Isn’t it just a little bit suspicious when celebrities swing open the front doors of their perfect homes for lavish photo shoots after years of telling anyone that will listen that they’re a “private person”. Whyyyy do they do it?
Well, there’s one theory that actually makes a lot of sense. Slate noticed a pattern of celebrity couples who show off their house for publications like Architectural Digest, only to then split and sell their home months later.
Now, I don’t want to say Architectural Digest is the death knell for celebrity couples, but the argument that these couples are using it as their own personal Domain is convincing.
And the most recent celebrity to do it? Jennifer Aniston.
At around the exact same time Justin Theroux was loading his bags onto his motorcycle and riding off into the wind, his soon-to-be ex-wife was showing off their marital home in Bel Air.
Architectural Digest described the property as "a scene of pure domestic bliss", which is fine, because they probably weren't privy to the fact Justin was speeding down the 101 freeway, never to look back.
But here's where things get interesting. According to Slate, showing off the little slice of heaven that is a celebrity home helps boost the value of a property, just in time for them to sell it when they need to divide their assets.
In other words, people will look at Jennifer Aniston's custom-made marble bathtub and say, "I need that," because, let's be real, who doesn't? And then a few months later, voila, they can literally have it... As long as they have a few millions of dollars lying around.
LISTEN: With Jennifer and Justin splitting, the media is resurfacing the 'Back With Brad' rumours. But why? The Mamamia Out Loud team discuss. Post continues below.
It actually works, too. Less than a year before Patrick Dempsey's wife Jillian filed for divorce in 2014, their Malibu home featured on the cover of Architectural Digest. When the property did eventually go up for sale, it ended up selling for $500,000 more than they were asking for. (The pair later reunited.)
It's pure genius when you think about it, and something celebrities have been doing for some time without anyone even realising it.
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber showed off their New York City home six months before announcing they were calling it quits. Marc Anthony did the same thing right before his split with his model wife Shannon De Lima last year. Similar deal with Drew Barrymore and her ex-husband Will Kopelman.
Forget the tabloids. From this point on, we're just going to look to Architectural Digest when it comes to the next celebrity divorce.