… I think we have so much respect for each other because of that, that it makes us love each other more. Like, 'You are a beast!' … I think I do [love that the most about him]." Explained J.Lo, "I have never been with somebody who grinds in the way I do. On that level where I'm like, 'You're driving me crazy. You need to slow down. You need to stop.' Never have I said that to anybody — because I work on a level that's fueled by such passion that it's never enough for me. But he's like that too. That's why he's one of the greatest of all time. … We love each other — we do. We have a lot of love and respect and admiration for each other, and that is so nice. Also, I've never been with somebody who lets me be the full shine J.Lo of all of myself and all the sides of me. That makes me really happy. … He's like, 'Just go, baby, just go!" She went on to say that she wasn't expecting Alex to propose — after first getting her parents' blessing, she said — during their March getaway to the Bahamas. "We had talked a little bit about it, and we had gone back and forth like, 'Where is this going? What are we doing? It's been a couple years.' But I didn't know he was gonna propose that weekend," she said. "It was so amazing. And afterwards I think the best part is we were both so happy — it was almost like a weight lifted off. It was like, ok, now we're really doing this. Now we're ready. We knew we were gonna be together, but until you take that step, there's always like, well, don't mess up! … But now it's like, OK, no matter what happens, we're gonna work it out." That same day, Jennifer told 103.5 KTU's "Cubby and Carolina in the Morning" show that she and A-Rod have yet to start planning their wedding. "We just got engaged, and then right afterwards, we started working right away, and we're working the rest of the year, so I don't know what's gonna happen," she said. "We haven't decided if we're going to squeeze it in somewhere or we're going to wait." (On April 5, the baseball star laughed off rumors that they're planning to tie the knot at Yankee Stadium.)
During her April 9 interview on "The Breakfast Club," Jennifer Lopez also opened up about her ex-boyfriend, Diddy, and an effusive comment he left on a picture of the singer-actress showing off her abs that she posted on Instagram back in January. "OMG," he commented with the heart-eye emoji, prompting some of J.Lo's followers to accuse the music mogul of disrespecting her current love, Alex Rodriguez. "Just so you guys know, [Diddy] wrote Alex after that," she said. "He was like, 'I didn't mean anything by it. I have nothing but respect for you guys. I'm so happy for you guys.'" Continued Jennifer, "We were together so many years ago. We were kids. … We were boyfriend and girlfriend when we were little. That was such a long time ago. It was a different type of relationship."
Kiernan Shipka's romance with Gary Oldman's son, Charlie Oldman, reached a few important milestones this week. First, the duo went Instagram official on April 8, when the male model shared a selfie with the actress with her lips puckered up near his cheek, which he captioned with a heart emoji. The following day, they made their official Hollywood debut at the premiere of "Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché" in Los Angeles. Though they declined to pose together on the red carpet, Kiernan and Charlie didn't shy away from being photographed together at the afterparty.
The Sun reported on April 7 that Princess Beatrice and her boyfriend, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, are getting serious: According to a source, he recently moved into her apartment at St. James's Palace. But that's not all: The duo also reportedly plan to tie the knot in late 2019 or early 2020. "They are incredibly happy and already planning the wedding," said the insider. "They can hardly keep their hands off each other and spend every moment they can together. I don't know if he has actually got down on one knee with a ring yet but they are openly talking about marriage and it will either be later this year or possibly early in 2020. … I know her parents are delighted and [her mother] is already thinking about her wedding day outfit!" The source went on to say that, at first, the couple "were keen to keep their romance under wraps" to protect the privacy of Edoardo's 2-year-old son, Christopher Woolf, with ex-girlfriend Dara Huang. "But now they are just happy for everything to be out in the open," said the insider. "They don't want to hide their love and just adore each other. The fact that he is living at St. James's Palace shows the depth of their relationship and that he has been given the royal seal of approval!"
Chris Lane and Lauren Bushnell aren't even engaged yet, but the country crooner is already talking marriage. "I think she wants a smaller wedding, probably, so once we get to that point, then it's kind of whatever she wants, I'm down for — that's how I roll," he told People magazine at the 2019 ACM Awards on April 7. The blonde beauty — who got engaged to Ben Higgins on the finale of Season 20 of "The Bachelor" in 2016 — recently moved from Los Angeles into an apartment with her beau in Nashville. "I'm a really clean person, so I thought to myself, 'All right, is this a good idea or not? Because if she isn't, it could be a deal breaker,'" Chris told People of his girlfriend of less than a year. "The verdict is: She's actually even more clean than I am, and she's a great cook. So we make a great team. She cooks, I clean."
Bobby Jacobs took to Instagram on April 5 to confirm rumors that he and Amanda Stanton — who competed for Ben Higgins' heart on Season 20 of "The Bachelor" in 2016 — called it quits after about a year of coupledom. Responding to a fan who asked if one of them cheated on the other and implored them to work it out for the sake of her two daughters, Bobby wrote, "There was no cheating. I'd always be there for the girl and I've voiced that many a time. Coming from having a deadbeat Dad I've chosen to live my life nothing like him. They touched my heart and vice versa. No matter what I'll always be around for them." When another follower asked if the breakup had anything to do with the photo hack Amanda recently suffered, he replied, "Not at all." Just last month, the duo showed off their new home in a joint Us Weekly photo shoot with Amanda's daughters, who'd reportedly grown extremely close to Bobby. According to a source, the mother of two "thought things were going well" before her beau realized that he "needed space." Said an Us Weekly source, "Bobby hoped things could work in the future. … He wants a stress-free life and he said Amanda wasn't supportive enough and didn't share enough of her success with him." According to the insider, Bobby "hadn't told" Amanda about his concerns before he dumped her, leaving her "blindsided by it all." The source added that Bobby "wanted to work things out and slowly ease back into things" but Amanda "couldn't get back together with him after this." A second source said that the blonde beauty was "really confused" by the breakup but "respected his decision and is moving on." The second insider added that Amanda is keeping the home she rented with Bobby and is "doing really well." Said the source, "She is focusing on herself, family and work. She has no plans to date anytime soon and is comfortable being single."
On April 8, Amanda Stanton took to her Instagram Story to confirm her split from Bobby Jacobs. In a series of videos, the reality star insisted she's "totally fine" in spite of being "completely blindsided" by the breakup, which she said "happened very suddenly." She went on to say that Bobby "didn't do anything wrong" and that they "had a great relationship" that "wasn't toxic." She continued, "It was actually the healthiest relationship I've ever been in. He was my best friend. I was super happy and that was not fake." That said, there's no chance they'll get back together: "I personally don't believe in breaking up and getting back together. … I just don't think it works out," she said. "I also don't know how I would be able to get back in a relationship where I thought things were going great and then it suddenly ended. I would just constantly worry — even when I thought things were going good — I would just worry." She then said that she's "not trying to jump back into dating" — no matter how turnt her Instagram may make her social life appear.
Fashion designer Marc Jacobs and model-turned-candlemaker Charly Defrancesco tied the knot in New York City on April 6. Their A-list guest list included Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Kate Moss and daughter Lila Hack, Naomi Campbell, Emily Ratajkowski, Rita Ora, Kaia Gerber, Mya, Lil' Kim, Anna Wintour, Bette Midler, Erika Jayne, Christy Turlington and Edward Burns, Alek Wek, Helena Christensen, Justin Theroux, Rachel Zoe, Chloe Sevigny, Luka Sabbat, Christina Ricci, Debbie Harry, Sandra Bernhard, Amber Valletta and more.
Don Lemon took to Instagram on April 6 to announce that his boyfriend, Tim Malone, proposed following the real estate agent's April 5 birthday celebration. "He gave me a present on his birthday. How could I say no?" the CNN anchor captioned an image of custom nametags Tim made for their two dogs — "Daddy will you marry Papa?" they read. A few days later, Don told Us Weekly that it's still "weird" to call Tim his fiancé. "My fiancé is a really great guy. He's really sweet," he said on April 9. "He was so vulnerable when he was asking me [to marry him]. I didn't think it was real. … His entire body was shaking, and he said, 'I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.' And I said, 'Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, are you serious? This is real!' And I saw the box and I said, 'All right.'" He went on to say that their relationship of nearly three years feels more "real" now that they're engaged. "I grew up thinking that … my relationships would never be public, let alone [that I would] get married, and now I can get legally married. My relationship is public and I have started thinking about children. So I'm a real late bloomer! A true late bloomer," said the 53-year-old newsman, who came out in his 2011 memoir. "Everyone's been asking me when I'm going to get married. I don't know!" he concluded. "I'm just relishing and enjoying the bliss of engagement. … I haven't thought about it, probably on a beach somewhere, very casual, barefoot."
Former "Survivor: Worlds Apart" competitors Joe Anglim and Sierra Dawn Thomas — who faced off against each other in 2014 and started dating in 2017 — took to Instagram on April 9 to announce that they're engaged. "Forever and ever, amen," the bride-to-be captioned a photo showing off her new engagement ring. "Yes #forever," Joe captioned a photo of himself on bended knee, kissing his new fiancée's hand.
JWoww briefly reunited with her estranged husband, Roger Mathews, for a pre-Easter celebration with their two kids on April 6. Two days later, her rep explained in a statement to Us Weekly that the duo, who've publicly accused each other of abuse, are still divorcing. "Jenni's kids' needs and wants will always come first," said the rep. "She is being an adult about the divorce and working towards being better co-parents. As far as the divorce, there is no reconciliation in the future and she is excited about continuing to move on with her life."
Pauly D and JWoww may have hooked up back in their early days on "Jersey Shore," but don't expect that to happen again now that they're both single, he told Us Weekly during a joint April 9 interview with Vinny Guadagnino. "She's awesome, but she is like a sister to us. She's like family, so I wouldn't want to cross that line again. She's like my sister," he said. Echoed Vinny, "That's like my older sister at this point. We never really had that thing. We joke around and stuff because now she's, like, recently single. But, nah. … I don't know if that would ever happen."
In early April, A Boogie wit da Hoodie took to Instagram to apologize to longtime love Ella Bands, with whom he shares a daughter, after she publicly accused him of cheating (again) earlier this year. "Smh It really takes losing what you have to love and appreciate what you had," he captioned a photo of himself with his ex and their little girl. "I hate to be the type to regret things but I [messed] up like crazy with you and I regret every little mistake even tho it made me open my eyes and realize what really matters to me. I love you no matter what and I will never disrespect you in any type of way ever again whether you accept me after all I've done or not. You are everything a man can ask for and gave me a beautiful family to love, prosper, and cherish. I was never a outspoken person with anyone but you, my best friend. I can't even imagine starting over smh. I want you more than ever rn but I truly understand if I'm not forgiven. You will always be my best friend and true love love at heart!" Ella clearly caught wind of Boogie's post and tweeted on April 8, "public apologies don't mean [anything]. the disrespect was public too."
On April 4, author MacKenzie Bezos took to Twitter to announce that she and Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos had finalized their divorce. "Grateful to have finished the process of dissolving my marriage with Jeff with support from each other and everyone who reached out to us in kindness, and looking forward to next phase as co-parents and friends," she wrote. "Happy to be giving him all of my interests in the Washington Post and Blue Origin, and 75 percent of our Amazon stock plus voting control of my shares to support his continued contributions with the teams of these incredible companies. Excited about my own plans. Grateful for the past as I look forward to what comes next."
A day after MacKenzie Bezos announced that her divorce from Jeff Bezos had been finalized, the Amazon CEO's girlfriend, former 'So You Think You Can Dance?" host Lauren Sanchez, and her estranged husband, WME agency CEO Patrick Whitesell (left), filed for divorce. According to TMZ, which reported that it's likely the former couple have already mediated their divorce terms, the duo indicated that they do not have a prenup and asked for joint custody of their two children. Neither is asking for child or spousal support.
During an April 9 Q&A with fans on her Instagram Story, Jana Kramer explained why she stayed with her husband, Mike Caussin, after he suffered a relapse in his battle with sex addiction. "Because even after all the hurt I still loved him so much. And I knew that he was a good man and father at his core. No one is perfect," she wrote. She also shared her advice to anyone going through a difficult time in his or her marriage: "If both parties are willing then don't give up. Go to a therapist and work on your marriage. It's had work but if two people are willing to fight for their marriage then it could be beautiful," she wrote.
During an April 8 appearance on "TMZ Live," Tarek El Moussa revealed that, at first, he couldn't stand working with his ex-wife, Christina Anstead, following their 2016 split. "It's been a few years now. At the beginning it was like pulling teeth — let's be honest," he said. "Things are good today. She's remarried [to Ant Anstead]. She's actually pregnant — everybody knows that. She's having a son. My kids are super-excited, and I'm excited for her new chapter in life. They're a great couple. I really do hope the best for them." The father of two added of whether or not he and Christina will work together more in the future, "You never know what's going to happen. We've been working together so long, and we're just so intertwined with all our businesses and our shooting that it's kind of refreshing to be able to go off on my own now and try some new opportunities. I'm really excited about it." When Tarek gave the interview, Christina and Ant had yet to publicly reveal the gender of their unborn child. But Christina didn't get mad at Tarek for letting the cat out of the bag. "While Christina and Ant wished they could have shared the news themselves, they are very excited to welcome a baby boy in the fall," her rep told Us Weekly.
During an April 8 interview with Us Weekly, Harry Hamlin dished on how he and wife Lisa Rinna make their marriage of more than two decades work: "Lisa and I are of the same mind. When you get married, you get married," he said. "So we have a very functional relationship and we respect each other and listen to each other and admire each other and we let each other be. We're not helicopter husband and wife." He went on to call himself and the reality star "a good team" — even though he acknowledged they're "completely and utterly opposite" — and called the fact that they've been together so long "a big deal." Said the actor, "I have no idea why opposites attract." He then said that his first two marriages — to actresses Laura Johnson and Nicollette Sheridan — "disappeared … not for lack of trying on my part."
On April 9, Alyssa Milano told Us Weekly how she and her husband, Dave Bugliari, make time for their relationship with two young kids at home: "We make an effort," she said. "Marriage is work, and I think the thing that makes for a happy marriage is really making an effort to spend time together … and whatever that means for that relationship, you have to strive towards it."
During an interview for the cover of the May 2019 issue of InStyle, which hit the Internet on April 10, Rebel Wilson opened up about the difficulties of dating in the spotlight: "People get very intimidated, which is weird, the idea that I would be intimidating to anyone. But it happens all the time, to the point that someone I really liked was so intimidated and got a lot of anxiety and couldn't have a relationship with me because I'm in the public eye. They didn't want that, so that kind of sucked. If someone thinks they're on a date with Fat Amy, that's not going to happen. Sorry, I can be almost as much fun, but I'm not like that in real life," said the Australian actress, who portrays Fat Amy in the "Pitch Perfect" franchise.
During an interview with Us Weekly that hit the Internet on April 8, "Vanderpump Rules" star Scheana Shay dished on which of her fellow reality TV stars she'd be open to dating. Here's what she had to say… On "Vanderpump Rules" co-star Peter Madrigal: "Love him but he is family and that would never happen." On "Summer House" star Carl Radke: "Been there. Made out with [him]. Nothing else happened. … Not after he went on 'Watch What Happens Live' and made it a bigger thing than it was. But we're still friends." On "Jersey Shore" star Pauly D: "We're good friends, and I have so much fun with him. I'm actually going to Vegas this weekend to see him, but I don't see that ever crossing the line. He's a homey and, yeah, just friends." On "Jersey Shore" star Vinny Guadagnino: "Pauly D before Vinny. I love Vinny on the show, but in person, he's not as adorable and entertaining as he is on the show. He's kind of closed off and just was like, 'Who are you? Why are you at my table?' and I'm like, 'We're friends.'" On "The Bachelorette" star Blake Horstmann: "One of my friends … that is her No. 1 [crush], and she said if I ever date him, she will never speak to me again. So I think he is amazing for anyone other than me — hopefully [for my friend]." On "Southern Charm" star Shep Rose: "I love Shep. We've hung out. We've had our fun. We get along really well. [I'm] open to it. I've always really liked him. … I don't really see him settling down, but I've been wanting to get out to Charleston." On "The Bachelor" star Nick Viall: "No. And probably a year ago, I would've had a different answer to that, but I have met him so many times. We're in the same world. We have the same friends, and it's like, he reintroduces himself every time. I'm like, 'I've met you seven times.' … That's a hard pass." On "Bachelor in Paradise" star Eric Bigger: "We're really good fiends. I don't see it ever being romantic. But he's a good friend. … He's a good person."
