By Jessica Wedemeyer
11:51am PDT, May 21, 2020
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-May 2020, starting with this unexpected love triangle… Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are coupling up in the wake of her breakup from Brian Austin Green. On May 18, E! News reported that the pair got close while shooting the upcoming thriller "Midnight in the Switchgrass." According to a source, "They are hooking up and have been for a little while." The insider adder that the actress is "excited" about her new romance with the rapper-actor and is looking forward to working with him again once their movie project goes back into production. "[It] will be starting up again soon and they are happy to get back to work and continue being together," said the source. Added an Us Weekly insider, "[They] began spending more and more time together because of their work schedules and filming together. They started off as friends and their relationship grew from there. Megan thinks MGK is a really cool guy and their relationship turned more romantic. … They have definitely hooked up and are seeing where things go." (According to another Us Weekly source, Megan may not be the only woman in MGK's life: Earlier this month, he was seen looking "romantic" and "comfortable" while "walking arm-in-arm" with a "very tall" and "model-y type" mystery blonde in West Hollywood.) The duo — who also co-star (and nearly kiss!) in the music video for MGK's new song "Bloody Valentine," which dropped on May 20 — first sparked romance rumors when they were snapped picking up takeout from a restaurant in Calabasas, California, on May 15. (See the photos here.) At the time, it was unclear where exactly Megan stood with her husband: In late April, there were reports that she and Brian were quarantining separately amid the coronavirus pandemic. Another indication that the longtime couple had quietly called it quits came on May 16 when the former teen heartthrob took to Instagram to share a photo of a pair of butterflies resting on some flowers and cryptically wrote in the caption, "Eventually butterflies get bored sitting on a flower for too long. They start feeling smothered. It's a great big world and they want to experience it." Then on the May 18 episode of his eponymous podcast, Brian confirmed that in the butterfly metaphor, he's the flower…
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On the May 18 episode of his eponymous podcast, Brian Austin Green confirmed that he and Megan Fox quietly separated late last year after nearly a decade of marriage and 15 years of coupledom. During the extremely emotional 30-minute podcast, the "Beverly Hills, 90210" alum insisted that "nobody did anything wrong" and that his wife's burgeoning romance with Machine Gun Kelly wasn't a factor in their decision to separate. On the contrary, they simply drifted apart. The former teen heartthrob explained that he started to sense a rift in his relationship with the brunette beauty when she left the country to shoot a movie for about five and a half weeks in late 2019 — "the longest that she's been gone working." Midway through the shoot, he had a dream that when Megan returned home, things between them were "distant," "off" and "weird." Sadly, his dream proved to be prophetic. Weeks after she'd returned home, they still "weren't feeling any closer towards each other," so the father of four confronted the "Transformers" star about her feelings, asking her, "Should I be concerned about our marriage?" Recalled Brian, "She said, 'I realized while I was out of the country working alone that I feel more like myself and I liked myself better during that experience and I think that might be something worth trying for me.'" So they decided to spend some time apart. "Since the end of [2019], we've really been trying to be apart and figure out what life is now. It's a big change for both of us," said the actor, who shares three sons with his estranged missus. As for MGK, Brian said that as far as he knows, Megan and the rapper-actor are just "friends at this point." Said the erstwhile David Silver, "I don't want people to think that [they] are villains or I was a victim in any way with any of this — because I wasn't." He went on to say that both he and Megan are committed to focusing on their kids and moving forward as a family unit even though they've "gone in separate ways for now." Continued an extremely emotional Brian, "I really don't want Megan and I to be at odds … because she's been my best friend for 15 years and I don't want to lose that. … We've had an amazing relationship and I will always love her, and I know she'll always love me." He then said that he hasn't ruled out a reconciliation: "[Our paths] could come back together. They may not. We don't know," he said. It wouldn't be the first time: Megan filed for divorce back in August 2015 but then asked the court to dismiss her petition for divorce in April 2019. Meanwhile, Us Weekly reported on May 20 that Brian is "really not in a good place" and "devastated" by the breakup.
RELATED: Celeb splits of 2020
In other rebound romance news… People magazine reported on May 14 that, according to a source, Ashley Benson is having "a fling" with G-Eazy while "getting over [her] breakup" from Cara Delevingne. Echoed an Us Weekly source, "They are hanging out and seeing each other, but it's not serious." Also on May 14, the "Pretty Little Liars" alum and the rapper — who previously romanced Halsey — were snapped kissing while picking up takeout from a restaurant in the Los Angeles area. (See the photos here.) After the photos hit the Internet, Cara took to her Instagram Story to implore her fans to stop "hating on" her ex. "You don't know the truth, only her and I do and that's exactly how it should be," wrote the English model-actress.
RELATED: Notorious celeb cheating scandals
Us Weekly reported on May 21 that, according to a source, Scott Disick and Sofia Richie "are on a break" as he "straightens himself out more" amid his recent mental health issues. "Scott is in an OK place right now and is trying to get better and focus on work, but he has to prove himself," said the source, adding that "a big part of why" the father of three went to rehab earlier this month "was because Sofia wanted him to work on himself."
Sophia Bush has a new boyfriend: Grant Hughes, who reportedly works as the chief strategy officer at the company FocusMotion Health. The duo were snapped holding hands during a May 17 stroll in Malibu. They were also photographed grocery shopping together in Malibu on May 14.
Jaime King filed to divorce her husband of more than 12 years, filmmaker Kyle Newman, in Los Angeles on May 18. According to People magazine, the model-actress was also granted a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband, with whom she shares two sons. On May 19, Kyle's spokesperson released a statement to multiple media outlets saying that the director is "deeply saddened by Jaime's attempt to obtain court orders based solely on false claims without providing him any opportunity to respond." Read the statement, "As a result, he was extremely pleased that the judge nevertheless permitted their children to remain in his care. As Kyle continues to solo parent, as he has done throughout this pandemic, he remains entirely focused on putting the children's stability and welfare first. Kyle wants nothing but the best for his whole family and hopes that Jaime can find the peace and help she needs."
On May 18, In Touch broke the news that, according to a source, Meghan King (formerly Meghan King Edmonds!) has been dating "Life Uncharted" podcast host Christian Schauf "for a few months now" and is "head over heels in love." Said the source, "They have a lot in common, and they're both really into each other." The duo are reportedly spending time together in Utah, where he lives, while her three children are in St. Louis with her estranged husband, Jim Edmonds. Christian is "very down to earth … a nice guy and the perfect catch," added the source. "Yes, this is still pretty new, but Meghan is very happy." On May 20, People magazine confirmed the new romance: "They met back in March through a mutual friend," said a source, adding that "things are still pretty new, but it's going very well so far." Another source said the pair had "instant chemistry" and have "a lot in common." Continued the second insider, "She just got out of a long relationship and has a lot on her plate. This has been a great break from that stress for her. It's nice to see her so happy and wish someone who appreciates her the way she should be." The first People source added that Meghan "wants to keep things private, for now."
In a May 21 feature for Vogue, Debby Ryan and Twenty One Pilots drummer Joshua Dun revealed that they secretly tied the knot in Austin on New Year's Eve. The bride donned an Elie Saab gown for the church wedding. She later changed into a slip-dress and sneakers for the reception.
On the May 20 episode of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Garcelle Beauvais revealed that she once dated her "Wild Wild West" co-star Will Smith: "He was hot," she said. "He was a bachelor. I was single. You know, it happens in Hollywood." (Ironically, she broke the news during a hangout with the A-list actor's ex-wife, Sheree Zampino.) The "NYPD Blue" alum also opened up (again) about finding out her ex-husband, Mike Nilon (pictured), had an affair during their marriage: "I thought I married a person who would have my back and to find out that he was cheating, there were no signs for me. I was blindsided," she said, adding that ultimately, she could never "hate" her ex because of the two children they share.
On May 20, People magazine reported that Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy's inability to reach an agreement over whether or not to have children contributed to their split. "A few years ago, having a baby was not a priority for her. This has changed," said a source. Added a second insider, "Olivier has two grown kids and doesn't want more. Mary-Kate thought he would budge on that and he hasn't." The duo also enjoyed opposite lifestyles: "Olivier is a party boy and a big spender. He loves the high life," said a third source. Meanwhile, "Mary-Kate prefers to be quiet and alone and doing the things she likes," explained yet another source. "She's not that interested in socializing — she likes small gatherings with select people. They ended up being apart quite a bit."
The Sun reported on May 17 that Matt Smith and Lily James — who reportedly split in late 2019 but continued living under the same roof — are officially back together after rekindling their romance amid the coronavirus pandemic. "Matt and Lily's breakup was mostly because their hectic schedules meant they could barely see each other," said a source. "They kept the house together when they split because they were both barely around. But when lockdown began, they ended up isolating together. Being in the house and having no work and distractions has allowed them to reconnect and get back to a good place." Continued the insider, "There is such an amazing chemistry between them and they make a wonderful couple. It's what their friends had all hoped would happen because they do make each other so happy and their split happened because they were just too busy to see each other."
In other reconciliation news… Ne-Yo and his wife, Crystal Renay Smith, have reconciled after announcing their plans to divorce in February. On May 19, The Shade Room took to Instagram to share a video of the back-on couple playing around on TikTok. When a troll commented that Crystal is "just a woman Ne-Yo [is] with," she fired back in the comments section that she's much more than that: "Wife," she wrote — and left it at that. During an Instagram Live with Kendra G. six days earlier, the singer explained how he and his missus found their way back to each other amid the coronavirus pandemic: "When you're faced with a pandemic and you see people dying daily — bunches of people dying all the time — it really puts things into perspective for you, like, who's there for you regardless of whatever," he said. "I'm talking unconditional love. That's the love that means, 'I don't give a damn, no matter what … I love you.' I have a handful of people like that on the face of the planet. So when this thing went down and all of a sudden it was like, 'It ain't safe to be outside,' I said to myself, 'Okay, if I gotta be inside, I wanna be inside with people that I know love me beyond a shadow of a doubt and that I love beyond a shadow of a doubt.' And regardless of what me and Crystal were going through at the time, never did I ever say that I didn't love her. That never ever happened. I never had anything negative to say about her. … So when I came home, I came home to the people that I love, and that's everybody that I love — that's my mother, my sister, my four children and my wife. So here we are."
On the May 19 episode of Laura Wasser's "All's Fair" podcast, Kristin Cavallari's former BFF, Kelly Henderson, finally shut down long-standing rumors that she and Jay Cutler had an affair. "I'm just gonna go ahead and put this out there: There was never an affair. I have nothing to do with their divorce and I am not dating Jay Cutler," she said, according to Us Weekly. "I've been in a relationship for quite some time now. He is a very private person and I respect that. You know, him and his kids are a huge part of my life now, but I try to keep them out of the public part of my life because it's not what they signed up for." She added that she's not "really in touch" with Kristin and Jay anymore. "I've kind of gotten some space from both of them," she said.
Instagram official? Shep Rose's rumored girlfriend, Taylor Ann Green, seemingly confirmed their romance when she took to Instagram on May 18 to share a photo of herself and the "Southern Charm" star looking cozy together at the beach. "I guess the secret is out," she initially wrote in the caption, which she later updated to say that she and Shep were "just promoting" her hat, which is from his eponymous clothing line. She then curiously deleted the post all together. Since early March, Taylor has made habit of posting and then deleting PDA-packed of herself and the reality star.
In other "Southern Charm" news… On May 14, the Charleston-based makeup artist accused of having an affair with "Southern Charm" star Cameran Eubanks' husband, Dr. Jason Wimberly, took to Instagram to shut down the allegations: "I have never met Jason or Cameran," she wrote. "These hurtful accusations are blatant unfounded lies that have shaken me to my core. I am not a religious follower of 'Southern Charm,' but as a makeup artist and resident of the Charleston area, it is impossible to not know who the cast of the show is. I have never laid eyes or interacted with Jason Wimberly, Cameran, or anyone in their beautiful family other than on television." Cameran re-posted the statement on her Instagram Story, calling the makeup artist "the victim" in the situation. "It is so sad that this kind, beautiful and innocent girl had to be drug into the mud," she wrote. "I signed up for this by being on TV. She didn't."
In a since-deleted Facebook post that a "Teen Mom" fan captured and shared on May 19, Mackenzie McKee alleged that her husband, Josh McKee, cheated on her with her cousin. In the lengthy post, the mother of three wrote that she "made the random decision to pull [Josh's] call and text logs" to figure out why he'd started "changing his behavior" after her mother died in December. She allegedly discovered that — just a week after her mother died — he started "texting a woman 3-600 times per month and calling her" when he said he was out "fishing until 3 a.m." The reality star wrote that after she realized it was "obviously another affair" — she and Josh briefly split over his infidelity issues for two months in the summer of 2019 — she called the number and realized it belonged to her "close cousin Ashley." Wrote Mackenzie, "My family will never be the same and we are all torn. I WAS NOT only hurt by him, but by her." She also wrote that although Josh initially supported her in the wake of her mother's death, things changed after just two weeks: "All of the sudden I was a freak for crying and being depressed. I would lay in bed and wonder why I was so crazy because that's what he made me feel like," she recalled. "And then life slowly turned into him working all day, coming home to shower and fishing all night. Again, I wondered 'what is wrong with me, I need him here to hold me together' but just gave him grace and knew he didn't know how to handle it." She went on to say that she's now opening her eyes "to what a horrible man Josh has been." Continued Mackenzie, "He has been a lie. … People have tried to tell me for years Josh doesn't love me and I just made excuses for him. But today is the day I walk away. Pray for me, that I can function, feel worthy again and find hope. Pray for my kids, I always wanted my family to work so they don't have to live in two different houses. I was 100% committed to Josh and [there's] so much I don't understand."
On May 17, Page Six broke the news that Jill Martin and her fiancé of a year, Erik Brooks, recently called it quits. "This pandemic has taken a toll on so many aspects of life — it's such a difficult time for everyone. Erik is the most magnificent person, but with him living in Boston with his children, and me living in New York, the distance just became too difficult for us to maintain the kind of relationship that's important to us both. He is an amazing man, and I wish him nothing but the best," the "Today" show contributor said in a statement after the New York Post's gossip column noticed she'd stopped wearing her engagement ring.
Page Six reported on May 16 that "Billions" star Dan Soder is dating ESPN host Katie Nolan. Things between the longtime colleagues (he often appears as a guest on her shows) reportedly "turned romantic" in "recent months."
During an interview with Us Weekly that hit the Internet on May 15, JoJo Siwa clarified that she and family friend Elliott Brown are not a couple. "We're not [dating]," she said. "We're still totally friends and nothing happened. Like, we never were dating. We were close and we were right at the edge. Like, we almost crossed the line. And then we just both decided that we shouldn't right now, which is totally fine." She went on to say that they "might [date] later," though she also acknowledged that "there's a million fish in the sea." The former "Dance Moms" star — who said she's "fully allowed" to go on dates but doesn't because she's "so busy right now" — also opened up about the difficulties of dating in the spotlight: "I have to be careful about people who I trust in relationships," she said. "It's scary and people just don't get my life, and I can't expect them to get my life. It's hard to know if I want somebody in the industry or if I want somebody not in the industry, because if they're not in the industry, then they can really, truly be there for me and I can truly be there for them in whatever they're doing. But then they don't understand what I do. But then if they are in the industry, they understand what I do, but at the same time, they have their own major priorities in the industry. So it's like a catch-22 either way. I know that right person is out there and everyone has a soulmate. And eventually when my time is to find him, my time is to find him."
It's serious! Kristen Doute and her new boyfriend, Alex Menache, went Instagram official on May 15. "Pretty fly for tie dye," the "Vanderpump Rules" star captioned a selfie with her beau wearing clashing tie-dye ensembles during a walk in the Los Angeles area. She later posted a second selfie with her man: "He wanted a photo with his hair done but this is my Instagram," she captioned a shot of them hanging out by a swimming pool. During an interview with Us Weekly that hit the Internet on May 19, the reality star revealed that Alex is actually "in a few of the chapters" in her new book, "He's Making You Crazy." Said Kristen, "[We] started hanging out toward the end of [writing] the book. … He is very, very aware of every single thing in this book and I thought that was really important going into this relationship because I hold this relationship so sacred. I really took my time with Alex and I really had to just lay it all out there and say this is who I am. This is what I've been through. You have a choice to make and either way it's cool." She went on to say that it's "refreshing" to have such clarity in her relationship, which will come in handy when it's time to shoot the upcoming ninth season of "Vanderpump Rules." Said the Bravo star, "He'll be a part of the show because it's a part of my life and I don't want there to be any surprises. I don't want him to be caught off guard by anything anyone might say. So he knows every last detail." Kristen also dished on the current state of her relationship with her controversial former love, Brian Carter, calling it "difficult." The duo are still co-parenting their dogs, she said, adding that they're "cordial and friendly enough." Brian has known about her relationship with Alex since before she "went public with it," which "definitely created a strain" between them. "But I know he's dating as well now," she said. "And I think [hearing that] was as hard as it was for me to just come out and tell him, like, I am dating someone else. And I didn't want to hurt his feelings. But I had to keep on my self-love journey and live my truth and live the life that I want to live regardless of how it made someone else feel. So I handled it a bit with kid gloves. We don't talk very often. And I think that's the healthiest thing for both of us right now. But maybe one day."
Us Weekly reported on May 18 that, according to a source, Ana de Armas thinks boyfriend Ben Affleck is "such a sweet and nice guy" and "admires how he juggles so much between work, his kids and co-parenting" his three children with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner. The A-list actor "splits his time" between his new love and his family, said the insider, adding that "as always, the kids are the most important thing in his life" but that Ben "always makes sure he has time for [Ana] and that she is No. 1." Continued the source, "They are having so much fun together and she has been telling her friends how Ben is the most amazing boyfriend she's ever had. … He really just wants her to be happy and is always doing thoughtful gestures. Ana is also very attracted to Ben and thinks he's so cute. They're in a great place." The happy couple shared their love with the world in the celeb-stuffed music video for Residente's song "Antes Que El Mundo Se Acabe," which debuted on May 14 — they contributed a clip of themselves kissing during the "Knives Out" star's recent 32nd birthday party.
Meanwhile, Us Weekly reported on May 19 that, according to a source, Jennifer Garner is "happy" for ex-husband Ben Affleck. "[They] have worked hard to get in a good place with each other," said the source, adding that the mother of three is "always polite and trusts" her ex to "do what he wants when he's with [their] kids." As for his new romance with Ana de Armas, "Although it's sad in a way to see him move on and be so happy, [Jen] is ultimately happy that he is happy and in a good and healthy place with his life," said the insider. "That's what she ultimately wants for the father of her kids."
During a May 16 interview with SiriusXM's Hits 1 radio station, Katy Perry dished on "some of the positives" she's learned about her fiancé, Orlando Bloom, as they've quarantined together amid the coronavirus pandemic: "He's seen it all, and God bless him, he's still here, which is amazing and commendable because I have definitely tested him and been like, 'Oh, yeah? You think you can handle me? Let's see it!'" she said, adding that the actor has been "so good."
In a Cameo video posted by the Bachelornation.Scoop Instagram account on May 19, Peter Weber shared "some inside scoop on why [he] ultimately picked" Kelley Flanagan after they failed to connect on season 24 of "The Bachelor." After insisting that he still believes the show's process "definitely works," he said that "specifically for the type of relationship" he has with Kelley, it "wasn't the most organic type of situation … that was going to actually work" for them. He then shared a Spanish saying that he believes applies to his relationship with Kelley: "What's meant for you [and] what's yours will always be yours. Nothing can ever change that." Continued the reality star, "We'll see what the future holds for Kelley and I, but I think it's a beautiful story — definitely a beautiful love story of 'what's yours is yours and it will always come back to you, no matter what.' That's kind of been our relationship. We've kept coming back in each other's lives. So that's the way I look at it — definitely an unorthodox way [of finding love] but [it] definitely worked for us in the end."
Larsa Pippen addressed her strained relationship with her estranged husband, Scottie Pippen, (again) in the comments section of a May 14 Instagram post. "Find someone who'll put u first!!" she captioned a photo of herself. Commented a troll, "Too bad you didn't put Scottie Pippen first." Fired back the mother of four, "Really? I did everything for him literally everything." She replied to a second troll with similar sentiments, "[You] don't know what you're talking about. I held him down and still do. Just [because] I don't air his dirty laundry doesn't mean it doesn't stink. I just don't wanna do his laundry anymore."
Kaitlyn Bristowe gushed about her boyfriend, fellow Bachelor Nation star Jason Tartick, during a May 15 interview with Us Weekly: "We're on such a good path," she said. "[It's] the healthiest relationship I've ever been in and [an engagement] just feels like the natural next step." She went on to say that she "wouldn't have been surprised" if her beau proposed last year, but now he'll have to wait to pop the question: "I told him I don't want to [have a] quarantine engagement," she said. "[I want] a little more romance than just at the house." The former star of "The Bachelorette" added that co-parenting their two dogs has showed her "there's no getting sick of" Jason. "I know now that I could easily live with him. We get along, we've spent so much time [together]," she said. "I always say anyone who gets through this quarantine together, as a relationship, should get married. … We actually feel like we're closer because of quarantine, because we're both working on our individual projects. We come together at the end of the night and have a glass of wine and talk about our days and we help each other with our businesses. … We just have been like such a team through this. I think in this time where it's hard to be so positive but you also appreciate relationships so much more and let the little things go."
Us Weekly reported on May 17 that, according to a source, Matthew Perry "is back on" Raya — an uber-exclusive dating app for the rich and famous — and "messaging girls and getting back into online dating again" following his recent breakup from Molly Hurwitz.
On the May 21 episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas dished on their marriage of 40 years: "It boggles the mind," said the Emmy-winning actress of their long-lasting relationship. "'Incredible' is the right word," chimed in the legendary talk-show host. Continued his missus, "Nobody thought it would last. … When we first got married, people thought that we were so different [and] that it wouldn't work — and we are! We're very different people. … He's very cool, he's very laidback, and I'm kind of jump for the phone, 'Let's do it now! Let's figure out a solution!'"
