Mad Men Christina’s divorce vow: We’ll work together to raise our lovely dogs
Thought that Gwynnie and Chris’s ‘conscious uncoupling’ was showbiz’s most barking split?
MAD MEN star Christina Hendricks is divorcing her actor husband after ten years of marriage, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’ – but the couple remain agreed on one thing: they’ve pledged to ‘always work together to raise our two beautiful dogs’.
Legal papers lodged in Los Angeles reveal Hendricks, who played Joan Holloway in the hit TV drama about ambitious advertising executives in 1960s New York, split from Geoffrey Arend in April.
In a statement released yesterday on Instagram, they wrote: ‘Twelve years ago we fell in love and became partners. We joined our two amazing families, had countless laughs, made wonderful friends and were blessed with incredible opportunities.
‘Today we take our next step together, but on separate paths. We will always be grateful for the love we’ve shared and will always work together to raise our two beautiful dogs.
‘We will be taking time to rediscover ourselves in this transition and we thank you for your patience and support in giving us the space to do so.’
Hendricks, 44 – named the ‘sexiest woman in the world’ in a poll of readers of Esquire magazine in 2010 – was introduced to Arend by her Mad Men co-star Vincent Kartheiser, who played ad man Pete Campbell in the drama, which ran for seven series until 2015.
She and 41-year-old Arend, best known for playing speechwriter Matt Mahoney in the TV drama
Madam Secretary, married in October 2009. They agreed not to have children but their two dogs – cockapoos called Zou Zou and Triscuit – have been regular stars of Hendricks’s Instagram posts.
Earlier this month, the couple put their New York apartment on the market for £1 million.
Hendricks’s film roles include Crooked House and Toy Story 4, but it was her portrayal of sassy secretary Holloway that won her critical acclaim. Comparing herself to Holloway recently, she said: ‘I’ve got a little sass in me. I probably tend to get my feelings hurt more… but I can only take so much and then I jump back. I have strong survival skills.’
The pair’s announcement is the latest bizarre statement by divorcing celebrities.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay singer Chris Martin famously declared they had decided to ‘consciously uncouple’ in 2014 and, ahead of a bitter divorce battle, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie announced their split in 2016 by insisting they ‘happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another’.