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United States Isla Fisher: Bridget Jones actor opens up about 'difficult' Sacha ...
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Isla Fisher has addressed her divorce from Sacha Baron Cohen for the first time, calling it “the most difficult thing” she’s been through.
In April 2024, the couple, who met in 2001, announced they had split up the previous year, sharing a joint statement that read: “After a long tennis match lasting over 20 years, we are finally putting our racquets down. In 2023, we jointly filed to end our marriage.”
“We have always prioritised our privacy, and have been quietly working through this change. We forever share in our devotion and love for our children. We sincerely appreciate your respecting our family’s wish for privacy.”
The timing of the announcement raised eyebrows as it arrived weeks after Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson branded Cohen a “massive a**hole” and accused him of trying to “bully” her into silence over a contentious chapter in her memoir. Wilson claimed that she struggled with Cohen, 53, on the set of 2016 comedy Grimsby – something that the Ali G and Borat actor has strenuously denied.
Opening up about the divorce in a new interview, 49-year-old Wedding Crashers star Fisher, who has three children with Cohen, said: “It’s the most difficult thing that I’ve been through and I’ve learnt so much about myself in the process.
“I never imagined my family being separated but we are committed and loving parents.”
The actor, who makes a brief appearance in the new Bridget Jones film, told The Times that she has been helped through by “the women in my life”, adding: “The female relationships that I cultivated in our business, those women have been there for me.
“I’m actually going to get emotional. I’m sitting here today because of them. I’ve learnt so much about the power of female friendship and I’ve just learnt that I do have resilience, who I am outside of a partnership, and what my values are. It’s been this expansive learning curve.”
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News of Fisher’s divorce from Borat star Cohen broke suspiciously soon after Wilson’s claims surfaced – but sources were conflicted on whether they impacted the announcement.
While one source told The Sun that the headlines were the “catalyst” in their decision to share the news, claiming Fisher was “starting to get embarrassed” by the claims, US Weekly reported that there was no link and had “nothing to do” with Wilson.
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“They have been living separate lives since last year but wanted to give this space and time for their children to be OK with this before the news came out and they got all this attention,” a source told US Weekly.
But a source told The Sun: “Rebel’s book was a catalyst in Isla deciding to announce this to the world; she’s got her own career and reputation to worry about.
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“Those close to her said it was starting to get embarrassing with all of the allegations that were spilling out of Rebel’s book. So she felt as though it was the right thing to do to inform everyone of their decision.
“Sacha, on the other hand, did not want that. He has been making as though it’s business as usual before they made this announcement.”
New Bridget Jones film, Mad About the Boy, is released in cinemas on Thursday (13 February). Fisher can also be heard in the new animated film Dog Man.
