celebrity

Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen's 20-year relationship.

After 14 years of marriage and more than 20 years together, Sacha Baron Cohen and Australian actress Isla Fisher announced over the weekend that they were divorcing. 

Fisher and Baron Cohen have starred in some of the most iconic comedy films of our time (Borat and Wedding Crashers, anyone?), so it's safe to say the news came as a shock.

"After a long tennis match lasting over twenty years, we are finally putting our racquets down," the couple announced via coordinated social media posts, which featured the two actors wearing matching tennis whites. 

"In 2023 we jointly filed to end our marriage. We have always prioritised our privacy, and have been quietly working through this change."

They continued: "We forever share in our devotion and love for our children. We sincerely appreciate your respecting our family's wish for privacy."

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The announcement comes after Baron Cohen denied claims made by actor, Rebel Wilson in her new book, Rebel Rising, that he sexually harassed her on the set of 2016 movie The Brothers Grimsby.

Let's take a look at Fisher and Cohen's marriage before they called it quits. 

How Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen met. 

Perth-raised Isla Fisher met British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in 2001 at a party in Sydney. Two years later, the couple were engaged.

Fisher and Baron Cohen in 2002. Image: Getty. 

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However, the couple waited four years before they got married. During that period, Fisher converted to Judaism.

"I will definitely have a Jewish wedding just to be with Sacha," Fisher told The Evening Standard in 2004. "I would do anything — move into any religion — to be united in marriage with him. We have a future together, and religion comes second to love as far as we are concerned." 

"I love the focus on family, food, and laughter," Fisher told C Magazine when asked about why she loves the religion.

"You know, I didn’t get to go to university because I’ve been acting since I was a kid. So, for me, studying theology was also fascinating. I love Judaism."

On March 15, 2010, the couple married in Paris. Just six people attended the wedding.

Image: Getty. 

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When explaining why the couple decided on an intimate ceremony, Fisher told Allure that they wanted something with close family and friends, out of the public eye.

"It [was] very important to me to have a beautiful ritual celebrated with my family and friends. And when you are in the public eye, to keep that private and to make it happen without it being really visible is really difficult," she explained.

During their relationship, both Fisher and Baron Cohen's acting careers skyrocketed. Baron Cohen has written, produced and starred in countless comedies, such as Borat, Bruno and The Dictator. While Fisher has appeared in blockbuster films including The Great Gatsby, Now You See Me and Confessions of a Shopaholic. 

Funnily enough, it was Baron Cohen who pushed Fisher to get into comedy. And that's the reason she auditioned for her breakthrough role in Wedding Crashers.

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Isla Fisher in Wedding Crashers. Image: New Line Cinema. 

"Sacha was the reason I got into comedy. I was actually auditioning for a lot of dramatic roles and having no success at all," she told Indie London

"I was losing confidence in my abilities when he recommended that I do comedy. He felt I was really funny, so when someone as funny as him recommends that, I listened and actually auditioned for Wedding Crashers, which ended up being my big break." 

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After years of appearing in various big films, the couple has lessened their workload. Fisher mainly takes on supporting roles once a year and Cohen plays the lead in a movie every three years. Most recently, Cohen reprised his role as Borat in the sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

Fisher and Baron Cohen have three children: two daughters and one son.

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The couple never shared that they were expecting any of their children, so publications only became aware when Fisher was seen with a baby bump.

Pregnant Fisher in 2015. Image: Getty. 

In December 2020, the couple moved to Australia from the United States — first relocating to Sydney and then Perth.

"I feel like I can be myself in Australia," Fisher told Marie Claire in May 2021.

"I love the people. I love the colours and the sights and the taste and the smells. And there’s something about being home which is just... it feels very magical.

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"I miss it so much when I’m away and I have a very Australian sensibility. Whenever I meet another Aussie, I always think, 'Oh my gosh, we’re twins!'"

Before moving to Sydney, the family split their time between Los Angeles and London.

"Juggling a family in LA isn’t easy," Fisher told Marie Claire

"There’s not really a culture of bringing your kids to dinner parties or to restaurants past 6pm. I tend to entertain at home because I want to be with my family —it’s easier to put your kids to bed and have a wine with friends."

"I have this secret fantasy of slowing down, moving to Byron Bay, getting off the grid and sitting on the sand with a Vegemite sandwich," she added.

When it comes to the details of their children's lives, that's something the couple made a conscious decision to conceal. They have never shared photos of their kids nor spoken about them in interviews.

"If you speak about your children or if you take them to a red carpet event, you can’t be litigious later on when there is a picture of them in something and say, 'hey, they deserve anonymity,' but they do," Fisher told Today

"They have rights, too. It’s a very conscious decision and truly I would feel really disgusting about myself if I used my family to sell something. It wouldn’t sit right with me. It doesn’t line up with my values."

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"But I do have an open door policy and people come over all of the time. I do big Shabbat dinners. Everybody gets access to my family time once a week."

The actress also spoke to Stellar about her decision to keep her children's lives private.

"All parents are just trying to protect their kids. And I feel like if they wanted to be in the public eye that's up to them. If I give any quotes about them, that would haunt them. They will be teenagers one day!" she said.

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In December 2021, Fisher and Baron Cohen celebrated their 20th anniversary. 

While the couple have now said they filed for divorce in 2023, it's being reported that Rebel Wilson's allegations were the driving force behind Fisher making their split public. 

This post was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated since.

Feature Image: Instagram/@islafisher

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