When celebrities break up, many diehard fans suffer just as much as the couple. Maybe some famous couples remain close out of consideration for their fans, or though it's probably less common, some celebrity exes stay close for the sake of their children. Other A-listers might just really like to keep in touch. Some of these famous couples never got married but had long-term relationships in the public eye.
Perhaps the benchmark for famous exes who became friends is Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. Remember all those pictures of Willis attending events and even vacationing with Moore when she was with Ashton Kutcher? It was heartwarming to see Willis and Moore put aside their marital differences to maintain the family bond.
It's difficult to acknowledge the dissolution of beautiful celebrity couples, but the fact that they can stay friends gives mere mortals hope for peace and love in our future breakups.
On April 15, 2020, Britney Spears posted a video of herself on Instagram dancing to Justin Timberlake's "Filthy" with the caption, "I know we had one of the world's biggest breakups 20 years ago... but hey the man is a genius! Great song JT!" To which Timberlake responded in good spirits.
The couple famously dated from 1998 to 2002, and the relationship didn't end well. But the pair still occasionally acknowledge one another publicly. In fact, both stars agreed back in 2016 that they'd love to collaborate.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck met on the set of Gigli in 2002 and were engaged for a time before they split in 2004. In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Affleck expressed kind feelings toward Lopez. He even said she "should have been nominated" for an Academy Award for her role in the 2019 film Hustlers.
Affleck elaborated that "She's the real thing" and he has nothing but respect for his former flame.
This blonde beauty married Coldplay's front man in 2003. They have children Apple and Moses together but the pair announced that they were "consciously uncoupling" in 2014. Paltrow and Martin remained friends during and after the divorce process.
They go on family vacations together, spend holidays together, and are always supportive of each other in the media.
The Disney alums dated for a brief period in 2010 after meeting on the set of Disney's Camp Rock. In 2016, Joe Jonas revealed that he was still very friendly with Lovato and that he considers the singer to be part of the family, even going as far as calling her incredible.
Jonas acknowledged the rarity of their situation but they're "really good friends [who've] gone through so much together" so it's not difficult to understand their enduring relationship.
The German supermodel and "Kiss From a Rose" singer wed in 2005. They were married for seven years until announcing their divorce in 2012. Thankfully they have been able to remain friends since they have four children together.
The "Poker Face" singer and Chicago Fire star dated from 2011 to 2016, before calling off their engagement. During an interview with Howard Stern, Lady Gaga said that Kinney remained supportive and loving.
"It’s just about life changes and we all go through different stages and we’re focused on different things. To be fair, I think that Taylor’s pretty f--king cool that over the years no matter what creative transformation that I’ve gone through, he’s always been very supportive of that and loving."
