By Seamus Duff
Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen blindsided fans on Friday by announcing they had quietly ended their marriage last year.
The star couple had been in a relationship since 2001, tied-the-knot in 2010, and welcomed three children together. But as the week came to an end, 48-year-old Isla shocked her fans when she announced she and 52-year-old Sacha had called time on their marriage \- and had done so secretly at some point in 2023.
Her shock split announcement, shared via Instagram, said: "After a long tennis match lasting over twenty years, we are finally putting our rackets down. In 2023 we jointly filed to end our marriage. We have always prioritized our privacy, and have been quietly working through this change. We forever share in our devotion and love for our children. We sincerely appreciate our family’s wishes for privacy."
However, there may have been clues that all was not right between Isla and Sacha as there were signs they had split in recent months. From girls nights, to hiding wedding rings, Isla and Sacha’s fans could have been tipped off early.
Girls Night
For most of this year, Isla appeared to have been seeking solace in her gal pals - hanging out with her famous friends around the world. In January, she caught up with Rosamund Pike in Los Angeles despite her social media post stating she was "only in LA for one night."
And more recently, she had a night out with a group of friends including Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery, Australian actress Naomi Watts and film producer Bruna Papandrea. She shared a snap of them together with a caption stating: "Girls night at the theater" alongside a love heart emoji.
Fans can now assume she was enjoying time with friends to help distract her from her heartache following the end of the marriage. However, it is unclear exactly when Isla and Sacha split as they merely announced the had parted “in 2023”.
Missing ring
A clear sign that a married couple are in trouble is when the parties of the marriage go to lengths to cover the fact they have removed their wedding band from their finger. In recent weeks, Isla has appeared to go to lengths to cover up her wedding finger while being photographed.
In one snap captured last month, she strategically hid her hand behind the folds of fabric on her dress - having ended her marriage months earlier. And even snaps shared online in January had her covering up her hands inside the fabric of an extravagant dress.
Social media absence
In perhaps the clearest sign that Sacha and Isla were phased each other out of each others’ lives, the pair stopped featuring in photos together on social media. Isla last shared a snap of herself with her husband while they smiled for the camera and posed with bottles of beer.
She captioned the snap: "Off screen date & on screen date." Meanwhile, Sacha has not featured his wife on his own feed since February 2023. At the time, he shared a photo of Isla holding a pint and wrote: “Isla looking at me and thinking ‘ten more of these and I may find him a tiny bit attractive’. Happy Birthday my darling.”
Red herring
Perhaps in an effort to continue giving the impression that everything was hunky dory between the pair, Isla reflected on her relationship in February this year. Appearing on the Kelly Clarkson show, the former Home & Away star said: "Every year, Sacha does give me a card that [says] 'Happy Valentine's Day from…' and then there's a massive question mark. As if anybody else would send me one! As if I have any other Valentines, I'm a mother of three!"
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