The new A-list chic way to split? Amicably of course! How celebrity couples like Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow are staying best friends after splitting up

It's not unusual for divorced couples to struggle to forge a friendship after breaking up - as countless disastrous celebrity splits over the years have made all too clear.

Botched breakups between A-listers have been making headlines for decades.

Kayne West and Kim Kardashian , Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to Charles and Diana - it seems the higher the levels of fame, the higher the mess.

But a recent swathe of amicable breakups could be a sign of change, as more and more couples are remaining friends rather than becoming rivals after parting ways.

Now celebrities appeared to be holidaying together, going on family outings, and even attending each other's weddings to new partners.

Here, Femail takes a look at some of those A-listers who have remained friends after splitting up.

Chloe Madley and James Haskell

Chloe Madley and James Haskell shocked the nation in October last year when they announced they were calling it quits on their decade long relationship and five years of marriage.

But ever since the break-up, TV presenter Chloe and her ex James, the former rugby union player, have seemed happier than ever and have even been pictured in a series of cosy family outings with their two-year-old daughter, Bodhi.

After years of knocking heads - with James previously saying Chloe treated him like 'a dog' - they two have joined forces in becoming friends.

In 2023, the divorced pair spent Christmas together, with Chloe saying at the time: 'Christmas is going to be a real family affair, it's going to be me, my mum and dad, Bodhi and James.'

Chloe's famous father Richard Madeley recently revealed that the two have even jetted off to France together on holiday, while Chloe herself confessed that they are 'very good friends' and 'spend loads of time together'.

Richard told The Sun they have a 'very happy uncoupling' and that the two maintain a 'very civilised relationship', with James visiting their house all the time.

The once tempestuous duo seem to have nailed co-parenting of their daughter Bodhi, who is nearly two, putting on a united display.

They had fuelled speculation about a split for months, after Chloe was spotted without her wedding ring as she partied with friends, and James was pictured chatting to a mystery blonde on a night out in London.

But these days they seem to be getting on better than ever, with Chloe admitting they're 'really good friends' on Olivia Attwood 's So Wrong It's Right podcast this week.

She said: 'James and I were really good friends, I just want to be clear. We don't work together romantically. We do work as friends, by and large, we're very good friends.

'We spend loads of time together. Me, him and Bodhi are often at Sunday lunch together. He was with me on my birthday to basically be the parent while I got drunk.

'And I think, and I hope, that over time that is only going to get better, so you know, actually we made the right decision. We're happier and we're closer in many ways now than we were then.'

Reflecting on their separation on Loose Women at the start of the year, Chloe admitted the pair get on better now they're no longer romantically together.

'Since we parted ways our relationship has become very respectful and we love each other as friends.

'I'm happier now than I have ever been and he is happy too. There were horrible weeks when I struggled to get out of bed but once I drew a line, I was ok,' she concluded.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

With the world closely following Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's ongoing divorce battle over the past year, it's easy to forget that Affleck has actually been married twice to women named Jennifer—the first being his early-2000s marriage to costar Jennifer Garner.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner first met in 2003 on the set of Pearl Harbour and quickly fell head over heels for each other.

In 2005 the pair became married and went on to have three children: Violet Anne, Seraphina Rose Elizabeth, and Samuel Garner.

But it wasn't meant to last, with the couple announcing they had parted ways in 2015, just days after celebrating their 10 year anniversary. They then divorced in 2018.

Nevertheless, the couple have remained friends and continue to speak fondly of each other as they work to coparent their three children.

Just a month after announcing they had split in 2015, Jen and Ben were spotted enjoying a family holiday together in the Bahamas. A friend of the couple told People magazine at the time: '[Jen] is an amazing and attentive mother and everything she does is with the kids in mind.

'They had a lot of great activities they were able to do together with the family and separately that [Ben] really appreciated.'

During an interview with Vanity Fair in 2016, Jennifer referred to Ben as the love of her life.

Reflecting on their relationship she said: 'I didn't marry the big fat movie star; I married him.

'And I would go back and remake that decision. I ran down the beach to him, and I would again. You can't have these three babies and so much of what we had.'

She even described Ben as her biggest support system during the breakup, adding that they were helping each other get through it.

'He's still the only person who really knows the truth about things. And I'm still the only person that knows some of his truths,' she said.

In 2016, Ben said of his ex-wife: 'She's just a fabulous person. She's a great mother. She's a real talent ... She's somebody that I admire and respect and remain excellent friends with.'

A year later, after Ben completed treatment for alcohol addiction, it was his ex-wife and coparent Jenifer he credited with helping him through the tough time. Throughout his recovery, the Gone Girl star has continued to express gratitude for the kindness of his ex.

Since their divorce, the couple have continued to speak fondly of each other and have spent time together as blended families. In 2022, the pair enjoyed celebrating Halloween together with their children and Ben's new - now former - partner, Jennifer Lopez.

The parent have clearly nailed down their coparenting dynamic, and have often been spotted in fits of laughter or deep in conversation, when exchanging hands of the children.

The pair continue to maintain a close friendship and happily coparent their three children.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen

Sparks flew with when the supermodel Gisele Bundchen first met NFL player Tom Brady on a blind date in 2006.

And even though the early days of their romance were as complicated by his ex-girlfriend's surprise pregnancy , Tom and Gisele fell madly in love and were quickly regarded as one of the most loved up couples in history.

But after having two children, Benjamin, 14, and Vivian, 11, the pair realised their love was not to last and by 2022, they were divorced.

However, the couple have remained friends ever since, with Giselle having previously saying she still had love for her ex-husband.

A month after announcing their split, Tom said on his SiriusXM Let's Go! radio show that his relationship with Gisele is 'very amicable'.

He said: 'We all have our unique challenges in life. We're all humans. We do the best we could do.'

The A-Listers were reported to have an 'ironclad' pre-nuptial agreement in place before they tied the knot to avoid any conflict over their assets - which may have contributed to an argument fewer when the pair were working out how their split would proceed.

According to Page Six, the pair had settled 'the terms of the split and the division of their huge property portfolio' before Gisele filed for divorce.

The publication also claimed they worked with a mediator, which couples typically use to avoid having to go to court.

Earlier this year, the model broke down in tears when speaking about her divorce - and said she only ever 'wanted all of [Tom's] dreams to come true] - putting to bed speculation that she had asked him to choose between his career and their relationship.

'Sometimes you grow together; sometimes you grow apart. When I was 26 years old and he was 29 years old, we met, we wanted a family, we wanted things together.'

She continued: 'As time goes by, we realise that we just wanted different things, and now we have a choice to make. That doesn't mean you don't love the person.'

While Giselle has moved on romantically and now expecting a baby with her new boyfriend Joaquim Valente - the model is reportedly on very relaxed terms with her ex-husband, having reaching out to inform of the news privately.

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore

Once regarded as the golden couple of Hollywood, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore retained a solid friendship of more than three decades, since they broke up in 1998.

The Ghosts actress married the Die Hard actor in 1987 following a whirlwind romance with the two later going on to have three children together: Rumer, Scout and Tallulah.

But in 1998, the couple decided to call it quits on their 11-year romance. Though nothing appears to have gotten in the way of the pair retaining their friendship.

Even after announcing that they were breaking up, Demi and Bruce were regularly spotted together afterwards, even coming together for a family trip to Paris.

In 2000, Bruce told Rolling Stone: 'I still love Demi. We're very close. We have three children whom we will continue to raise together, and we're probably as close now as we ever were. We realise we have a lifelong commitment to our kids. Our friendship continues. The institution has been set aside.'

As the years went by, both actors continued to show their love and support for each other, attending each others film premieres, book launches and going on family outings. Bruce was even there for Demi's wedding to Ashton Kutcher in 2005.

Demi later repaid the favour, attending as one of a small guest list at Bruce's wedding to model, Emma Heming in 2009.

In the same year, the Pulp Fiction actor described the former couple's blended families as 'like a tribe'.

'Demi and I made a choice to put the kids first, and we're really lucky that it turns out we all have fun together,' he said, adding, 'I still love her, and I have a lot of respect for how she lives her life.'

And in 2019, Demi said she was 'proud' of the couples amicable divorce, saying the couple actually felt 'more connection' than 'before the divorce'.

Proving their friendship was as strong as ever, the exes even isolated together during the the pandemic in 2020.

When it was tragically announced that Bruce had been diagnosed with aphasia in 2022, Demi was vocal about sharing in and supporting her former husband through the journey ahead.

A note signed by Demi and all five his Bruce's children, read: 'We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, 'Live it up' and together we plan to do just that.'

Later, when Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, Demi once again was there to prove the strength of their bond. Alongside the family, Demi said they were 'closer than ever'.

In a recent appearance on the Drew Barrymore Show, Demi revealed that she visits Bruce every week with the children.

'When I'm in L.A., I go over every week, and I really treasure the time that we all share,' she said.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin

Iron Man actress Gwyneth and Paradise singer Chris shocked fans when they announced they were splitting up in a post on the Goop website titled 'Conscious Uncoupling' in 2014.

Gwyneth later revealed that the star couple had in fact separated one year before they announced it publicly.

The two first met in 2002 backstage at a Coldplay concert and quickly began dating, falling pregnant with their eldest daughter, Apple in 2003 and marrying just a few days later. A few years later they welcomed a son, Moses.

But love wasn't meant to last and the two announced their split 12 years after first meeting in 2014.

At the tine, Chris said they were 'still close' and that there 'is still love, there's no scandal'.

Since the split, the exes have become close friends, even holidaying together with her Gwyneth's new husband, Brad Falchuk and Chris' steady girlfriend, Dakota Johnson.

In fact, when Gwyneth married Brad in 2018, they were later joined by the Talented Mr Ripley star's ex and his new beau for a blended family honeymoon.

In 2019, Gwyneth said that she and Chris were always meant to be together. 'But our relationship is much better like this: friends and co-parents and family,' she added.

The Duets actress told the Evening Standard : 'We were separated for a year before we announced we were separated.

'We kept it very quiet, and in that time I asked adult friends with divorced parents what they remembered.'

She continued: 'There was this resounding theme: 'It was really hard because for the first two years my parents didn't speak. It was awful for a while,' or 'My parents hated each other.'

'And I thought, 'I would really love to skip that part.' Those kids felt they were constantly betraying one parent by being with the other.'

During an interview with Today in 2021, the actress even described her ex as like a 'brother', adding 'you know, he's my family. I love him. And I'm so grateful to him for giving me these kids. It worked out well ... You know, it really did, I have to say.'

The pair have been seen happily attending family events together, including their daughter Apple's graduation in 2022, with the two smiling peacefully for family pictures together.

In March 2023, Gwyneth even shared a rare photo of herself and Chris, wishing her ex-husband a happy birthday.

Wishing her former spouse a happy 46th birthday, she penned:'Happy birthday to the sweetest father and friend. We love you, cajm,' spelling out her ex's initials.

In an interview with British Vogue earlier this year, the Goop founder was asked the secret to a happy ex-relationship - to which she said: 'Remember what made you fall in love with them in the first place.'

And the relationship is so good between the pair now that Gwyneth and Brad regularly socialise with Chris and Dakota.

They were spotted celebrating Thanksgiving together as a family in October last year.

Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley

Elizabeth and Hugh have remained good friends over the years following their split over 20 years ago - despite having endured a headline making scandal together.

The Four Weddings and a Funeral star first met Elizabeth in 1987 and despite their 13 year romance coming to an end, their friendship has endured the test of time.

In 2021, Elizabeth described Hugh has a 'constant' in her life to the Independent.

The Bridget Jones star is even the godfather to her Elizabeth's son, Damien.

But it hasn't always been an easy ride. Their relationship made headlines when Grant cheated on Hurley with sex worker, Divine Brown, in 1995.

Following the scandal, Hugh and Elizabeth remained together for a number of years, before ending their 13-year romance in 2000.

Hugh is now happily married to television producer, Anna Elisabet Eberstein, after the pair tied the knot in 2018 - though his friendship with Elizabeth has remained strong ever since their amicable split.

In June, the model and actress told The Sydney Morning Herald that the former couple always keep tabs on one.

'We're very good friends. He's married. He's got five children. His career is amazing,' she said.

'But I always know what he's doing and he knows what I'm doing. We'll be best friends for ever, but he's got young kids, so he's busy.'

The pals were spotted together attending the London screening of her latest film Strictly Confidential in May, where they chatted happily together like old times.

She previously told People Magazine : 'I'm still extremely good friends with Hugh, you know, we went through so much together.

'But I've been thinking, one of the most important things to keep good relations with your exes is to have a lot of respect for their current life. '

'We haven't been romantically involved for 20 years, I think, even though we have such a strong friendship, but we're always very aware that there are other people in our lives.'

She did add that you have to be respectful of each other's partners and children and that you can't live in 'a lovely, rosy, mist of the past'.

Elizabeth previously revealed she still speaks to Hugh 'quite a lot', adding 'I'm very lucky that 31 years into our friendship, he's still my best friend in the world. He's a really great guy.'

She said her former partner is still her 'go-to person', as he is a reliable source when she needs career advice.

Elizabeth told People, 'The last time I spoke to Hugh would be this morning. I speak to him quite a lot. I was asking him his advice on a script I just received.

'I still go to him for advice on scripts, even though he's very happily married with five children and I'm very happy in my own life, there's still certain bits we crossover with very well.'

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan fell head over heels for each other when they first met in 2006 on set for the dance film, Step Up.

As their romance blossomed, the decided to tie the knot, marrying a few years later in 2009 - they later welcomed their daughter, Everly in 2013.

But after a 'magical' marriage that lasted over a decade, things came to a close in 2017 when the pair announced that they had 'lovingly chosen to separate as a couple'.

In a joint statement, the actors announced that their lives were taking them on 'different paths for now' but that there were 'no secrets nor salacious events' as the cause of the split.

They continued: 'Just two best friends realising it's time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfiled lives as possible.

'We are still family and will always be loving dedicated parents to Everly.'

In 2018, Jenna opened up about the split, saying 'We're just getting used to it.

'We're in a very positive energy together, trying to be the best parents to Everly. We support each other,' she said warmly.

Jenna previously described coparenting as a 'journey' that 'never ends' though the pair seem to have maintained their friendship as they were spotted sharing a hug in 2023 as they handed over child care duties of their daughter.

Since then, the couple have finally settled the legalities of their divorce, and are both in separate, happy relationships.

Jenna welcomed a second child with her new beau, Steve Kazee, in 2020 while her former spouse has been in a relationship with Zoe Kravitz since the pair costarred in P***y Island in 2021.