The news doesn't come as much of a surprise: LeAnn Rimes is separating from her husband of seven years, Dean Sheremet.
For a while we wanted to believe that it was all just a big fat mess, and that LeAnn and Dean--the star who married the backup dancer, the cute couple who posed for ads in wedding magazines, the subject of adorable REDBOOK articles gushing about future children--would work it out.
We wanted them to work it out--anyone who has been forced to sue her own father before adulthood deserves a storybook marriage to a kind and loving prince. There have been buzzes flying around about Sheremet's sexual orientation and the general state of their union since the beginning of the marriage, but nobody can deny that seven years of seemingly peaceful matrimony is a mighty long time in the annals of the entertainment world.
If perhaps not a gossip-safe marriage, it appeared to be, at least, happy.
But, sigh, it's not to be so.
If you've managed to avoid Rimes Saga 2009, here's a quick 101 on the situation (warning: it's more drama than Shania Twain).
Since early this year, news has swirled around Rimes's affair with actor Eddie Cibrian, whom she met last fall on the set of the Lifetime movie Northern Lights. Rather nasty headlines, in which Cibrian's wife used the word "stalker" to describe Rimes, surfaced with regularity.
In the meantime, Rimes distanced herself from her good Country girl image by singing "Jizz In My Pants" at the MTV Movie Awards, dueting with a foul-mouthed Perry Farrell at Lollapallooza '09, and getting into a car accident. She separated from Sheremet in early August, packing him off to New York City to lick his wounds.
Cibrian filed for divorce on August 24.
And, a week later, here we are, checking out this announcement on Rimestimes.com:
"After much thoughtful mutual consideration, Deane [sic] and I have agreed to move forward with dissolving our marriage. This decision was amicable and we remain committed and caring friends with great admiration for one another."
We wanted to believe it wasn't true. But she didn't even spell his name correctly. (FWIW, there is a "Deane Sheremet" on Twitter, which sources such as Perez Hilton claim is the actual, legitimate account for Mr. Sheremet. Not exactly sure on that one. If it really is him, he's not saying much about this matter, merely posing in an apron featuring a naked male torso and...other stuff. Go look if you must.)
Feeling blue over here, today. I just want the old LeAnn back.
I guess the best thing is to wish her luck with Cibrian. What do you think? Will that couple last? Let us know what you think.
As always, be sure to: