We’ve all heard the fairytale stories about A-list celebrities who settle down with non-famous people. Matt Damon, George Clooney, Margot Robbie, and Jennifer Lawrence all fall into this category of stars who’ve found love away from the buzzy Hollywood dating pools.

And recently, while listening to Ariana Grande’s iconic divorce album, Eternal Sunshine, I found myself thinking: What about the celeb/normie relationships that didn’t end so well?

So, without further ado, here’s a roundup of celebrities who dated — or even married — non-famous people, only for it not to work out in the long run.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez

Speaking of divorce albums, Ariana Grande was first linked to her future husband in early 2020, when TMZ published footage of her making out with “a rando at a bar.” That “rando” turned out to be a real estate agent called Dalton Gomez. Ari and Dalton announced their engagement in December 2020 and married in May the following year. However, the marriage did not last the test of time, and their split was made public in July 2023 . Ariana has not talked publicly about the divorce; however, her Eternal Sunshine album included a number of hints as to what may have gone down…

Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart

Denise Truscello / WireImage

J.Lo is our ultimate lover girl, so you better believe she’s tried dating a normie. Jennifer hit it off with Casper Smart in 2011 when he was a backup dancer on her tour, and they wound up getting engaged the following year. During their on-and-off relationship, J.Lo and Casper faced a lot of scrutiny over their 18-year age-gap, and by 2016 , they’d called things off for good. Earlier this year, Casper was charged with operating an illegal marijuana grow operation at his home in LA. Meanwhile, J.Lo is still J.Lo.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Related: After Signing A $125-Million SiriusXM Deal, Alex Cooper Was Just Asked If She Thinks About Her Former “Call Her Daddy” Co-Host Sofia Franklyn

Zac Efron and Vanessa Valladares

Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images, Brendon Thorne / Getty Images

OK, this might be one of my favorite A-list/normie romances to date. In June 2020, Zac was living in Australia and met a local girl called Vanessa Valladares while she was working at a coffee shop. Like something out of a book, the pair struck up a romantic relationship and were photographed together numerous times — she even celebrated his 33rd birthday with him in October that year. However, by April 2021, People had reported their split, saying that Zac had been the one to end things.

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth

Christopher Polk / Getty Images for The Critics’ Choice Awards

Reese met talent agent Jim Toth at a friend’s house in early 2010 . She was seen introducing him to her famous pals in May that year, and by December, they were engaged. They married in 2011, and in 2012, they welcomed a son named Tennessee. Reese and Jim announced their divorce just days before their 12th wedding anniversary in 2023. A source told People at the time that the pair had become “two very different people,” describing Reese as “headstrong and focused,” while Jim was more “laidback.”

Related: 12 Awkward And Outrageous Celebrity Moments From This Week That Will Have You Cringing

Lady Gaga and Christian Carino

Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for InStyle

Lady Gaga was first linked with her talent agent beau in 2017. Gaga and Christian Carino made a number of red carpet appearances together and even got engaged. Notably, in 2017, Gaga said that many of her past relationships seemed to end whenever she hit a big career milestone. Fast forward to February 2019, and, amidst the global hype for A Star Is Born, People confirmed that Gaga and Christian had split. A month later, she won an Oscar , and now she’s happily engaged to another non-famous guy, Michael Polansky .

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez

Jun Sato / GC Images

Welcome back, Ari! After meeting him as one of her backup dancers in 2015, Ariana dated Ricky Alvarez for about a year. He wasn’t famous at the time, although he soon found himself in the headlines as the mystery man standing next to Ari in the infamous 2015 video of her licking a donut . The pair broke up in July 2016, and while the relationship may not have been that long, Ricky was one of Ari’s select few exes who got a shoutout on her 2018 hit, “thank u, next.” What a legacy.

Sydney Sweeney and Jonathan Davino

TheStewartofNY / GC Images

For years, it felt like people were always asking, “Who’s the random guy that Sydney Sweeney is engaged to?” Well, that random guy is called Jonathan Davino, and as it happens, they’re not engaged anymore. Sydney and Jonathan were first linked in 2018 and got engaged in March 2022. The Euphoria star was always very private about her relationship, although she did once deny rumors that Jonathan was “the heir of a pizza company.” (“He’s a business guy. He’s from Chicago,” she clarified to Glamour UK .) Reports that the couple had split surfaced in March this year, and in May, she confirmed that she’s single .

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

Jessica Alba and Cash Warren

Allen Berezovsky / Getty Images

From one newly single actor to another, Jessica Alba filed for divorce from Cash Warren in February this year, ending their 16-year marriage. For context, Jessica and her future husband met on the set of Fantastic Four more than 20 years ago when Cash was working as an assistant behind the camera. They tied the knot in 2008 and share three children together. Rumors of their split first started bubbling up in early January, and Jessica confirmed the news in a statement a few weeks later.

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari

J. Merritt / Getty Images for GLAAD

Britney Spears met Sam Asghari on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video in 2016 when she was one of the most famous people on the planet and he was cast to play her love interest. They went official with their relationship in January 2017, and in the years that followed, Sam was by Britney’s side as she navigated her conservatorship battle. After her conservatorship ended , Britney and Sam tied the knot in June 2022. However, just 14 months later, sources confirmed that they’d split .

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

And finally…Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn

Jackson Lee / GC Images

OK, this is more of a bonus mention, because whether or not Joe Alwyn was a normie when he and Taylor started dating in 2016 is up for debate. However, it’s certainly fair to say that he wasn’t that famous at the time. During the six-year relationship, Taylor talked ( and sang ) openly about how Joe’s “normal way of living” helped her change her viewpoint on fame. “The idea of privacy feels so strange to try to explain, but it’s really just trying to find bits of normalcy. That’s what that song ‘Peace’ is taking about. Like, would it be enough if I could never fully achieve the normalcy that we both crave?” she told Rolling Stone in 2020.

As we now know, Taylor and Joe’s “normal” way of life eventually stopped cutting it and the couple split in April 2023. Today, she’s in a comparatively far more public relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce, and Joe is certainly more famous than he was a decade ago.

Can you think of any I missed? LMK in the comments!

Advertisement Advertisement

Advertisement Advertisement

More on this

Also in Celebrity: 26 Pairs Of Celebrities Who Look Sooo Much Alike, It’s A Little Uncanny

Also in Celebrity: Keke Palmer’s “Sickening” Dress Has The Internet In Shambles

Also in Celebrity: 31 Celebrity Slip-Ups On Social Media That Revealed Wayyyy More Than They Ever Intended