Happily Never After: 12 Celebrity Pairs Who Called Off Their Wedding

Alanis Morissette and Ryan Reynolds

Two years after they met, Alanis Morissette and Ryan Reynolds confirmed their engagement in June 2004. They split temporarily two years later, though they patched things up and reconciled afterward.

However, the pair broke up for good in February 2007 before they were supposed to tie the knot.

"They remain close friends and continue to have the utmost love and admiration for each other. They ask that their privacy be respected surrounding this personal matter," their representatives said at the time.

Big Sean and Naya Rivera

In April 2014, Big Sean and Naya Rivera broke up six months after getting engaged. The "Mercy" rapper reportedly "made the difficult decision to call the wedding off."

Over two years later, the late Glee star alleged in her Sorry Not Sorry autobiography that her ex-fiancé canceled the wedding because of the woman she saw in his house .

"It rhymes with 'Smariana Schmande,'" said Rivera, referring to Sean's then-future girlfriend Ariana Grande .

Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow

Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow almost tied the knot after their 1996 engagement in Argentina. The golden couple, however, shocked their fans with their decision to split and call off their wedding amid infidelity rumors.

At the time, the Mr. & Mrs. Smith actor denied the cheating buzz.

"It's a real relationship with real problems. This is not about any third party. This is absolutely between the two of them ," a source revealed.

Carl Radke and Lindsay Hubbard

In August 2022, Carl Radke popped the question to Lindsay Hubbard in Southampton, N.Y. They started preparing for the wedding afterward, and Hubbard held a garden party-themed bridal shower in August 2023.

However, they canceled their wedding and called off their engagement .

"We are so incredibly sorry to all of our guests for the confusion and lack of communication. We were left trying to figure out how this all exactly happened before we could even have the opportunity to determine the path forward amongst ourselves," Radke wrote at the time.

He added, "The fact of the matter is Lindsay is devastated and I'm crushed with how all this transpired. I graciously ask for some patience and grace to heal and recover while we navigate this extremely difficult time."

Two months after the split, their pal Kyle Cooke revealed that his costars went through couple's therapy since they started dating.

Charlize Theron and Sean Penn

Charlize Theron and Sean Penn started dating in December 2013 and got engaged months later . Things ended as quickly as they started, as they went their separate ways after 18 months.

The Mighty Joe Young actress told WSJ they decided to split since the relationship was not working anymore. She also shared a shocking confession when she appeared on The Howard Stern Show .

“It was a relationship, for sure. We were definitely exclusive , but it was for barely a year,” said Theron. “We never moved in. I was never going to marry him . It was nothing like that. I’ve never wanted to get married. That’s never been something that’s important to me.”

Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid

Courteney Cox announced her and Johnny McDaid 's engagement in a June 2014 tweet . She later told Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that her daughter, Coco , was excited about her then-upcoming wedding — though it did not happen due to their split.

They reconciled months after their breakup, but Cox and McDaid never got re-engaged.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck

Before Bennifer got a second chance, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck 's first union failed .

They started dating in 2002 after meeting on the set of Gigli and got engaged afterward. Although they planned to tie the knot in Santa Barbara on September 14, 2023, Lopez and Affleck ended up postponing it amid the media frenzy surrounding their romance.

They broke up for good in January 2004, noting that the intense media attention became a major factor in their split.

Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder

Johnny Depp almost tied the knot with Winona Ryder after their meeting and engagement in the 1990s. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor got a tattoo that read "Winona Forever" on his arm, but he changed it to "Wino Forever" years after their split.

Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney

Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney called off their engagement and wedding in July 2016 after years of dating.

"Just like all couples we have ups and downs, and we have been taking a break. We are both ambitious artists, hoping to work through long-distance and complicated schedules to continue the simple love we have always shared. Please root us on. We're just like everybody else and we really love each other," she wrote on Instagram .

Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow

Following Lance Armstrong 's divorce from Kristin Richard in 2003, the cyclist started dating Sheryl Crow . They made their engagement public in September 2005, but their union only lasted until February 2006.

Mariah Carey and James Packer

Mariah Carey and James Packer took their relationship to the next level with their engagement in January 2016. They scheduled their wedding ceremony , but the billionaire allegedly postponed it .

"We did have some issues at the time because Mariah's agent was most insistent that they would not be separated and the wedding take place..." Packer's friend Kerry Strokes claimed.

Nick Cannon and Selita Ebanks

Carey's ex Nick Cannon also almost tied the knot with model Selita Ebanks following their engagement in May 2007. Five months after his very public proposal, they announced "a break" to focus on their careers.

They never got back together after the split.