Happy Kiss and Make Up Day: 15 Couples Who Reconciled After Calling It Quits

Celebrate the national day of reconciliation with the stories of celebrity duos who reunited after a big split

By Maria Harrast Aug 25, 2019 3:00 PMTags
Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, 2019 OscarsGetty Images

Breakups are brutal, but sometimes, they bring couples that much closer together.

In fact, some of the most beloved pairs in Hollywood once called it quits before becoming our favorite couple goals. From iconic duo Chrissy Teigen and John Legend to lovable royals Prince William and Kate Middleton, happily ever after wasn't so certain for many of today's unbreakable pairs of star-crossed lovers.

"We were both very young...we were both finding ourselves and being different characters," Prince William once shared when recalling his brief split from the Duchess of Cambridge. "It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up so it was just a bit of space, and it worked out for the better."

And whether the breakup lasts hours, months or even years, a little separation is all it takes to realize they've found their one and only.

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Celebrate National Kiss and Make Up Day today with our gallery of celeb sweethearts who parted ways before giving love a second chance.

Jennifer Lopez & Alex Rodriguez

After news broke the couple decided to split after four years together, they issued a rare joint statement to E! News about the status of their romance. "All the reports are inaccurate," they stated on March 13. "We are working through some things."

Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel

After hitting it off at the 2007 Golden Globes, the sweethearts kept up their relationship with long phone calls during Justin's tour. In 2011, the two took a three-month break, but it was clear that JT still had feelings for the actress. Soon enough, the pair reconciled and tied the knot in October 2012. In 2019, Justin apologized to Jessica after he was pictured getting a little too cozy with his Palmer co-star, Alisha Wainwright. A year later, the couple proved they were stronger than ever after welcoming their second child together.

Prince William & Kate Middleton

In the midst of their relationship, William and Kate hit a rough patch due to a number of factors: last-minute Christmas changes, increasing paparazzi attention, William's military commitments and party habits. So, in 2007, they took a long break. Three years later, in June 2010, William's military training ended, and the two reunited at a party. Within four months, William got down on one knee with a 12-carat Ceylon sapphire ring that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana, and proposed. When looking back at their three-year breakup, the prince believes the split was the right decision, saying in an interview with the UK Press Association, "We were both very young...we were both finding ourselves and being different characters. It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up so it was just a bit of space, and it worked out for the better."

Pink & Carey Hart

The award-winning singer and the motorcycle racer started dating in 2001 after meeting at the Summer X Games. They married in 2006, but two years later, they decided to take an 11-month break. In an interview with Redbook, Pink explained their split, saying, "We were working all the time; there was so much time between our visits. Carey would see me for five days and be gone for six weeks. We'd try to fix everything in those five days — you just can't do that." Fortunately, the pair reunited when Pink made him a photo album of old cards and pictures, showed him her unsigned divorce papers and wore his favorite pair of lingerie in a hotel suite in Las Vegas.

Chrissy Teigen & John Legend

Even this unbreakable twosome had some ups and downs before sharing their vows. After meeting on the set of the pop star's music video in 2007, the pair dated until the "All of Me" singer felt overwhelmed by it all. "I was really stressed and busy," he told The Guardian about their breakup at the time. "I was just like: 'I'd just be happier single right now,' and she was like: 'No.'" Their attempted split lasted a total of 30 minutes. 12 years later, the iconic duo is undoubtedly one of the strongest Hollywood couples.

NeNe & Gregg Leakes

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star had been with her current hubby since 1996, but 15 years later, she knew it was time for a break. In 2011, NeNe filed for divorce for a sound reason: "I always felt like you have to teach people how to treat you and I felt like at that time that Gregg wasn't treating me the way I felt I should be treated. It was me teaching Gregg a lesson." Gregg clearly got the message, as the pair remarried in 2013 on I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding.

Kristen Bell & Dax Shepard

The Frozen star and the podcast host first hit it off at a friend's birthday party in 2007, but within a few months, their relationship took a turn for the worst. "He sat me down and said, 'I can't have this right now. I think you're wonderful, but I am still dating other people.' And then I, like, liquefied and fell to the ground, but I felt incredibly respected that he had the balls to tell me we weren't in the same place," Kristen said in an interview with PopSugar about their heart-wrenching breakup. But only four days later, Kristen's phone rang with a remorseful Dax begging her to take him back. Fast forward to now, and they're married with two adorable kids: Lincoln and Delta.

Adam Levine & Behati Prinsloo

The "Girls Like You" singer made it official with his model sweetheart in 2012, but a year later, The Voice judge moved onto Sports Illustrated model Nina Agdal. Two months after, Adam ran back to Behati with a clear head and a ring—and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, lovebirds share daughters Dusty Rose and Gio Grace, and Adam seems happier than ever. The Maroon 5 singer gushed during his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, "I have a daughter, I have the most beautiful wife in the entire world. I am the luckiest person who has ever lived, and it has nothing to do with me, it has to do with the people who love me."

Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos

Only one week before their wedding, the TV personality and the Riverdale star called it quits. Luckily, the two quickly reconnected at a taping of Regis and Kathie Lee. "It was their Mother's Day special. They were pre-taping it, and one of the dreams of one of the mothers was to meet Mark and me. We were her favorite characters on All My Children," Kelly recalled on Betches' Comments by Celebs. "She wanted to meet us, and I think we drove out a new car or pushed out a new pool table or something. She got a present from her kids and we brought it out to her. It all is so connected." The next day, the sweethearts eloped in Las Vegas and have now been married for over 20 years.

Justin Bieber & Hailey Bieber

The young lovers met in 2009 when the model's dad introduced them backstage at The Today Show, and they've maintained their strong bond ever since. Seven years after their first meetup, the Biebs made their relationship Instagram official with a pic of them sharing an intimate kiss. But, the couple only lasted a few months before JB rebooted his on-again-off-again romance with Selena Gomez In May 2018, however, the model and the "Sorry" singer finally reunited and that July, Justin put a ring on it. In an interview with The Times UK, Hailey spoke out about their topsy-turvy relationship, saying, "I met him when I was really young and he was one of my best friends...at a certain point in time that turned into something else, but that just happens when you're 18, 19. We went through a long period of time when we weren't friends...We've moved past that."

Gabrielle Union & Dwayne Wade

The Breaking In actress and the NBA player made their red carpet debut in July 2010, but by the start of 2013, they needed some time apart. "It was because of distance and scheduling," Gabrielle told Glamour. "I finished filming the show, then I flew to Vegas right away to start shooting Think Like a Man Too. I couldn't take time off, and I missed some quality togetherness we desperately needed." Within a few months, the all-star pair made up, and by the end of the year, Dwyane popped the question with the help of his kids and his nephew. Now, the two are stronger than ever and always put family first.

Jana Kramer & Mike Caussin

Shortly after saying "I do" in 2015 and welcoming daughter Jolie Rae into the world in January 2016, news broke that the former NFL player was cheating on the One Tree Hill star with multiple women. Although they separated, the couple worked at mending their relationship throughout 2017, and by December, they decided to reunite and renew their vows. Jana revealed on an episode of the Whine Down podcast her reason for staying with Mike, saying, "I stayed in the beginning for Jolie...Now, I'm not sacrificing my happiness. If I was miserable, I would not still be in a relationship with my husband. But we've continued to grow." And as their relationship grew, so did their family. In 2018, they welcomed their son Jace Joseph.

Nick & Vanessa Lachey

The "What's Left of Me" singer and the TV personality met in 2006 on the set of Nick's music video, with Vanessa playing the part of a woman breaking his heart. Soon after, they started dating seriously, but in June 2009, Nick got cold feet, and they briefly split. During their breakup, Nick told Us Weekly, "We're trying to figure things out. I don't pretend to know what the future holds, but everything's good. Vanessa's a good girl, and I care about her a lot." By October 2009, they found their way back to each other. In 2011, they wed and are now living happily ever after.

Ansel Elgort & Violetta Komyshan

The Hollywood cuties are everyone's favorite couple, but even these lovebirds endured a brief split during their longtime relationship. In August 2014, they made the decision to break up as Ansel's schedule became more and more hectic. The Baby Driver star recalled from their four-month split, "I was doing OK. But I knew something was missing, and I was like, 'Oh, that's love.'" Now, the high school sweethearts are inseparable and attend everything from red carpet events to romantic Paris getaways together. We love a happy ending!

We certainly acknowledge that when some relationships end, they are done! 

But after looking at these couples, perhaps there's hope for the newly single pop culture fans wondering if they should give their past romance another try. You just never know what could happen next. 

(This story was originally published on August 25, 2018 at 3 a.m. PT.)