The year is 2001.
Nicole Kidman just signed her divorce papers from Tom Cruise after 11 years of marriage. But instead of looking sad or crying, she’s absolutely elated. Her arms are wide and she’s celebrating.
This moment has become so iconic that other divorcees want to recreate it! That’s what happened recently with one woman who took a page from Nicole during her divorce party.
Come see it!
When it comes to divorce, there are some trends we just can’t get behind.
Divorce selfies, anyone? This is when couples take a selfie together right after signing their divorce papers.
Sometimes, it ended up super awkward like this photo, with one person catching the other off guard.
“After six years of separation, we are finally divorced,” this former couple shared on Instagram.
Sooo cringe-worthy.
When author Rachel Hollis announced her divorce from her husband, she did so by sharing a picture of her and her ex-husband beaming. This seemed extremely off-putting.
Then, there was the trend of brides trashing their wedding dresses.
This is when jilted wives got their bridesmaids together to trash the wedding dress with things like paint, mud, water, or even fire.
Sadly, the trend turned dangerous for one bride who drowned while making her “trash the dress” photos in Quebec.
Now when it comes to the divorce trends we *can* get behind, it’s the one inspired by Nicole Kidman.
In 2001, she had a now-iconic paparazzi photo taken right after she got divorced from Tom Cruise. The pair had been married for 11 years and adopted two children together.
So when Liz Maupin, a producer in Los Angeles, threw herself a divorce party, she knew she had to recreate the photo.
The 34-year-old told Buzzfeed News that her divorce was granted recently after three years of separation.
“I wanted to celebrate the finality of it and starting a new chapter in my life,” she said.
“I love that photo of Nicole so much. I think it says so much about relief and freedom.”
In order to recreate the look, she even had the top custom-made to match Nicole’s. Liz’s guests didn’t know about the iconic recreation until halfway through the party.
She had her arms open wide like Nicole’s, marking her freedom and relief.
“Everyone cheered; it was so nice,” she said. She said that while it was “super difficult” to leave the unhealthy marriage, it was the best thing for her. It brought her back to herself.
“I think there’s still stigma around divorce, which is so unnecessary, and I wanted to really have a positive experience at the end of it all,” she said.
“And just celebrate being me again, without a tether to another person, and starting over.” She added that Nicole’s picture reminded her of her newfound freedom.
She encourages others to celebrate their divorce, especially after going through the stress of it.
“It was absolutely empowering and so fun,” said Maupin. “I chose to make the party no-boys-allowed. We had an absolute blast. I highly recommend having a divorce party if you find yourself divorced someday.”
Strangers online loved the idea!
“I’m glad your divorce was such a triumph over evil that you had your dream divorce outfit created and threw a party. #cheers to new beginnings. YOU GO GIRL! From the ashes rises a #Phoenix,” one tweeted .
“The greatest!! Every divorcing woman should be able to get one of these outfits,” another added .
Some wished they had done something similar.
“I had TWO opportunities to be this cool and blew them both. Wait my second divorce isn’t final yet! THANK YOU FOR THE INSPO!” this user tweeted .
But most of all, people celebrated with Liz. “I know this feeling well! Congrats on getting your life back,” tweeted another .
Last Updated on September 1, 2021 by Sarah Kester