Celebs Who Married for Green Cards and Divorced Fast

Celebrity marriages often face intense public scrutiny regarding the true intentions of the partners involved. When a famous individual marries someone from a different country and the relationship ends shortly after, rumors about legal residency frequently surface. These quick divorces spark debates among fans and the media about the legitimacy of the union and the impact of immigration laws. The following individuals experienced high profile marriages that concluded much faster than expected under a cloud of public speculation.

Jeremy Thomas

Jeremy Thomas was a British bar owner who married a young Hollywood starlet in 1994 after a very short courtship of only six weeks. The couple wed in a late night ceremony but the relationship collapsed in less than two months. Many people suspected the marriage was a way for Thomas to secure a permanent legal status in the United States. The divorce was finalized quickly and both parties moved on to high profile careers or personal lives elsewhere. Their wedding is often cited as one of the shortest in the history of the entertainment industry.

Russell Brand

Russell Brand is a British comedian who married an American pop star in a lavish ceremony in India in 2010. The marriage ended just fourteen months later when Brand reportedly ended the relationship via a text message. Because they were citizens of different countries, the legalities of their union and where they would reside were constant themes in the press. The quick divorce meant that Brand did not seek any financial assets from his former spouse despite being entitled to them. This high profile relationship is frequently used as an example of the pressures faced by international celebrity couples.

Mel B

Mel B is a British singer who married an American film producer in a secret ceremony in Las Vegas in 2007. Their marriage lasted for a decade but it was plagued by rumors and legal issues from the very beginning. When they eventually divorced, significant focus was placed on the residency status of the singer in the United States. The legal proceedings were long and difficult with many allegations made by both sides regarding their personal lives. This relationship remains one of the most documented and contentious international marriages in the entertainment world.

Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson is a Canadian actress who famously married an American rock star after knowing him for only four days. While that marriage lasted for a few years, she later had several other very short marriages to American citizens. One of these unions lasted only a few months before she filed for an annulment or divorce. Because of her Canadian citizenship, her legal status in America was occasionally discussed during her various rapid fire weddings. She has remained a prominent figure in the media for her activism and her complicated history with marriage.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey is a Canadian actor who married an American actress in 1996 after meeting on the set of ‘Dumb and Dumber’. The marriage lasted less than a year and the two stars went their separate ways in 1997. Carrey had previously been married to another American woman for several years before his fame reached its peak. His citizenship was a frequent topic of conversation as he navigated his way to becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He eventually became a dual citizen of both the United States and Canada in 2004.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman is an Australian actress who married one of the most famous American actors in 1990. They remained married for over a decade and adopted two children together before their sudden split in 2001. The international nature of their relationship meant they spent significant time traveling between different countries for film projects. After the divorce, Kidman continued to build a massive career in the United States while maintaining her strong ties to Australia. Their relationship is still considered one of the most influential Hollywood pairings of the late twentieth century.

Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie is a British director who married an American pop icon in 2000 in a ceremony at a castle in Scotland. Their marriage lasted for eight years and they had one biological son together while also adopting another child. The couple lived primarily in the United Kingdom which led to many discussions about the singers life as an expatriate. They announced their divorce in 2008 and settled the terms of their separation relatively quickly. The media often focused on the cultural differences between the two during their time as a married couple.

Mischa Barton

Mischa Barton is an actress who was born in the United Kingdom but moved to the United States as a child to pursue acting. She rose to fame on the television show ‘The O.C.’ and became a major star in the mid 2000s. Throughout her career, her international background and residency status were often mentioned in lifestyle magazines. While she has had several high profile relationships with men from different countries, she has largely kept her private life away from the altar. Her status as a British citizen working in Hollywood continues to be a point of interest for her fans.

Orlando Bloom

Orlando Bloom is a British actor who married an Australian supermodel in 2010 after a long term relationship. They had one son together before announcing their separation in 2013 after only three years of marriage. Both individuals were international stars with demanding schedules that required them to live in various parts of the world. The divorce was amicable and they have continued to co-parent their son effectively. Their brief marriage is often remembered for how well they handled the transition from partners to friends in the public eye.

Miranda Kerr

Miranda Kerr is an Australian model who became famous as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and married a British actor. Their marriage was a major event in the fashion and film industries due to their high profiles. After the relationship ended, Kerr remained in the United States where she eventually married an American technology entrepreneur. Her career has transitioned into business and wellness while she continues to live primarily in California. The timing of her first marriage and its quick conclusion served as a major turning point in her public life.

Lara Stone

Lara Stone is a Dutch fashion model who married a famous British comedian and television personality in 2010. The couple had a son together but they eventually separated and divorced in 2015. Their relationship was highly publicized in the United Kingdom where they were seen as a prominent celebrity couple. Because they were from different European countries, the logistics of their family life were often discussed in the British press. Since the divorce, both have continued to be successful in their respective careers in fashion and entertainment.

David Walliams

David Walliams is a British author and comedian who was married to a Dutch supermodel for five years. The marriage was a frequent topic of the tabloids because of the couple’s height difference and their status in the London social scene. After their split, Walliams focused on his work as a judge on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and his career as a children’s book author. He has rarely spoken about the details of the divorce in public interviews. The end of the marriage was finalized quickly once the initial separation was announced.

Isla Fisher

Isla Fisher is an Australian actress who married a British comedian known for his various character based films. The couple met in 2002 and married in a private ceremony in Paris in 2010 after Fisher converted to Judaism. They lived between the United Kingdom and the United States for many years while raising their children. In 2024, they shocked fans by announcing that they had filed for divorce in the previous year. Their long relationship was considered one of the most stable in Hollywood until its unexpected conclusion.

Sacha Baron Cohen

Sacha Baron Cohen is a British actor and writer who was married to an Australian actress for over thirteen years. He is famous for his satirical movies like ‘Borat’ and ‘Bruno’ which often require him to travel globally. The couple maintained a very private family life despite their massive fame in both the United Kingdom and America. Their divorce announcement was made jointly on social media with a request for privacy for their family. This split marked the end of one of the most successful international partnerships in recent entertainment history.

Michael Wilding

Michael Wilding was a British actor who married an American screen legend in 1952. The marriage was her second and lasted for five years before they divorced in 1957. They had two sons together and lived a relatively quiet life compared to her later marriages. Wilding was a successful actor in his own right but his fame was often eclipsed by that of his wife. The international nature of their union was common for Hollywood stars during the Golden Age of cinema.

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Van Damme is a Belgian martial artist and actor who has been married several times to American citizens. His most famous relationship involves a professional bodybuilder whom he married and divorced twice. Because he moved from Belgium to the United States to pursue an action movie career, his marriages were sometimes scrutinized for their timing. He eventually became one of the biggest action stars in the world with films like ‘Bloodsport’. His personal life has remained a topic of interest due to the repetitive nature of his domestic partnerships.

Gladys Portugues

Gladys Portugues is an American bodybuilder who married a Belgian action star in 1987. They divorced in 1992 but remarkably decided to marry each other again in 1999. Their second marriage has faced several legal filings for divorce that were later withdrawn by the couple. The international background of her husband and his rise to fame in Hollywood created a unique dynamic for their relationship. They have two children together and continue to navigate their complicated history in the public eye.

Jennifer Esposito

Jennifer Esposito is an American actress who married a rising Hollywood star in 2006. The marriage ended after only four months when she filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. Both actors were at busy points in their careers and the quick split surprised many of their fans. Esposito later wrote a book about her life and health but rarely focused on the details of this specific short lived union. The actor went on to become one of the most recognizable faces in the world through his work in major film franchises.

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is an American actor who was married to a fellow actress for a very short period early in his career. The couple wed in late 2006 and the marriage was officially over by the spring of 2007. Cooper has since become a major director and star with several Academy Award nominations to his name. He has rarely spoken about his first marriage in the years following the divorce. This brief chapter of his life is often mentioned as a footnote in his rise to superstardom.

Sophia Bush

Sophia Bush is an American actress who married her co-star from the show ‘One Tree Hill’ in 2005. The marriage lasted only five months before she filed for an annulment. The split was highly publicized because they had to continue working together on the same television set for several years. Bush has since become a prominent activist and has spoken openly about the lessons she learned from the experience. This relationship is frequently cited as a cautionary tale about marrying a colleague during a high pressure production.

Chad Michael Murray

Chad Michael Murray is an American actor who was briefly married to his television co-star in the mid 2000s. After the five month marriage ended, he remained a popular figure in teen dramas and films. He eventually remarried and started a family while continuing his career in the entertainment industry. The quick divorce and the subsequent working environment became a staple of tabloid coverage at the time. Both parties have since moved on to different stages of their lives and careers.

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