Chris Pratt and Anna Faris, like many celebrities, handled their divorce through a private judge to avoid unwanted publicity.
While Anna Faris recalls tweeting about the ‘death’ of love after the couple made this difficult decision, I feel that the celebs, in this case, have shown us that the end of a marriage does not have to be the end of respect and civility. Their split has been one of the most civil ones to date and judging from the terms of their agreement, they have gone to great lengths to prioritize the well-being and stability of their son.
In this case, both parents have agreed to live less than five miles apart for the next five years, while their six-year-old son completes his primary education. This is a strong commitment, considering distances in American cities, and, of course, the flexibility required by Hollywood’s professional engagements.
Under the terms of the Faris-Pratt divorce agreement, if either one of the actors needs to move away, they have to submit a written notice at least three months prior. Likewise, if Anna or Chris want to travel abroad with the child, they must also provide notice at least one month in advance. Notice is also required when either parent wants to travel to another state with their son. There is no known specific time constraint on this stipulation.
Aside from the unusual agreement, which many selfish individuals would have thoroughly rejected, Faris and Pratt have shown a civil and mature attitude that is rather unusual for any divorce, let alone individuals with their wealth and circumstances.
"I need to figure out what the purpose [of marriage] is,” Faris recently told a popular podcast host, “Is it safety for your children? Is it convention? Is it so other people respect your relationship more?” The beloved actress has offered many insights into the pressure celebs sometimes feel when their fans believe they have it all. “I do think we obviously cultivated something, and it was rewarding for a while. It was like ‘Oh, People seem to think we got all this shit all right,’” she has commented.
This is an aspect seldom discussed in the media: what does it do to a marriage to have the whole world looking at it as if it were the most perfect marriage in the world? Not every celebrity is well-equipped to deal with that kind of pressure.
Anna recalls feeling angry when fans were disappointed at the ‘end’ of their love: "I don’t know if embarrassment [of letting fans down] is quite the right word... We intentionally cultivated this idea of like, ‘Look at this beautiful family.’ There were so many moments that were like that but of course just like anything on social media, you don’t post like, ‘Where the fuck is the toilet paper?!’ or whatever. I think it’s a very hard forum to be genuine, and I think it does a disservice to people to not be."
If you post only about your family bliss on Instagram, you cannot expect people to keep quiet when they learn your marriage is ending. The Faris-Pratt experience should have a sobering effect on those who may be preparing to follow in their footsteps after having shared a bit too much about how happy and in love they were on social media.
By making sure their child has both parents within a short distance while finishing his early education, Faris and Pratt have committed to stay focused on what’s important to them. And by using a private judge, they have minimized the leak of unsavory details about the split.
Their divorce appears as an example of maturity and caution in a world where some use divorce to gain media traction or to boost their next film’s box office performance. Whether their fans are disappointed or not, Faris and Pratt have succeeded in navigating the complex waters of a high-income, high-media-exposure divorce, promptly finalizing an agreement, without any pending dispute over either custody or asset division. I believe many Hollywood stars should take notes.