Insider Finance - Business - Insider Today: Celeb-divorce playbook

December 16, 2023 • 5 min read

with Hallam Bullock

Good morning! I’m filling in for Diamond Naga Siu today, reporting to you from London. 

As always, this isn’t your bogstandard newsletter. It’s chockablock with stories for you to enjoy this weekend. So, kick back and have a butchers. 

And, for those who may need it, here’s Business Insider’s handy guide to British slang.

In today’s big story, we’re breaking down how the ultra-famous break-up.

On the agenda

But first, celebrities are dancing with divorce. 

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Marianne Ayala/Insider

The big story

Breaking up in the spotlight

Hats off to the celebrity publicists and tabloids who’ve had a busy year spinning narratives about a slew of high-profile divorces.

Hugh Jackman, Britney Spears, Kevin Costner, the prime ministers of Canada and Finland, Reese Witherspoon… the list goes on. 

Breakups are rarely easy for any of us. But when it comes to celebrity splits, the throes of divorce can be a particularly grim place. 

Selecting a high-powered lawyer is merely the tip of the iceberg. For many celebrities, the public eye lingers on them long after they’ve retreated to their private lives. With this in mind, image becomes paramount — as does the cadre of publicists who celebrities bolster their ranks with. 

BI spoke with top divorce lawyers and publicists to put together the celebrity-divorce playbook — come for the insight into how many tabloid photos are staged, stay for a lawyer saying that Costner's divorce statement made him look like "a wounded bird."

Commercial Eye/Getty Images

Speaking of Costner, his divorce saga this summer is worthy of its own TV show. 

We’ve got the full rundown to bring you up to speed — and don’t worry, we’ve read dozens of lawsuits so you don’t have to. 

Our coverage of celebrity divorces is as interesting as it is eye-opening. But it’s also indicative of a much bigger societal shift. You may have seen headlines: 2023 was the year of “divorce,” “the breakup,” and even “the undoing of love” — and those aren’t just about celebrities; they’re about everyone. 

Because of the roles they play in culture-defining movies and shows and the lives they display to us in magazines, celebrities have become the stage managers of modern romance. 

After all, in the words of Oscar Wilde: “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” The result, Lyz Lenz writes for BI, may be an expansion of our freedoms: “Making divorce more accessible and less taboo and, in the process, making us all a little happier.”

3 things in

Travel

Stratolaunch

1. Safety first! A guide to making sure you’re protected on your travels. The author, who traveled solo to all 50 states, details her top tips for ensuring safety. From the importance of bringing a doorstop to avoiding posting on social media in real time, her advice could be a lifesaver. 

2. How to jump-start your points journey. You've heard all the chatter about the benefits of earning points or miles to use for travel, but you're not sure where to start. Here's a guide on how to figure out a gameplan.

3. Around the world in 80 days on a budget. After traveling to more than 50 countries without breaking the bank, the author has plenty of money-saving hacks. She’s strategic about her meals and can turn a side hustle into a vacation.  

3 things in

Careers

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

1. The gig is up. Gig work is becoming less profitable thanks to inconsistent pay and unpredictable algorithms. As a result, workers might be forced to work more gigs to make ends meet. 

2. Good luck finding a new job these days. Not as many people are quitting their jobs these days, making it harder for job seekers and switchers. And it could be even worse than we all realize as “ghost jobs,” postings that employers don’t intend to fill anymore, could be on the rise. 

3. Multiple jobs and more than $300,000: the life of the overemployed. A Gen Xer secretly works three remote jobs, earning him over $300,000 annually. Now, he’s on track to retire by 65. Here’s how he works multiple full-time gigs without getting caught.

3 things in

Life

Grace Smith/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

1. A cheeseburger a day might not keep the doctor away. But when they taste this good, who cares? The author tried double cheeseburgers from 12 different fast-food chains to offer a definitive ranking. Check out how they all stack up. 

2. How to boost your life expectancy at the gym. Sebastian Lagree is a trainer to the stars, including Jennifer Aniston and Meghan Markle. He shares the benefits of low-impact strength training and why daily walking is a good start.

3. Trader Joe’s & the Mediterranean diet. A dietitian who follows the Mediterranean diet shares the best items to pick up at Trader Joe’s. The vegan kale, cashew, and basil pesto is a versatile tool in the kitchen, as is the store’s vegan dill dressing. 

In other news

Ted Berg

For your bookmarks

Costco superfinds from superfans

An NYC-based couple that’s visited over 200 stores and co-wrote a book share surprising facts about the big-box warehouse club. There’s a special term for the items stacked up right near the entrance, and the chain has a unique return policy on avocados. 

News Quiz

Answers for the quiz from Friday’s edition

Let me know how you did at insidertoday@insider.com.

The Insider Today Saturday team

Diamond Naga Siu, senior reporter, in San Diego. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Hallam Bullock, editor, in London. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York City.

Get in touch

insidertoday@insider.com

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