Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli Divorce After 9 Years of Marriage

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Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli are parting ways.

The actress and screenwriter from Orange is the New Black, who met on the set of the popular Netflix show in 2012, have announced they are getting a divorce after nine years of marriage.

The couple announced on January 29th that they are divorcing after nine years of marriage. They stated that they will continue to work together to raise their children, and that commitment will last a lifetime.

Oh my gosh, when Lauren and Alex started dating back in 2014, I was SO thrilled! It was right after she and Steve Basilone broke up, and honestly, it felt like a fresh start for her. She was so brave talking about how writing for Orange is the New Black – with all those amazing queer storylines – helped her really explore who she was and what she wanted. It was like the show and her personal life were mirroring each other, and it was just… beautiful to watch her blossom!

Lauren first recognized she was gay in the fall of 2012, early in her time working on the show. She wrote in a 2014 essay for Identities.Mic that this realization made her anxious about writing the first romantic scene between the characters Alex (played by Laura Prepon) and Piper (played by Taylor Schilling).

She continued, saying she really enjoyed writing the story, especially seeing a gentle connection develop between the characters, who were usually driven by intense passion. However, she admitted that at the time, she was struggling with her own insecurities and felt like an impostor.

In 2017, the stars of The Handmaid’s Tale and Tales of the City got married in Palm Springs, California, three years after they first became a couple. They later had a daughter, George Elizabeth, who is now four years old.

After Lauren and Samira welcomed their baby girl, Samira talked about the challenges their fertility journey presented for their relationship.

In 2021, Samira told Entertainment Tonight that the challenges they faced while trying to conceive actually helped them strengthen their relationship. She explained that they were forced to have important conversations they might not have had otherwise. She often thought about wanting to create a loving and supportive environment for their child, believing that not all babies are born into families fully prepared to welcome them.

Even though the couple split up, they always agreed that raising their daughter would come first.

Samira advises any couple, whether gay or straight, who wants to start a family to first focus on strengthening their relationship. She believes a child needs a loving and stable home, and that stability comes from the parents’ connection with each other.

Lauren and Samira aren’t the only celebrities who have recently split up. Here’s a look at other famous couples who’ve gone their separate ways.

After dating for over two years, the couple, who first sparked romance rumors in October 2023, reportedly broke up on January 26th.

In January 2026, Patricia filed for divorce from the comedian after 15 years of marriage. 

In a statement released on January 23rd, the Dutch royals announced they have decided to divorce after 25 years of marriage. They emphasized that this was a joint decision made with respect for each other.

The couple, who are parents to Isabella, Samuel, and Benjamin, have agreed to work together to raise their children.

We will continue to co-parent our three children. While this is a challenging decision, we ask that everyone respects our privacy during this time.

Following their divorce, Annette will no long hold the royal title of Princess. 

Although they never publicly announced their wedding after getting engaged in September 2025, Machine Gun Kelly filed for divorce on January 22nd, according to reports from several news sources. Later that same day, Megan Fox shared that she was shocked and completely unprepared for his sudden decision to end their marriage.

The actress said she was shocked by the divorce filing, which she didn’t see coming. In a statement released on January 22nd, she explained she had been with her husband, Austin, the night before the news became public and, despite the usual ups and downs in a marriage, she thought they were making progress as a couple.

Jaime, who has two children, James and Leo, with his former partner Kyle Newman, firmly denied any claims of cheating as the reason for their split. He clarified that any recent public interactions mentioned were simply business meetings and unrelated to their personal life.

The Summer House stars announced their separation after four years of marriage on Jan. 19.

We’ve made the difficult decision to separate and end our relationship. We’re sharing this with sadness and ask for your understanding and support as we both work on ourselves and move forward.

They continued, saying it felt strange to ask for privacy, especially since they’ve always been open and honest about their relationship. However, they asked for kindness and respect as they move forward.

In January, the former star of One Tree Hill announced his separation from the director of My Old Ass after 11 years of marriage.

I generally keep our family life private, but there’s been a lot of online discussion lately, so I wanted to set the record straight. Megan and I have decided to get divorced.

The musician, who shares two children, Winnie and Benny, with Megan, stated that they are continuing to focus on their kids and working together as parents.

The Diff’rent Strokes alum confirmed his breakup with his wife of three years on Jan. 14.

After a lot of thought and prayer, my spouse and I have decided to separate,” he shared in a statement to People magazine. “This wasn’t an easy decision, and we’re both sad, but we’ll always cherish the time we spent together.

Todd shared his gratitude for their time together, the things they’d learned, and the family they created. He expressed his faith that, even as they go through this change, they will both find healing, peace, and a fresh start.

After three years together, the Saturday Night Live comedian and the star of Beef have broken up, according to several news reports on January 7th. He reportedly won her over initially by sending flowers to all of her hotels during a European trip.

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2026-02-02 01:48