Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen are getting a divorce after 13 years of marriage and 20 years of being in a relationship.
The news has sent the celebrity world into a tailspin, giving some serious throwback energy to 2023: the year of the celebrity divorce. But an added layer to the shock over this news is the timing of the announcement.
Isla shared the divorce news mere weeks after Rebel Wilson made a host of allegations about Baron Cohen which she's detailed in her memoir, Rebel Rising. In the book, Wilson accused the comic of inappropriate behavior while filming The Brothers Grimsby, including one claim that he pressured the Australian actress to go nude for a scene.
Almost two weeks after Wilson named Baron Cohen as the "a**hole" in her memoir, Fisher and her husband posted an Instagram Story to announce they had filed for divorce back in 2023.
"After a long tennis match lasting over twenty years, we are finally putting our racquets down," the couple announced.
"In 2023 we jointly filed to end our marriage. We have always prioritised our privacy, and have been quietly working through this change. We forever share in our devotion and love for our children. We sincerely appreciate your respecting our family's wish for privacy."
Given what we know now about the timeline of their split, an interview Fisher gave a month ago has been cast under a curious shadow. The Wedding Crashers actress appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show in February 2024 and briefly discussed Baron Cohen, who we know now was her estranged partner at the time.
Watch the moment below. Post continues after video.
As she was asked about her Valentine’s Day plans with her husband, Fisher spoke about how she has three kids so the day wasn't a priority. "We don't do a lot," Isla replied, before sharing an interesting tradition.
Isla said that Sacha always hands her a mysterious card that reads “Happy Valentine’s from ?”, a gesture that seemed to annoy her.
“As if anybody else would send me a card, as if I have any other Valentine’s like, I’m a mother of three," Isla said.
The segment ended with Kelly telling her “You do seem like a fun couple. I love that. It’s couple goals,” to which Isla replied, “Aw, thank you” and the conversation quickly shifted to a different topic.
YouTube comments on the clip included one user writing "Well, that aged well!" as another added, "I understand Isla had to play along. She couldn't tell Kelly or her team... don't ask me questions about my marriage on TV."
Listen to The Spill hosts explain the suspicious detail in Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen’s divorce announcement.
Before announcing their divorce, the couple had historically remained tight-lipped about their marriage, especially their three children, Olive, Elula and Montgomery.
They met at a party in Sydney in 2002. In a 2020 interview with the New York Times, Baron Cohen recalled that they "bonded over taking the micky out of the other people in the party," he said.
"I knew instantly. I don't know if she did. It's taken her about 20 years to know."
The pair wed in 2010 and moved to Sydney in 2020 before reportedly settling in Perth.
Feature image: NBC/Getty.