“They’re feeling their power by going to see ‘Barbie’ and Taylor and Beyoncé. And they’re like, ‘I don’t need this,’ ” said attorney Laura Wasser
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The blockbuster Barbie movie and world tours from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé might be inspiring an uptick in divorces, according to a divorce attorney to the stars.
Laura Wasser — whose A-list celebrity clients include Ariana Grande, Kevin Costner and Britney Spears, to name a few — told Cosmopolitan she thinks those pop culture behemoths could be linked to many recent breakups.
The ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes have also played a part, she said.
“Something going on with a lot of my clients and what I’m seeing here in Southern California is that we’re in the middle of one of the worst strikes in history for the writers and the actors,” said Wasser, 55. “So you’ve also got people who have more time on their hands.”
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“They’re angry about our reproductive rights getting rolled back, they’re feeling their power by going to see Barbie and Taylor and Beyoncé,” she continued.
“And they’re like, ‘I don’t need this. I’m the one making this money and I’m not comfortable, not working, and have this spouse who’s either also not working or never was working.’ “
Wasser added, “A lot of people have said, ‘I’m out.’ So it’s compounded by what’s going on here economically.”
According to Forbes Advisor, about 7 in 10 heterosexual divorces are initiated by the woman. A viral article in August compiled by Huffington Post showed Barbie viewers claiming they broke up with their boyfriends after seeing the movie.
Swift, 33, is bringing her Eras Tour concert film to movie theaters next month, and Beyoncé, 42, continues to perform her Renaissance World Tour to fans far and wide.
After becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year with over $1 billion at the global box office, Barbie is now dominating the streaming charts at home.
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The film stars Margot Robbie, who produced the film with her husband Tom Ackerley, and it’s directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote it with her partner Noah Baumbach.
Wasser represented Baumbach’s now-ex-wife Jennifer Jason Leigh in their divorce — and the attorney is believed to be the basis for Laura Dern’s Oscar-winning performance as a divorce lawyer in Baumbach’s 2019 movie Marriage Story. Some of Dern’s scenes were filmed at Wasser’s offices.
In her Cosmopolitan interview, Wasser shared her advice for people going through divorce.
“I think you really have to embrace the fact that this is the next chapter. This is not a sad death,” she said. “This is the first day of the rest of your life, and you are going to be stronger as a result of coming through this. It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s a challenge filled with promise.”