Same-sex celebrity couples weather the same types of storms as any hetero pair, including cheating partners, miscommunication and plain old personality conflicts. And just like straight couples, some gay marriage splits come as a complete shocker. Below are 5 high-profile breakups that stunned. {relatedarticles}
1. Jane Lynch and Lara Embry
In a less than Glee-ful end to a whirlwind romance, actress Jane Lynch this summer announced she and wife Lara Embry would seek a divorce after just three years of marriage.
The couple met in 2009 at a San Francisco fundraiser, at which Lynch was a presenter and Embry – a clinical psychologist – was being honored. The couple wed in May 2010 in a low-key, private ceremony held in a Massachusetts restaurant. Massachusetts is one of few states where gay marriage is legally recognized.
In June 2013, Lynch – best known as Sue Sylvester on Fox's hit show Glee – revealed to People magazine that the pair was calling it quits. The comedic actress remained tight-lipped about the details of the split, saying only that it was a tough decision and a private, family matter. {relatedarticles}
Since the 2010 marriage, Lynch has acted as a stepmother to Embry's two daughters, Haden and Chase. Haden, who lived with the couple, became an important fixture in Lynch's life and the actress often gushed about the joys of being a stepparent. There's no word on visitation plans after the divorce.
Celeb tabloids have speculated that Lynch failed to secure a prenup. If true, this could open up some of Lynch's Hollywood-earned assets for the taking.
2. Melissa Etheridge and Tammy Lynn Michaels
Singer Melissa Etheridge has plenty of heartache and drama to mine for future records. Her bitter split from former flame Tammy Lynn Michaels was about as acrimonious as it gets and continues to provide endless fodder for the gossip magazines. {relatedarticles}
The couple first hooked up in 2001. Etheridge popped the question in 2003, and the famous pair held a commitment ceremony in the fall of that year. The lavish, celeb-studded affair was held in Dick Clark's Malibu mansion. A few years later, Michaels got pregnant with the help of an anonymous sperm donor, and in October of 2006, she gave birth to the couple's twins.
By April 2010, the romance fizzled, and the two announced they had separated. A few months later, Michaels took to her personal blog to rant about being blindsided when she read online headlines that revealed Etheridge's intention to file for divorce. {relatedarticles}
Etheridge's legal moves set off a series of public battles over everything from child custody to assets. The two reached a settlement in 2012. Etheridge agreed to fork over $13,000 in monthly spousal support and $10,000 in monthly child support. They both agreed to joint custody and divvied up their numerous properties. Michaels even won ownership of some of Etheridge's song catalog and royalties.
3. Rosie O'Donnell and Kelli Carpenter
Rosie O'Donnell's rocky love life proves that comedians are as susceptible to heartbreak as anyone else. O'Donnell said in post-divorce interviews that her split from TV executive Kelli Carpenter in 2007 proved to be both humbling and humiliating. {relatedarticles}
The pair wed in early 2004 in San Francisco. O'Donnell – a longtime vocal proponent of legalizing same-sex marriage – said the couple was compelled to tie the knot in part to take a stand for gay rights. During their marriage, they adopted 3 kids and Carpenter gave birth to a daughter conceived via donated sperm.
O'Donnell said the couple had different interests and simply drifted apart, which led Carpenter to pack her bags in 2007.
The two managed to keep a lid on the separation until 2009, when they publicly admitted to the divorce.
O'Donnell and Carpenter have made an effort to keep things as civil as possible for the sake of the kids. {relatedarticles}They devised a co-parenting plan, and O'Donnell has repeatedly said how important it is to be consistent for the children. In fact, O'Donnell – who remarried in the summer of 2012 in New York – created an HBO documentary that gives divorcing parents advice on how to protect the children of divorce.
4. David Tutera and Ryan Jurica
Just because a guy can plan one heck of a wedding doesn't mean he can make a marriage last. Celeb wedding planner and author David Tutera's gay marriage split came as a surprise in the spring of 2013. The reality TV star's estranged husband, Ryan Jurica, helped to drive public interest in the split with accusations that Tutera has a sex addiction and a habit of hiring prostitutes. {relatedarticles}
Tutera, who hosts WEtv's My Fair Wedding, filed for divorce in an L.A. court in April 2013.
The pair separated at the start of the year and cited irreconcilable differences as the cause for the breakup. Jurica filed his own divorce papers in May in Connecticut, before publicly dishing on Tutera's alleged bedroom exploits. Tutera, for his part, has denied all claims of promiscuity. {relatedarticles}
The two first married in 2003 in Vermont, one of the few states in which same-sex marriage is legally recognized. They formed a domestic partnership in California. The soon-to-be-exes are expecting twins via a surrogate mother in July of 2013. Both men are expected to file for custody, making this battle far from over.
5. Jodie Foster and Cydney Bernard
Jodie Foster's sexuality has been something of an open secret in Hollywood for many years, with the actress going to great lengths to protect her privacy and personal life. Her cryptic speech at the 2013 Golden Globes set tongues wagging, particularly when she announced she was single and thanked her producer ex, Cydney Bernard. {relatedarticles}
Foster met Bernard in 1993 on the set of the film Sommersby.
They were together for 15 years before calling it quits in 2008. Rumor has it Foster ditched her longtime partner to strike up a relationship with Cindy Mort, whom she met in 2006. Despite the split, the former partners are said to have an amicable relationship. They share custody of Foster's two biological sons.{relatedarticles}
As same-sex celebrity couples secure the right to marry legally and find those marriages recognized on a federal level, expect to see more news of gay marriage splits. As these examples prove, it can happen to anyone.
