By Jessica Wedemeyer
5:00am PDT, Jun 28, 2021
Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the stars who found love, suffered heartbreak or experienced some other major event in their love lives in mid-June 2021, starting with this actress and her new boyfriend… The rumors were true! Millie Bobby Brown was snapped holding hands with Jon Bon Jovi's son, Jake Bongiovi, in New York City on June 17. (See a photo here.) Earlier this month, Jake took to Instagram to share a selfie with the "Stranger Things" star, which he posted with the somewhat misleading caption "bff." The duo were first linked in late March.
Now keep reading for more of the week's biggest celeb love life updates…
RELATED: Notorious celeb cheating scandals
One June 24, TMZ broke the news that Renee Zellweger is dating recently divorced "Wheeler Dealers" alum Ant Anstead, news that outlets including People magazine later confirmed. The Oscar winner and the car builder-designer reportedly connected earlier this month while shooting an episode of the upcoming Discovery+ series "Celebrity IOU Joyride," on which he stars. It's unclear when the Oscar-winning actress and her last boyfriend, Doyle Bramhall II, called it quits, though Ant and his second wife, Christina Haack, finalized their divorce earlier this month. (More on that later…)
RELATED: Surprising celeb couples
During a June 19 interview with E! News, Braunwyn Windham-Burke revealed that she's "definitely dating" fellow "The Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Fernanda Rocha. "We have been hanging out," she said. "We are close and she's been an amazing support to me. I'm glad I met her. I will say this: There have been some rumors about when we went from being friends to a little bit more than friends. It was after she got divorced so there's nothing salacious like that happening. We've been hanging out for a while. We didn't become more than friends until recently." (Fernanda's wife, Tessa Rocha, reportedly filed to divorce the personal trainer in January 2021.) Braunwyn, who was recently let go from "RHOC," went on to gush that Fernanda is "definitely special." Said the mother of seven, who's still married to her husband of more than two decades, Sean Burke, "I've been in the same relationship for most of my life so she's taught me about compromise and meeting someone in the middle. I haven't really dated much because I've been with Sean since I was 18. But she's just been patient and understanding and we're having a great time." Braunwyn, who came out as a lesbian in late 2020, added that she "would love for Sean to find someone." Said the "Housewives" alum, "It's one of the reasons that we know we have to go in a different direction, but we'll always be a family. … What I have with Fernanda is what I want him to have with someone else. It took me a while to get there, but we've been together for 26 years." She also said "there's no reason to" end her marriage: "We're not fighting. We're getting along," she explained. "We have been together 26 years so we're not in any rush to get divorced. Eventually, maybe one of us will want to get remarried and of course that would happen. For me, this is the reality version of modern family. We are creating something that we haven't seen. You can be married outside the box and have it work as long as you're happy." She noted that coming out was "hard" on her marriage and that "there was a grieving process" but that she and Sean are "working through it" and are now "on the other side of a lot of things."
RELATED: Celeb splits of 2021
There's another new man in Kacey Musgraves' life: The country music star was snapped holding hands with Cole Schafer in New York City on June 18. Four days later, the poet took to Instagram to share a slideshow of photos including a sweet shot of the Grammy winner sitting in his lap. "I'm trying like hell not to write about her," he wrote in the caption. Kacey gave the post her stamp of approval by sharing it on her Instagram Story … twice! (Earlier this year, the "Rainbow" chart-topper was linked to Dr. Gerald Onuoha.)
On June 21, multiple media outlets reported that Khloe Kardashian and off-and-on love Tristan Thompson recently called it quits again. According to a Page Six source, they split a few weeks ago — around the time Instagram model Sydney Chase alleged she had an affair with the basketball star in late 2020 and early 2021 … well into his reconciliation with the reality TV star. "They're getting along. There is no drama," a source told the New York Post's gossip column of Khloe and Tristan, adding that "everything is amicable" and that "they are on the same page with co-parenting" their daughter, True. The timing of the most recent split news is curious, though: Earlier on June 21, DailyMail.com reported that on June 18, Tristan was seen acting like a single man at a birthday party in Los Angeles. "He was repeatedly grabbing this one girl's butt so we all knew he was totally into her," said a spy, adding that later in the evening, the athlete joined three women in "one of the party rooms where everyone goes to hook up" and emerged half an hour later looking "disheveled." The source made it clear that they were under the impression something physical happened between Tristan and one (or more) of the women, noting, "He has a reputation for hooking up so when we saw him walk with these three girls and go into the bedroom, it wasn't a surprise. We all were talking about how badly we felt for Khloe and how he was going to embarrass her again. This party was definitely one that he could have invited his girlfriend to — lots of couples came." (According to an "Entertainment Tonight" source, Tristan "was acting very single" during the party, to which "the Kardashians were invited … but did not attend.") On June 20, People magazine reported that the Boston Celtics baller visited L.A. the weekend of the headline-making birthday bash to spend Father's Day with Khloe and True: "Khloe is happy to have him back," said a source, "She and Tristan are good. They are planning some summer vacations together. They also still talk about giving True a sibling." But the very next day — following the Daily Mail report — a different People magazine source said that Khloe and Tristan were "not together right now" because "the ups and downs with Tristan were always very frustrating for Khloe," who "worked so hard to trust" him following multiple previous cheating scandals. Said yet another People source, "Khloe is frustrated and disappointed. She really trusted Tristan and felt he was making a genuine effort. She hates that she was wrong about him again. … She doesn't ever want to be in this position again. She is done falling for Tristan's empty promises." Echoed an "Entertainment Tonight" source, "Khloe gave Tristan several chances and after new allegations decided it was time to break things off." An E! News source had an even harsher take on the situation: "They had been working through the cheating rumors for the last couple of weeks, but Khloe told Tristan he lost all of her trust and the relationship could not be repaired. Khloe really tried, but ultimately, felt too betrayed by him. She's done and says she will not go back." Earlier this month, there were reports that Khloe was "standing by" Tristan and believed he'd been faithful to her in spite of rampant evidence to the contrary.
Adding insult to injury, on the second part of the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" finale reunion special — which was filmed in April and aired on E! on June 20 — Khloe Kardashian opened up about learning to trust Tristan Thompson again following multiple cheating scandals: "I just have to trust … I just need to focus on today and go day by day. I can't worry too much about everything else," she said. "I know the growth and all the work that he's done. I know all of the help that he's gotten and the constant efforts that he makes every single day and how hard he fought to get back with me currently. I mean, you can ask everyone, it really wasn't an easy thing for him. I don't understand why someone would go through all that if they weren't serious." The same month Khloe shot the reunion special, Instagram model Sydney Chase alleged she had an affair with the basketball star in late 2020 and early 2021.
RELATED: Kardashian exes — Where are they now?
On June 18, The New York Times casually revealed that Uma Thurman is dating Bloomberg Media Group CEO Justin B. Smith. In an article detailing a party hosted by the businessman, the Times made note of the guestlist and wrote that the Oscar-nominated actress "is dating Mr. Smith." Said Uma in the feature, "I'm a news lover." She's yet to address her relationship with Justin aside from that. (Back in October 2020, the "Kill Bill" star was linked to architect Peter Sabbeth.)
On the June 23 episode of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Erika Jayne opened up about her decision to divorce Tom Girardi in late 2020 following more than two decades of marriage: "I left because he pushed me further and further out," she said during a confessional, according to People magazine. "The conversations that I used to have were now reduced down to a sentence or two. I just kept walking around [our marital home] knowing that this marriage was headed down a really [bad] path. I had to make a choice to do what was right for me. I couldn't live that way anymore." She also said that she "struggled for a long time" with the knowledge that her marriage was doomed and "cried every day" until she ultimately decided to walk away. Before she threw in the towel, she "tried to talk and tried to work it out" with Tom, she claimed, adding that she was "met with such resistance" from her estranged husband, who "always dismissed" her feelings. "Getting up the courage to leave is a big deal," she said, noting that Tom provided for her financially for years. "There's always that underlying pressure of wanting to please someone that's provided for you. And I felt always that I should shut up and be grateful to an extent." She later told co-star Lisa Rinna, "I really tried and talked and attempted. He left me no room, and that's the only way I can say it right now." She added that she "almost floated the idea of trial separation." Erika went on to claim that she filed for divorce the day after she moved out of the home she once shared with Tom … without giving him any advance notice that they were over for good. "I drove him to work and I told him I loved him and he said, 'Thanks, hun,' like I was an employee. … I went home and started putting everything in the moving van. I drove off, went to my new place, spent the night there and he was served the next morning," she recalled. That was the last time she saw the embattled attorney, she claimed at the time.
On the June 20 episode of her "Whine Down" podcast, Jana Kramer backtracked on her previous comments about her relationship with Bachelor Nation's Graham Bunn: "To set the record straight, we are friends," she said, adding that "he reached out" to her following her April split from Mike Caussin. "He's sweet, but right now he knows and I know that I need to be alone," she said. She also noted that some days, she still misses her ex.
Alex Rodriguez sparked romance rumors with Ben Affleck's former long-time love Lindsay Shookus when he attended her intimate birthday bash in the Hamptons on June 18. (They were seen sitting next to each other while taking in a magic show.) But according to a Page Six source, the former professional baseball player and the "Saturday Night Live" producer have been "friends for 15 years" and "there is absolutely zero there" in terms of a revenge romance in the wake of their exes' recent reconciliation. (Ben and Jennifer Lopez started dating again around the time she split from A-Rod.) Echoed an "Entertainment Tonight" source, "[Alex] was at [Lindsay's] house for an hour. He is friends with a lot of women. … He isn't going to be dating for a while."
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro took to Instagram on June 21 to announce that he's engaged to Saffire Matos. "I love you. Thank you for sticking by my side through thick and thin! Til death do us part! #SheSaidYes," the "Jersey Shore" star captioned a photo showing off Saffire's new engagement bling following the proposal, which went down on the beach in Santa Monica, California. "It's OFFICIAL!" he captioned a second proposal pic. According to People magazine, Ronnie popped the question in front of his family — including his 3-year-old daughter, Ariana — on June 19. "He felt like this [was the] right time. They're both really happy for this next chapter," said a source. The controversial couple have been dating for less than a year.
According to TMZ, La La Anthony filed to divorce her husband of more than a decade, Carmelo Anthony, in New York on June 17. She cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, which is said to be amicable. TMZ reports the off-and-on couple had been separated "for a while" before the "Power" alum pulled the plug on their volatile marriage. (The duo briefly split in 2017 and then again in 2019 amid buzz the professional basketball player was unfaithful.) Also on June 17, Hollywood Unlocked reported that a mystery woman is claiming she welcomed twins with Melo in April 2021. She alleges she met the baller in New York in 2020 and ended up talking to him "almost every day" (while he was quarantined with La La and their son, Kiyan) after he pursued her hard. She says that although she knew he was legally married, she assumed he was free to do as he pleased. She also made some bold allegations about La La: that the actress has also strayed from the marriage and that she hired a private investigator to look into her husband's extramarital activities.
On the June 16 episode of Jeff Lewis's SiriusXM show, Tori Spelling fueled rumors there's trouble in paradise for her and husband Dean McDermott when she admitted they're not currently sleeping in the same bedroom. "Right now, my kids and dogs sleep in my bed," said the mother of five, noting that her hubby sleeps "in a room" of his own. "Since he left — this is not good, you guys — but since he left [and] was gone for six months filming in another country, they all stayed with me. So I currently still have four in the bedroom with me who have yet to go back to their rooms," she explained. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" alum first sparked split speculation when she started stepping out sans wedding ring earlier this year. Other signs she and Dean are on the outs? They didn't publicly acknowledge their 15th wedding anniversary in May 2021, though they celebrated their 14th anniversary on Instagram last year, and Dean hasn't appeared on his wife's Instagram feed since Father's Day 2020. (He was even missing when she marked Christmas on Instagram in December 2020.) On June 23, Us Weekly reported that, according to a source, "Tori and Dean have been having major issues for over a year now. The fact that she's talking about sleeping in separate beds is very telling, she wouldn't do that unless things were really not great between them. … Tori knows her kids see what she says online, so for her to say something publicly means the end could be very near."
Gwyneth Paltrow and ex-husband Christ Martin are taking the idea of "friendly exes" to a whole new level… On the June 17 premiere of "Shop TODAY with Jill Martin," the Goop founder said the Coldplay frontman is like a sibling to her now. "He's like my brother. You know, he's my family," she said. "I love him, and I'm so grateful to him for giving me [our two] kids. It worked out well." The duo split in 2014 following a decade of marriage.
According to TMZ, Greg Louganis's husband of eight years, Johnny Chaillot, filed for divorce in Los Angeles on June 11. The Olympic gold medalist confirmed the breakup news on Instagram the following week, writing, "At this time, Johnny and I wish to share that we are respectfully and mutually ending our marriage. Marriage among all couples is more often than not challenging, and, particularly during Pride Month, it's important that we say how grateful we were to be among the first gay couples to have the privilege to marry legally and face these challenges so many do."
On June 17, Page Six reported that talent manager and former reality star David Weintraub recently proposed to his girlfriend of three years, singer Hailey Hoffman, in the presidential suite at the Esperanza Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. "She is my dream girl and the love of my life. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her," the former "Sons of Hollywood" and "Hollywood Hillbillies" star said in a statement. Added the bride-to-be, "I am so excited to marry David. … He is my best friend, my partner through life and my rock. I fall in love with him more and more every day, and he holds the keys to my heart."
According to People magazine, NBC News correspondent Savannah Sellers got engaged to investment analyst Alex Yaraghi at Torrey Pines beach in San Diego, California, on June 18. After the proposal, the couple of nearly four years enjoyed a multi-day celebration with family and friends — a major surprise for the bride-to-be! "It always just felt so easy with us. There were no games and there was no stress, just someone who immediately felt like my partner," she gushed to People, which published exclusive proposal pics. "He felt like home. I keep saying, 'I can't believe we just met at a bar and now we're getting married!'"
