Hopeless romantics may be waiting for their soulmates to come into their lives, but seeing marriages end in the media can make it seem like love never lasts. For example, look at Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Things aren’t so hot for them right now.
According to People magazine, after 12 years together, Jolie is filing for divorce from Pitt. Only a few weeks ago many people considered this power couple “hashtag relationship goals.” Does their divorce tell us that marriage just isn’t working out?
If you were thinking about buying a ring or hoping to get a shiny rock on your finger, don’t worry. Many NSU students still believe in love.
Divya James, sophomore biology major, said celebrity marriages and their divorces don’t affect her perception of love at all. She said that once your relationship is in the spotlight, like Pitt and Jolie’s, it becomes a whole different ball game because there is additional stress coming from the pressure to hold a solid front for the public.
James said at the end of the day, “There is still hope for love.” However, being in the spotlight isn’t the only thing celebrities or regular people have to worry about.
Junior business administration major Garland O’ Brady said that often marriages come down to financing and communication.
With Pitt and Jolie frequently traveling for business, it becomes more of a challenge to communicate. According to the 2010 research study “Communication and distance: A special issue,” from the Journal of Applied Communication Research, relationships require regular face-to-face contact to succeed and being apart often creates additional challenges. This could be why Pit and Jolie’s relationship is now ending.
While O’Brady said communication is key to relationships, he said he still believes that “celebrity divorces have no influence on mainstream divorce.”
Overall, the death of Brangelina doesn’t seem to be shaking up many NSU students.
According to Laura Enzima, a junior biology major, “Hollywood doesn’t foster a conducive setting or environment to create or maintain relationships.”
She said relationships without the stigma of celebrity attached have a better chance of lasting,
That isn’t to say that it’s going to be easy. According to the American Psychological Association, 40 to 50 percent of marriages in the United States end in divorce, but according to some Sharks, not being a celebrity increases the chances of your relationship maturing into a successful marriage that won’t end in a divorce.
