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Let’s get divorced

An exploration of divorce and its impact on our culture.

Breaking up may be hard to do, but it’s also an endless source of fascination in American life.

Even as the country’s divorce rate declines, the dissolution of marriage has remained a cultural touchpoint. You see it in how strangers online are constantly telling each other to “divorce him, sis!” and in how we love to parse the very specific, leather-clad look of this country’s “most divorced” men. You see it in how separation trends — each with its own new term — persist, from gray divorce to divorcemoons.

Maybe we’re so interested in divorce because of its proximity to sex and money. Maybe it’s because we’re just nosy. So while October may be one of the most popular months for weddings, we decided to take a look at its inverse.


An illustration of a groom atop a wedding cake waving an oversized red flag.

How “Divorce him!” became the internet’s de facto relationship advice

Most men are walking red flags, according to TikTok.


An illustration of a young couple walking through a heart-shaped park entrance gate. On the horizon an aged couple wearing the same outfits are walking in opposite directions.

The astonishing rise of gray divorce

Why more Americans than ever are splitting up in their 50s and beyond.


Why do divorced guys dress like that?

The aggressively, brutally companionless divorced guy aesthetic.


What if we celebrated divorces more like weddings?

Divorced people deserve gifts and parties too.


An illustration of a man and woman sawing a giant stack of money in half

What you really need to know about divorce and money

How to take charge of your finances, according to two divorce professionals.


Am I less likely to get a divorce than my parents?

Millennials are less likely to get divorced than their parents. Why?

Credits

Editorial Director: Julia Rubin

Reporters: Rebecca Jennings, Allie Volpe, Alex Abad-Santos, Whizy Kim, Nicole Dieker Finley

Editors: Meredith Haggerty, Melinda Fakuade, Naureen Khan

Art Director: Paige Vickers | Illustrator: Sandi Falconer

Managing Editor, Audio & Video: Natalie Jennings

Audio: Carla Javier, Sofi Lalonde, Jonquilyn Hill

Style & Standards: Elizabeth Crane, Anouck Dussaud, Kim Eggleston, Caity PenzeyMoog, Sarah Schweppe

Audience: Gabby Fernandez, Kelsi Trinidad

Special thanks: Bill Carey, Lauren Katz, Nathan Hall

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