Showbiz Couples: Beware the Seven-Year Itch!

It's a term used to describe the time when a relationship can get a little too familiar.

But the seven-year itch has seen some of Hollywood's 'strongest' couples fall victim. 

This includes the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello, and Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis. 

Earlier this week, it was also revealed that Made In Chelsea stars Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor had separated after seven years of marriage.  

But is it actually a real thing that can end relationships, and how can you avoid it?

Relationship expert Annabelle Knight told the Daily Mail: 'The key issue? Familiarity replaces connection.

so many of Hollywood's 'strongest' couples have fallen victim to the seven year itch (pictured Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt 2001)

Earlier this week, it was also revealed that Made In Chelsea stars Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor had separated after seven years of marriage

'Early relationships are fuelled by lust, novelty and dopamine hits... Over time, relationships shift into an attachment-based style of love. 

'This is driven more by routine and security than passion. If couples don't realise this shift is normal, they can mistake it for 'falling out of love.'

'Research published in The Journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science shows relationship satisfaction commonly dips between years six and eight, particularly when couples are juggling careers, children, and a high mental load.

'Another factor could be variations in a person's identity. By year seven, people have often changed significantly. 

'This could be personally, professionally, emotionally… but many couples don't update their relationship to match those changes.

'There's also the idea that the grass is greener on the other side. 

'Around this stage, people are more exposed to external validation, whether through social media, work, or new social circles, which can create the false belief that passion is missing rather than simply dormant.

'Interestingly, studies from the Gottman Institute show that it's not conflict that predicts break-ups, but emotional disengagement. 

'Couples stop checking in, stop flirting, stop repairing small disconnects, and when that happens, distance and resentment build.'

Relationship expert Relationships expert Annabelle Knight has shared her thoughts on the theory 

Annabelle continued: 'So how do couples avoid it?.

'Bring back the fun: New experiences reignite dopamine. Even small changes can make a big difference.

'Talk about desire: Sexual dissatisfaction often goes unspoken, but research consistently links sexual communication to long-term relationship success.

'Install an update: What worked in year one won't work in year seven. Couples need to re-establish roles, expectations, and needs.

'Remember, the couples who don't scratch the 'seven-year itch' aren't luckier; they're the couples that put in the work and listen to one another. 

'They connect and re-connect, they communicate and change. adapt their relationship alongside themselves.'

Here are the couples that have fallen victim to the seven-year itch.  

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt 

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were once the 'It couple' of Hollywood (pictured 2004)

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt are victims of the seven-year curse.

They were first introduced by their managers in the mid-'90s, years before their relationship turned romantic.

After Jenifer split from actor Tate Donovan and Brad called off his engagement to Gwyneth Paltrow, their managers brought them together.

For the first few months of their relationship, they kept it under wraps until making their red carpet debut at the 1999 Emmy Awards.

Then, in November that year, the pair announced their engagement, with Jennifer showing off a diamond-and-platinum engagement ring from Italian jewellery designer Silvia Damiani.

In July 2000, the couple said 'I do' surrounded by 200 of their friends and family in Malibu, California. 

Event planners estimated the wedding day may have cost $1 million (£730,000). 

In February 2004, Jennifer said 'it's time' to start a family with Brad. 

The pair separated after seven years (pictured 2000)

Speaking to The Guardian, she said: 'It's time. It's time. 

'You know, I think you can work with a baby, I think you can work pregnant, I think you can do all of it. 

'So I'm just truly looking forward to slowing down.'

But as talks for starting a family were made, the pair shocked fans by announcing their separation in January the following year.  

They said in a joint statement: 'We would like to announce that after seven years together, we have decided to formally separate. 

'For those who follow these sorts of things, we would like to explain that our separation is not the result of any of the speculation reported by the tabloid media. 

'This decision is the result of much thoughtful consideration,' the actors said in a joint statement. 

'We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another. 

'We ask in advance for your kindness and sensitivity in the coming months.'

However, it later emerged that Jennifer was left heartbroken when Brad cheated on her with Angelina Jolie, after they met on the set of Mr & Mrs.

Brad and Angelina went on to tie the knot and were together for 11 years before their relationship came to its own explosive end.

He is now dating jewellery executive Ines de Ramon, while Jennifer is loved up with wellness coach and hypnotist Jim Curtis.

Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor 

Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor split after seven years of marriage

Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor split after seven years of marriage.

Influencer Millie, 36, first met Hugo, 39, as a teenager, and they began dating when she was 21, rising to fame together on the E4 reality series Made In Chelsea.

In 2013, the heiress married rapper Professor Green, 42, but the couple divorced in 2016, the same year she rekindled her relationship with Hugo.

The pair tied the knot two years later and welcomed their first daughter, Sienna, in 2020, followed by Aurelia in 2021.

In recent years, Millie has been open with her fans about her past struggles with alcohol, which led her to become teetotal and write the book Bad Drunk, as well as her journey in overcoming severe anxiety.

Millie has spoken candidly about how she began binge drinking at a young age while at boarding school, using alcohol to cope with being away from home, bullying and her own insecurities.

She released Bad Drunk last year, documenting her journey to sobriety and her efforts to let go of the toxic cycles and shame associated with her past.

Influencer Millie, 36, first met Hugo, 39, as a teenager, and they began dating when she was 21, rising to fame together on the E4 reality series Made In Chelsea

Together they have two daughters

After joining Made In Chelsea at 21, Millie said her drinking escalated even further as she faced trolling over her appearance, which triggered anxiety and panic attacks.

During a new interview with Roxie Nafousi on her podcast Rise With Roxie, Millie spoke candidly about the difficulties she and Hugo experienced during their marriage.

She explained how she would mix Xanax or Valium with alcohol to ease her hangovers, admitting she had replaced one addiction with another and concealed her substance use from her husband, Hugo.

Millie said: 'I mean, I hid it from him. Like he didn't know, the Xanax use was like he didn't really know that was going on.

'I wouldn't tell him that I was taking it, but the drinking definitely did cause a lot of fallouts and yeah towards the end I knew also if I didn't stop that it was really causing the relationship a lot of damage. It was just drama.'

Now, the Made In Chelsea couple have quietly separated following a difficult start to the year.

Sources close to the pair say they remain committed to co-parenting their young children, who continue to be their priority, and to maintaining a loving family life.

A source revealed: 'Millie and Hugo are currently going through a separation and have sadly decided to split.

'They have known each other for many years, and in recent weeks, have had serious conversations about their future, ultimately deciding it's better for them both to part ways.

'Their main priority remains their children and family life, and separating is not something they ever hoped would happen.

'At present, they are considering what living apart might look like and how they plan to navigate co-parenting their young children.

'It's been an incredibly difficult start to the year, and one they hope to continue managing in private.'

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello 

 Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello split after seven years of marriage (pictured March 2023 - their last red carpet together)

In a statement, the couple shared: 'We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy' 

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello split after seven years of marriage.

The couple were first spotted out in public together in July 2014, after going on a few secret dates the month prior.

The 2018 highest paid TV actress confirmed their relationship in August 2014 during an interview to Extra.

'You know, I'm just having a great time. It's a special time in my life, and I'm trying not to think too much about it,' she said.

'It's something very new, so we will see what happens.'

And it appears as though Sofia was smitten from the get-go, adding: 'What is there not to approve of?' when asked if her family were on board with her new man.

Just six months after they began dating, Joe proposed to the actress during a trip to Hawaii on Christmas Eve.

The pair wed in a very extravagant ceremony of about 400 people at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 2015.

But it wasn't meant to last, and they split in July 2023. 

In a statement, the couple, Sofia and Joe shared: 'We have made the difficult decision to divorce. 

'As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.'

Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis 

Olivia's romance with Jason kicked off in November 2011, and Jason proposed two years later in 2013. They're seen in November 2014

Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis ended their engagement after seven years.

Her romance with Jason kicked off in November 2011, months after they met at a Saturday Night Live wrap party.

During a 2017 appearance on The Late Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the Horrible Bosses star spilled on his first interaction with Olivia, and he explained that he had 'heard from the grapevine' that she was 'dating someone' so he 'didn't make any sort of moves' at the party.

'I actually came off looking a lot cooler than I really am because I had heard through the grapevine, mutual friends would report back, 'Oh, you know, I think she's dating someone.' So I didn't make any sort of moves,' he recalled.

Olivia also once said of meeting Jason, 'I was just learning to be by myself. I'd been divorced nine months. We were both seeing people but were single. He seemed to really see me, see through the bulls**t.'

The actress told Allure that they 'kept running into each other' in the months that followed, before one of her friends finally gave them the push to get together.

'[One night], my best guy friend walked up to him and said, 'This is Olivia's number. Use it.' That was the beginning,' she said.

The two went public with their romance that December, and Jason proposed two years later in 2013.

The couple welcomed their first child, son Otis, in 2014, which followed by the birth of their daughter, Daisy, in 2016

The couple welcomed their first child, son Otis, in 2014, which followed by the birth of their daughter, Daisy, in 2016.

When asked about when they were still planning to get married by Net-a-Porter in 2016, Olivia explained that it wasn't a priority for them now that they had become parents.

'Before you have a child, marriage is the ultimate commitment and promise to one another, and then once you have a child, it's like, 'Oh, we're committed and promised already,'' she explained. 'We are seriously connected.'

But their relationship came to a screeching halt in 2020, soon after she began filming Don't Worry Darling with Harry Styles.

Production kicked off in September 2020, and two months later, it was revealed that she and Jason had gone their separate ways after 10 years together.

Reports initially claimed that the split was 'amicable' and that they had quietly gone their separate ways 'at the beginning of the year.'

But when the actress was spotted holding hands with the former One Direction member in January 2021, rumors started to swirl that she had cheated on her fiancé with the British superstar.

At the time a source told People, 'Jason feels that the timeline that Olivia and Harry would like people to believe - that she and Jason split ages ago, long before she became involved with Harry - is simply not accurate.

'She began filming [Don't Worry Darling] in September, and by October, he began to get the impression that she wanted out. By November, they'd announced their split.'

Olivia has repeatedly denied that she was unfaithful to Jason and has insisted that she and Jason split before she started dating Harry.

But their relationship came to a screeching halt in 2020, soon after she began filming Don't Worry Darling with Harry Styles

'The complete horses**t idea that I left Jason for Harry is completely inaccurate,' she told Vanity Fair.

Amidst the messy split, Olivia and Jason soon became embroiled in a nasty custody battle over their two children.

The actress was infamously served custody papers on stage while at CinemaCon in April 2022.

She later spoke of the incident to Variety, stating, 'To try to sabotage [me], that was really vicious...

'But, you know, sadly, it was not something that was entirely surprising to me. I mean, there's a reason I left that relationship.'

The custody battle began after Olivia allegedly told Jason that she wanted to move the kids to London, where Harry lived.

According to court documents, Olivia and Jason had initially agreed to send their kids back to school in Los Angeles for the 2022 school year, after filming on Ted Lasso wrapped.

However, he claimed in the documents that Olivia told him that she 'intended to relocate with the children to London following the close of school in 2023.'

He wanted to move the children to New York instead, claiming that he and Olivia were largely based in New York for most of their relationship.

She fired back by asking for a motion to dismiss his lawsuit and filing a petition to 'determine parental relationship' in California instead, claiming that the children spent most of their last fours years in LA or in London, and not New York.

The pair ultimately settled their custody case in private in September 2023, after a lengthy court battle that spanned two years.

The stars agreed to share joint custody and the actor now pays $27,500 in monthly child support for their two children.

Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer 

Amy Schumer made the bombshell announcement that she is divorcing her husband, Chris Fischer, after seven years 

Amy Schumer made the bombshell announcement that she is divorcing her husband, Chris Fischer, after seven years.

In November 2017, rumours began swirling that the pair were dating after they were photographed at a candlelit dinner together in New York City.

In February the following year, they tied the knot in a private ceremony in Malibu, California.

The small wedding was attended by around 80 people, including her pals Jennifer Aniston and Larry David. 

Amy announced her 'spur-of-the-moment' nuptials by sharing sweet snaps from the event on Instagram.

In October 2018, Amy announced she was pregnant with her first child, with her giving birth to a son on May 5.

The couple revealed in 2020 that they were undergoing IVF in a candid Instagram post.

She wrote: 'To give Gene a sibling.

'I'm a week into IVF and feeling really run down and emotional.

'If anyone went through it and if you have any advice or wouldn't mind sharing your experience with me please do.'

In December 2025, the pair announced their separation

In April the following year, Amy opened up about their sex life, revealing 'we probably have sex every seven to 10 days.'

That year she joked that she'd Chris because 'he's a chef!' 

She added: 'That is right. I can't lie. He knows what's going on. We have a prenup, but we don't need it.'

But in December 2025, the pair announced their separation. 

The actress wrote an Instagram post that said she and her chef husband made the 'difficult decision' to end their marriage after seven years. 

She said: 'Blah blah blah Chris and I have made the difficult decision to end our marriage after 7 years. 

'We love each other very much and will continue to focus on raising our son. We would appreciate people respecting our privacy at this time.

Amy clarified that their decision to part ways as a couple wasn't because 'I dropped some lbs and thought I could bag [a] basket,' or because her husband is a 'hot Janlmes beard award winning chef who can still pull some hot tail.'

She said the split was 'Amicable and all love and respect!,' concluding the caption by adding, 'Family forever.'

Sue Perkins and Anna Richardson

Sue Perkins and Anna Richardson ended their romance after seven years 

Sue Perkins and Anna Richardson split after seven years.

The pair first began dating in 2013 after meeting at a Halloween party following Anna's split from her partner of 18 years Charles Martin.

Speaking to The Telegraph in 2015, Anna explained she had known Sue for years, but it was a meeting her at a party after her separation from Charles, that made her realise she felt something more than just friendship.

She gushed: 'When I was invited to the party, I was told Sue would be going and I felt, what, a frisson? A spark of interest? And I thought: 'Hmm, that's interesting'. There was something in the air.

'It was an extraordinary night. I was dancing on the table. It felt like a defining moment in my life.'

She wasn't keen on giving herself a label in regards her sexuality at the time, after she had previously spent almost two decades with a man.

'For me, it's just a case of I am who I am. I'm not interested in being labelled gay or straight, my sexuality is fluid. I just happen to have fallen in love with a woman - simple as that,' she explained.

During an appearance on Lorraine at the time she gushed about her girlfriend, lifting the lid on their romance further.

The pair first began dating in 2013 after meeting at a Halloween party following Anna's split from her partner of 18 years Charles Martin

Anna said: 'I had known Sue on the circuit, but about a year and a half ago we met at a party and I was recently single and we just… all I can say is there was an understanding between us, and for me the planets aligned and I just thought, this person - it's not even about a woman - this person is absolutely extraordinary.'

Read More

EXCLUSIVE

Made In Chelsea couple Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor SPLIT after seven years of marriage

She also explained that her religious parents were very understanding, although she was initially worried as her father is a vicar and her mother is a teacher of Religious Education.

'My Dad's a vicar, my Mum's an RE teacher so you would think 'this isn't going to go down very well' but actually they were really, really open to the whole thing and they can see that I'm happy.'

In 2015, Sue gushed of meeting Anna: 'There was something sort of magical in the air, absolutely there was, we have a real laugh, and that's what I want, I want joy in my life and I'm lucky to have it in abundance.'

But after seven years together it just was not meant to be and the couple went their separate ways over Christmas 2020.

A source told the Sun at the time: 'It's really sad. Both Anna and Sue are devastated.

'We're all hoping they can patch things up and sort out their differences but for now it appears to be all over.'