Originally appeared on E! Online
Sarah Shahi is looking back at her recent heartbreak.
More than eight months after the Sex/Life actress and her costar Adam Demos reportedly broke up following five years of dating, she reflected on the reality of having a relationship in the public eye.
“There was an element of the relationship that people really felt belonged to them, which was very sweet and heart- warming,” Sarah told Us Weekly in an interview published Jan. 2. “The flip to that is when things end, you feel like you’re going through it twice.”
The 45-year-old—who met Adam, 40, on the set of the Netflix series in 2021—added, “You’re going through it emotionally on a personal level, and then you’re going through it again on a much bigger level.”
But Sarah is no stranger to making difficult, yet necessary, changes in her life. For example, ending her 11-year marriage to actor Steve Howey—with whom she shares William, 16, and 10-year-old twins Violet and Knox—in 2020 was a decision she had to make.
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“There were so many things that I was scared of, but it got to a point [where] I couldn’t ignore the fact that I felt like I was suffocating,” she explained, “and the person that was suffocating me was me.”
She noted that even though it wouldn’t be easy, she knew it would be the right move for everyone in the end.
“Divorce is not a bad thing,” Sarah shared on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast in April 2023. “It doesn’t mean a failure. It’s like, look at what we created and did with one another and we grew up together and that’s a beautiful thing.”
And the divorce didn’t come out of nowhere, either.
“We had already separated, tried to file once before, but didn’t go through with it,” she continued. “So really, it’s like we were already in trouble. We were already in trouble.”
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
When it came to her romance with Adam, following her divorce from the Shameless alum, it took time for the interest to spark.
“We met each other and it was not instant,” Sarah recalled. “It was over time, it was getting to know him as a person and seeing how aligned our values were.”
“I also really respected how he talked about his mom and how he talked about women,” she noted. “There was just so much that I started seeing over time that made me go, ‘Oh, you’re kind of everything I’ve ever wanted.’ And that’s when we started being together.”
For more celebrity couples who recently called it quits, keep reading.
Amy Schumer & Chris Fischer
The comedian poked fun at celebrity divorce statements when she announced her own breakup from her husband of seven years, writing on Instagram Dec. 12, “Blah blah blah Chris and I have made the difficult decision to end our marriage.”
“We love each other very much and will continue to focus on raising our son,” continued Amy, who shares son Gene with the chef. “We would appreciate people respecting our privacy at this time. blah blah blah.”
Alix Earle & Braxton Berrios
Alexa Alfia & Brennon Lemieux
The Love Is Blind couple broke up one year after welcoming their daughter Vienna.
“After much reflection and many heartfelt conversations, we have made the difficult decision to end our marriage,” Alexa shared on Instagram Dec. 3. “This choice was not made lightly, and it comes with a great deal of care, respect, and appreciation for the time we’ve shared.”
She added, “We entered this relationship with love and optimism, and we leave it with gratitude for the experiences that shaped us and the growth we each gained along the way.”
Kandi Burruss & Todd Tucker
The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum confirmed she and the TV producer had split after 11 years together, telling People in November, “After deep thought and a lot of prayer, I’ve made the decision to move forward with a divorce.”
The duo share children Ace and Blaze.
Mercedes “MJ” Javid & Tommy Feight
The Shahs of Sunset star filed to divorce her husband after seven years of marriage in October, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
She is requesting sole legal and physical custody of her and Tommy’s son Shams.
Sophia Culpo & Michael Stevens
Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli
The Full House alum and the fashion designer announced their split Oct. 2 after 27 years of marriage.
“They are living apart and taking a break from their marriage,” Lori’s rep Elizabeth Much told People. “There are no legal proceedings at this time.”
Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban
Benito Skinner & Terrence O’Connor
The internet star—better known as Benny Drama—shared that he and Terrence had split after nine years together.
“We both just love each other so much and have so much love and respect for each other,” Benito said on his Ride podcast in October, “and we treated each other with love and respect until the end.”
Tim Burton & Monica Bellucci
The Edward Scissorhands director and the Malena actress—who made their red carpet debut during the Diabolik Chi Sei? premiere at the 18th Rome Film Festival in 2023—confirmed their breakup on Sept. 19.
“It is with much respect and deep care for each other,” they shared in a joint statement to French media outlet AFP on Sept. 19, “that Monica Bellucci and Tim Burton have decided to part ways.”
Shailene Woodley & Lucas Bravo
Though the Big Little Lies actress and Emily in Paris actor hard-launched their romance in April 2025, the pair reportedly split by September.
Chase Stokes & Kelsea Ballerini
Paul Forman & Ashley Parks
The Emily in Paris costars split after nearly two years of dating.
They first sparked romance rumors in October 2023, but only confirmed their relationship in January 2024 when Ashley thanked Paul for being by her side during a health scare.
Akon & Tomeka Thiam
The “Smack That” singer’s wife filed for divorce in September 2025, three days before their 29th anniversary, according to courts docs obtained by Billboard.
Nina Dobrev & Shaun White
John Sansone & Claire Dirette
The Farmer Wants a Wife star and contestant have broken up nearly a year after finding love on season three of the Fox reality dating series.
“I would like to share that Claire and I ended our relationship shortly after Lollapalooza, over a week ago,” Sansone wrote in a since-deleted August Instagram post. “This was a mutual decision based on private challenges.”
“While I’ll always appreciate and respect the time we shared together, I feel it’s best to move forward separately,” the St. Louis native continued. “While our relationship was public, I wish for this chapter to remain as private as possible.”
Jessica Mulroney & Ben Mulroney
Meghan Markle‘s former pal separated from her husband after 16 years, multiple outlets reported in July 2025.
The confirmation came after Jessica began posting photos without her wedding ring earlier that summer, and four years after her and Meghan’s friendship seemingly frayed.
Cat Deeley & Patrick Kielty
The So You Think You Can Dance host and Kielty announced their breakup after 12 years of marriage through a joint statement.
“We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated,” they told BBC July 29. “There is no other party involved.”
The statement added that Deeley and Kielty would remain “united as loving parents” to their two kids Milo and James.
Matt Roloff & Caryn Chandler
The Little People, Big World star announced he and his former fiancée, who began dating shortly after his divorce from ex Amy Roloff had called off their engagement in July.
“Caryn and I have decided to part ways and end our engagement,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “Life’s a continued journey and this is the right step for us at this time.”
Dylan Dreyer & Brian Fichera
The Today cohost revealed in July that she and her husband of 12 years had decided to separate.
“For many years I have shared my family with you all–the highs and the lows,” Dylan wrote in her Instagram announcement. “The ups and downs. And all of the blessings and beautiful memories in between.”
“For that reason, I want to share with you that a few months ago, Brian and I made the decision to separate,” she continued. “We began as friends, and we will remain the closest of friends. Most importantly, we will continue to co-parent our three wonderful boys together with nothing but love and respect for one another.”
Denise Richards & Aaron Phypers
The actress’ husband of six years filed for divorce on July 7, E! News confirmed.
In the legal paperwork, Aaron listed the reason for their split as “irreconcilable differences” and noted the date of the separation was July 4 (a.k.a. Independence Day).
Aaron is also asking the court to award him spousal support in the divorce.
Blac Chyna & Derrick Milano
After around two years together, the musical artists called off their nine-month engagement “after much prayer and reflection.”
“We love each other deeply and are good friends,” Chyna (real name Angela White) added in her July 3 social media message, “but we both believe that God’s guidance has shown us that this is the right path for both of us, as we each continue our journey.”
Gigi Gorgeous & Nats Getty
After nearly 6 years of marriage, the couple mutually decided to go their separate ways in July. “While they have decided to end their marriage,” a rep told E! News in a statement, “they remain friends and have the [utmost] love and respect for each other.”
Nats—who wed the influencer (real name Giselle Loren Lazzarato) in 2019—listed irreconcilable differences in the divorce filing.
Chelsea Blackwell & Tim Teeter
The Love is Blind reality star confirmed her breakup with her boyfriend on June 29, telling E! News, “It came down to a difference in lifestyle and priorities.”
Wishing her ex “nothing but the best,” Chelsea added, “I was focused on long-term stability and building a future, while he was more rooted in the moment. Over time, it became clear that we just weren’t aligned anymore.”
The news comes eight months after the season six contestant—who got engaged to ex Jimmy Presnell during the show, but never made it to the altar—hard launched Tim on social media with a simple caption, “Me & T.”