2015 was the Year of the Hollywood Divorce.
Even if this year didn't technically have the most break-ups, it was definitely a year for some quality breakups. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, the A-list pair married 10 years. Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, the rocker duo married 13 years. Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, the Nashville stars married four years. Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams, the musical odd couple married six years. Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock, country royalty married 26 years.
The most fascinating element of watching these splits play out, however, wasn't simply the voyeuristic thrill of potential scandal. Instead, the way some couples handled their break-ups pulled back the curtain on many common (if cringeworthy) Hollywood PR machinations - the darkest of the dark arts of image management.
For example, Affleck and Garner's split exposed how celebrities and tabloid press apparently collaborate on these stories - never mind all those pleas for respecting their privacy at this difficult time. In the days leading up to their divorce announcement, fans were treated to a daily drumbeat of stories about an imminent break-up. The couple responded with seemingly deliberate public outings - in one instance, getting frozen yogurt with their kids - that managed to be captured by the paparazzi.
As Gawker's Allie Jones pointed out, a close look at the gossip coverage made it clear something was up: People magazine, known for forming close relationships with A-listers to get scoops (just look at the Sandra Bullock cover this week) seemed to stick to a company line, running only the most innocuous Affleck-Garner stories and ignoring all the divorce rumors elsewhere - even as its rival Us Weekly ran ever more vicious stories detailing a looming split. Moving vans at the Affleck-Garner house? Why, they were just renovating, People insisted.