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How to dump and be dumped: These are the new rules of celebrity breakups

Steer clear of serial dumpers, don’t do the double dump, and let everyone know you were the one who called it quits — here are some of the must-know celebrity break-up tips

Lily James has opted for a customary post-break-up hair and fashion overhaul. Photo: Karwai Tang/Wireimage

Daniel Day-Lewis dumped by fax. Photo: Lars Niki/Getty Images

Pamela Anderson still speaks kindly about ex Tommy Lee. Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Olivia Wilde let everyone know she'd moved on by turning up at an event with new love Harry Styles. Photo: Rachel Luna/Getty Images

Lily James has opted for a customary post-break-up hair and fashion overhaul. Photo: Karwai Tang/Wireimage

Daniel Day-Lewis dumped by fax. Photo: Lars Niki/Getty Images

Pamela Anderson still speaks kindly about ex Tommy Lee. Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Olivia Wilde let everyone know she'd moved on by turning up at an event with new love Harry Styles. Photo: Rachel Luna/Getty Images

Lily James has opted for a customary post-break-up hair and fashion overhaul. Photo: Karwai Tang/Wireimage

Shane Watson

February 24 2023 02:30 AM

If there is one rule of celebrity relationships, it’s this: don’t give an interview about your enduring love that works in spite of long distances/vast age gaps/not enjoying the same things — because the next interview you give may be the ‘it’s over’ one.

Sadly this has been the case for Vanessa Feltz, whose partner of 16 years turned out to be cheating on her, and who has now — in classic Feltz fashion — gone straight into I Will Survive mode, giving interviews about her heartbreak and publicly analysing how it’s come to this.

Of course, her story strikes a chord. Feltz has been dumped at precisely the time of life when you think you’re safely cruising into the home straight, so this has — as high-profile break-ups often do — made us think about dumping and the new rules.

In the same way that you can no longer get away with dating a 19-year-old when you are a 48-year-old A-list actor (these days we would say that looks like grooming), the rules have tightened up a bit over the years. In theory.

THE NEW DUMPING RULES

Expect to be dumped by a serial dumper

If you hitch your wagon to Leo DiCaprio or Pete Davidson — to name two legendary dumpers — do not be surprised if you get dumped a few months later.

We don’t have much sympathy for the women who find themselves involved with these two: both of them have “serial dater” tattooed on their foreheads and neither has ever had a relationship that lasted longer than a parking permit, so when the text comes in (it might well be a text, if it’s Davidson doing the dumping), it seems silly to be surprised.

Dumped via text, lovechilds, and locked out of their mansion: 10 most memorable celebrity breakups

Do it in person

Video of the Day

Way before social media was a thing, celebrities were dumping each other at arm’s length whenever possible (who can forget Daniel Day-Lewis dumping Isabelle Adjani by fax, or Matt Damon dumping Minnie Driver live on TV?), so not showing up to deliver the bad news is as old as break-ups. But it’s still considered to be unforgivable.

Daniel Day-Lewis dumped by fax. Photo: Lars Niki/Getty Images

On no account, involve the children in any of it

Matt Hancock’s exit from his marriage was not dignified, but the part that made us all wince was discovering that he woke his children in the night to let them know Daddy was off and that Mummy would be wearing sunglasses for the foreseeable future.

Be seen to be thinking beyond your own immediate needs

This could be what’s best for the children. It could be the push to find a cure for malaria. When Melinda dumped Bill Gates, there was some bristling, but their commitment to working together never wavered, and on they go.

Don’t do the double dump

Don’t go back once and then do it again. It feels like Ben Affleck might be in this category and with more than one woman. Watch this space.

Have good things to say about each other, even in bad circumstances

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee are back in the news, thanks to her new Netflix documentary, and although Pammy dumped Tommy twice, for very good reasons, she’s still very sweet about him because he’s the father of her sons. It’s pretty refreshing, like many things about Pammy.

Pamela Anderson still speaks kindly about ex Tommy Lee. Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Go for the clean dump

A recent example of a not-so-clean dump was Olivia Wilde’s exit from her relationship with the father of her children, Jason Sudeikis. What confirmed his suspicion that she was involved with Harry Styles was her sneaking out of the house with some of her signature salad dressing in a container. Too much, we say.

Pamela, A Love Story: Ten of the most compelling moments from the new Pamela Anderson Netflix documentary

Dress hot and change your hair

Not sure whether it was Lily James or Michael Shuman who ended that relationship, but James is following the first post-dump rule and going the extra mile.

On the red carpet this week, she wore a dress that could barely contain her, shoes she could barely walk in and hair that made her look like Lily James’ dirty sister. Very much the intention, no doubt.

Avoid last-straw dumping

When you’ve put up with an awful lot and then you discover there is more, and that gives you no choice but to end it, you may feel a lot worse than you would have done had you jumped ship earlier. Thinking of Marina Wheeler with Boris Johnson, and Jerry Hall when she was with Mick Jagger.

Let everyone know you did the dumping

Harder to get this message across if you’re not a celebrity, but if you are, there are loads of ways, including turning up with a new plus-one immediately (see Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles), or being photographed shouting for joy outside your lawyer’s office, as Nicole Kidman did back when she divorced Tom Cruise.

Olivia Wilde let everyone know she'd moved on by turning up at an event with new love Harry Styles. Photo: Rachel Luna/Getty Images

Get your revenge

Obviously the best and healthiest way to get your revenge is to be happy and successful, meet someone else more attractive, and post a lot of pictures on Instagram.

The other way is to write or speak about your ex and call out their toxic behaviour, as Rebecca Humphries did with Seann Walsh (the other one who went on I’m a Celebrity… in order to be rehabilitated). We recommend the former.

If you have been dumped, get out there

The Princess of Wales’ inspired roller-skating date with an eligible chum of William’s — back when she was Waity Katie and they were on a break — was definitely what made him think again.

Most dumpees’ nights out will not end in a reconciliation and marriage to a future king, but they’re a lot better than sitting around listening to Eric Carmen.