We'll admit, we're taking the news of Courteney Cox and David Arquette's breakup pretty badly. Okay, so it's not like we know them personally, but after seeing the pair on magazines covers and screens big and small for basically the last 14 years, we really thought that they were one of the few Hollywood couples that would make it. So when they announced yesterday that they were separated, and had been for a while, we were understandably a bit shocked. Their split (and the closely following news of Christina Aguilera parting ways with hubby Jordan Bratman) got us thinking about other couples who have called it quits. After all, this isn't the first tough breakup we've been through with Hollywood. Here are five other pairs we loved who surprised us by splitting.
1. Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt
Do we really need to explain this one? Courteney's "Friend" Jen and her husband Brad's breakup tops the list of splits we didn't see coming—I mean, two people that impossibly pretty are destined for each other, right? News of their breakup made headlines for months (who are we kidding? It's still making headlines), as fans tried to understand where it all went wrong with Hollywood's seemingly perfect "It" couple. They didn't have to look too far, though, for a scapegoat in Brad's now-partner Angelina Jolie.
2. Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson
The ideal ying-and-yang couple, Nick and Jessica captured our hearts with "Newlyweds," the MTV reality show about the beginning stages of their married life. The two definitely had their differences and misunderstandings (Chicken of the Sea, anyone?), but that's what made them so endearing. Of course, when they called it quits a couple of seasons later, we belatedly realized there were probably more layers to their relationship than the cameras could truly capture.
3. Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears
When pop's reigning prince and princess announced they were dating, teen hearts everywhere fluttered with excitement. After all, the former "Mickey Mouse Club" costars seemed to have it all, and now they had each other. But the romance didn't last long, and when the two called it quits, fans everywhere questioned what really went down. Cue, "Cry Me a River." Thanks, JT.
4. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman
Sure, Tom and Nicole have both moved on to their second fairy tale endings: he with actress Katie Holmes and she with country star Keith Urban, but in the '90s, the "Days of Thunder" costars were the Hollywood power couple. After 10 years of marriage and two children, we weren't the only ones who didn't see this split coming: Nicole contended she had no idea why Tom filed for divorce. Ouch!
5. Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe
Reese and Ryan always appeared to be the picture of domestic bliss with cutie pie kids Ava and Deacon in tow. The seemingly down-to-earth couple always did a steady job of staying out of the headlines, so when we learned they were separating, we were all kinds of disheartened.
Which breakups caught you off-guard?
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