Will Arnett's Heartbreaking Divorce Caused Feelings Of "Brutal" Loss Despite The Couple Staying Friends

Feb 14, 2022 by apost team

Will Arnett is no stranger to the spotlight. From his role as an ice-skating champion in "Blades of Glory" to starring in Fox sitcom "Arrested Development," Arnett has no problem being the center of attention. That is, until it comes to his love life. 

Many celebrities have struggled with the double-edged sword that is fame. Because they often put themselves in the spotlight, taking lead roles in hit films and TV shows, fans and members of the media often treat celebrities much differently than normal people. 

After all, you wouldn't take to social media to announce your friend's divorce. But for whatever reason, this is often the go-to for fans and media alike, especially when there is some sort of scandal involved. Suddenly, celebrities go from making headlines for achievements in their career to seeing their personal life on full display. 

This is exactly what Will Arnett experienced when he split with iconic actress and comedian Amy Poehler. After a decade together, the pair split in 2012 and filed for divorce in 2014. The divorce was finalized in 2018. 

Fortunately for the comedy duo and fans alike, there was very little scandal involved in their divorce. After their split, the two seemed to still be friends. 

According to US Weekly, sources close to the couple said that Arnett and Poehler felt more like friends than anything else. Though they still cared for one another, they realized they could no longer stay married. They still co-parent their kids together and have a healthy friendship. 

Putting The Pieces Back Together

This love and friendship between the two could have been what made the split so hard for Arnett. He was in the middle of shooting Season Four of "Arrested Development" when he and Poehler decided to go their separate ways. In an interview with The Guardian, Arnett said the timing couldn't have been worse. 

"Just brutal, brutal, brutal," Arnett said. "I was driving to the set one day and I pulled over to the side of the road and cried for an hour."

Arnett calls that time the start of his "weird years." He said he struggled with his identity, and that he and Poehler's fame made the breakup much more difficult than it could have been otherwise. 

"People talk about you like they know you and they talk about your relationship as if they know what's going on," Arnett said. "You then see stuff online, like, this one journalist wrote: 'I'm Team Amy.' I'm like: 'You're a grown person. What are you talking about? This is a breakup. This is a family. This isn't some game.'"

Though Arnett has spoken publicly about the divorce more than Poehler, she has addressed her feelings about the situation. Poehler wrote about her experience with the divorce in her 2014 memoir, "Yes Please." She said that though she doesn't regret her relationship with Arnett, a divorce is hard for anyone. 

"I am proud of how my ex-husband Will and I have been taking care of our children," Poehler said. "I am beyond grateful he is their father, and I don't think a 10-year marriage constitutes failure. That being said, getting a divorce really sucks."

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Moving Forward

After their divorce, both Arnett and Poehler continued their careers as actors and comedians. After he finished shooting that season of "Arrested Development," Arnett moved into the animated comedy sphere as the star of Netflix series "Bojack Horseman," and he said in an interview with GQ that his feelings about the divorce influenced his portrayal of the main character. 

"I love Bojack, but it's not always easy playing this guy who's so depressed and has so many moral shortcomings," Arnett said. "I say to [creator] Raphael [Bob-Waksberg], "You're going to have to pay for my therapy."

Since then, Arnett has moved forward with both his personal and professional life. He began dating socialite Alessandra Brawn in 2019, and in 2020, he announced that they were expecting a baby together. 

Though rumors circulated about the possibility of Arnett and Poehler getting back together when they quarantined together in 2020, it later became clear that the pair were simply co-parenting. In 2022, he told The Guardian that he's surprised at how much his life has changed.

"It is crazy to me how much my whole life has shifted in five years in such a dramatic way," Arnett said. "Isn't that wild?"

As for Poehler, her life has also changed since the couple's split. She briefly dated actor Nick Kroll in 2014, and has been the primary caregiver of her two sons. She's continued as an acclaimed actor, comedian and producer, and has received nominations for 20 Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. 

What do you think about Amy Poehler and Will Arnett's heartbreaking split? Pass this along to your friends who can't get enough of this comedic duo!