Is love dead?! Why is everyone breaking up?

When Love Island sweethearts Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury announced their split last week, it felt personal. “Nooooooooo,” read the influx of WhatsApp messages alongside screenshots of the statement Hague shared on her Instagram Stories. “Never in a million years did I think I’d ever have to write this,” she began, confirming that after five years, she and Tommy had parted ways. “I will forever be grateful for the most important thing to me now and always, my beautiful daughter. Without us, there would be no her. She will always be my top priority.” 

Thanking fans for the love they have shown the couple during their time together, Hague finished by asking for privacy as she tries to navigate the difficult waters ahead. Tommy’s statement was much shorter in comparison. Where Tommy used “our”, Molly-Mae used me, myself and I statements, leading the internet to jump straight to; “What the hell did he do?”

Naturally, the rumour mill has been in overdrive ever since with many claiming Fury’s alleged infidelities have been happening in plain sight for years. It’s hard to know who to believe but the conveniently placed skip Hague set up outside the home they once shared does kind of hint at foul play. 

For the Love Island generation, the duo were the ultimate in “couple goals”. They met on the show back in 2019 and save for a few minor blips, were pretty much inseparable the entire time. Maura Higgins tried to turn Tommy’s head (to no avail) and the moment Molly-Mae returned from Casa Amor to see Tommy, still single and holding her beloved teddy, Ellie Belly, will forever be ingrained in the cultural membrane. Everyone shed a tear; Molly-Mae, Maura, Caroline Flack, me. 

The cynics surmised it was just exceptionally good TV, that the relationship would never last in the real world. But after the show was over (they placed second, behind Amber Gill and our own Greg O’Shea), they bought a house, welcomed their first child together and got engaged. They had their differences, largely revolving around how to raise their daughter, but no mountain seemed too steep to climb. 

The problem with social media, however, is that it sells you a dream. You never see the full picture and though, logically, you know this, it’s easy to get caught up in the bunches of flowers and forget that oftentimes, all is not as it seems. 

With Bennifer, the twosome has been tailed by breakup rumours for months now but things became official this week when JLo filed for divorce—two years after they wed and two decades after they first fell in love. Rekindling their romance back in 2021, the news was met by a steady stream of pap pics, PDA and “power couple!” headlines. Their love was serving immersive theatre and we lapped. it. up. 

The majority of us were quite tickled by their reunion. How lovely to think that they had found their way back to each other after 20 years apart. “Love is wonderful!”, we enthused, simultaneously cringing our way through the four-minute-long video montage Ben made for his Valentine. 

When the word “divorce” started to be thrown about, none of us wanted to believe it. But alas, it seems the worst is true. Little is known as to why Bennifer have called time on their relationship this time, but I won’t lie, it’s hit me harder than it should. As a hopeless romantic, I’d like to believe that love always prevails but adulthood has taught me that unfortunately, that’s not a hard and fast rule. 

Life is messy, complicated, prone to leaving bruises — or in Affleck’s case, breakup tattoos.

Feature image via @jlo