7 Ways Celebs Have Coped After Breakups (That May Inspire You)

The list includes Emma Watson, Jenny Slate and Paula Patton

By Corinne Heller Mar 22, 2017 6:36 PMTags
Emma WatsonEvan Agostini/Invision/AP

Are you stuck in the pit of despair after someone broke your heart? These celebs may help lift you up.

Emma WatsonPaula Patton and Jenny Slate are several stars who have spoken candidly about their breakups and how they handled their heartache. Check out what they had to say and you may find inspiration to move on from your own.

1. Emma Watson Went on a Silent Retreat: The Harry Potter and Beauty and the Beast star reportedly spent a week at a private facility in Canada's Rocky Mountains and took a week-long vow of silence after her "horrendous" breakup with boyfriend Matt Janney in 2014.

"I felt really uncomfortable," she told Vogue U.K. about the split. "Even before my relationship ended, I went on a silent retreat because I really wanted to figure out how to be at home with myself."

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Biggest Celebrity Breakups of 2016

2. New Katy Perry, Who Dis?  Earlier this month, the singer chopped off her hair and opted for a short, semi-buzzed style after her breakup with Orlando Bloom, who she had dated for almost a year.

The two remain friends.

"How bout a new way of thinking for 2017," she wrote. "U can still b friends & love ur former partners! No one's a victim or a villain, get a life y'all!"

3. Katy Perry Also Sought Professional Help: In 2014, the singer talked to Harper's Bazaar about what she had taken away from her failed marriage to Russell Brand and her former relationship with John Mayer.

"What I've learned is that if you don't have the foundation of self-love first, you really have nowhere to pull love from to give it away," she said. "I had to learn about taking care of myself before I could take care of others. I want to mommy everyone. I want to take care of them. I want to save them, and I forget myself in the meantime. I learned that through therapy."

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4. Jenny Slate Sought Help From Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan: Like many of us, the actress and comedienne understands that the actors' perfect onscreen chemistry can soothe a broken heart and give you hope that love exists.

She revealed in a recent New York magazine interview that after she and Chris Evans called it quits after nine months of dating, she "watched You've Got Mail so many times, it was unbelievable."

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5. Paula Patton Focused on the People She Loves: Patton and Robin Thicke initially separated back in February 2014 after nearly nine years of marriage and the actress filed for divorce eight months later. The two, who were high school sweethearts, are parents to son Julian, who is almost 7.

Christmas Day with my precious angel #fbf

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"The truth is it's hard for me to say this because I don't always do this, but it's being grateful for what you have," Patton said on Good Morning America in 2015. "It's so easy for us to focus on the negative things, but usually, the positive in your life outweighs that. And you have to just be thankful for what you have right now." 

"The thing is you can't wallow in sadness or stay in bed when you have a child," she said. "And they're so full of life and wonder. And he brings me so much joy."

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6. Christina Aguilera Also Sought Comfort in Her Loved Ones...and Cried It Out: The singer and husband Jordan Bratman split in 2010 after five years of marriage. The two are parents to son Max, 9.

"It's not easy, and there have been a lot of tears and sadness," Aguilera told Redbook in 2010. "It's impossible to redefine yourself and your life overnight."

"Thankfully, I have my mom and a small group of close friends who are there for me 24/7 and whom I can trust and depend on," she said. "On days when it feels impossible to even get out of bed, much less function as a mother, their support and encouragement have kept me moving forward."

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7. Taylor Swift and Britney Spears Poured Their Hearts into Their Work: Swift and Spears are among hundreds of singers who drew inspiration from their breakups while working on their music.

"After having a huge breakup this year, I had a lot to say in the studio," Spears said on Ryan Seacrest's radio show On-Air With Ryan Seacrest in 2013. "So it was nice to have a therapy like that and to be able to share that with my fans."

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And of course, there's Adele, whose second album 21 is all about moving on after a split. She followed it up with 25.

"My last record was a break-up record and if I had to label this one I would call it a make-up record," Adele said on Facebook in 2015. "I'm making up with myself. Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did. But I haven't got time to hold onto the crumbs of my past like I used to. What's done is done."