SACHA Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher’s divorce was “on the cards for some time” a behaviour expert has claimed following their shock joint statement.
And the Hollywood couple tried to “deflect” from the emotions involved in their split with a comical announcement – which has now been mocked online.
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The post, shared via Instagram, saw Sacha with his arm around Isla and the stars smiling while posing in fancy dress as tennis players.
The pair likened their 22 year marriage to a game of back and forth on the court that had finally come to an end.
A source told The Sun Sacha hadn’t wanted to announce their split, but that Isla was worried about her reputation and felt it was the right thing to do.
The movie stars, who share three kids, wrote: “After a long tennis match lasting over 20 years, we are finally putting our racquets down.
READ MORE ON SACHA AND ISLA
“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.”
Speaking exclusively to The Sun on behalf of Spin Genie, psychologist and behavioural expert Darren Stanton believes the tennis anology hid the weight of their pain and pointed to persistant troubles in their marriage.
He said: “The language they use here is interesting – comparing their relationship to a tennis match and one that’s lasted 20 years, suggests the split has been on the cards for some time.
How long have Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher been married, and do they have any children?
“Despite the fact Sacha is a comedian, people do tend to rely on sarcasm a lot when they are trying to deflect.
“It’s a move regularly used by politicians. People will avoid directly addressing a topic through humour.”
Darren also claimed Sacha is someone who covers up how he’s really feeling.
He continued: “You’ll notice in previous interviews that both Sacha and Isla use sarcasm a lot, showing that their split statement is consistent with their typical behaviour.
“The pair have been known for keeping their relationship private, so it’s not surprising that they aren’t as forthcoming in their statement as some other couples may choose to be.
“It’s a classic case of what we call pivoting – a person using sarcasm so they can avoid answering a question, in this case avoid sharing too much detail.
“We use sarcasm to try and create one kind of reality that may actually be very different to what is really going on.
“Sacha is a great one for adopting this technique.”
However, the “bonkers” tennis themed statement is now being mocked online.
Following their statement, fans took to social media and called the wording “insane”.
Another branded the comical statement the “weirdest way to announce a divorce ever.”
All the signs Isla and Sacha had secretly split
The couple have revealed they actually split last year, despite only just revealing their divorce.
Here we look at the signs they had already broken up before revealing their split news:
Social media silence – Sacha has been absent from Instagram since last Christmas.
Spending time with friends – Isla has been been following that classic post break-up move of spending more time with her girlfriends.
Hidden ring finger – No fans noticed at the time, but in many Instagram shots from this year, Isla has hidden her right hand so her wedding finger was not visible in many shots.
Missing man – The last image Isla shared of her and Sacha prior to the divorce announcement was back in November last year.
The statement also comes as Sacha recently revealed he was taking legal action against actress sRebel Wilson, after she wrot aout an uncomfortable encounter working with an “a**hole actor.”
Rebel, 44, and Sacha, 52, starred opposite each other in 2016 movie Grimsby and it also featured an appearance by Isla.
The 2016 movie – which flopped at the box office – has been at the centre of allegations involving him and co-star Rebel.
A rep for Sacha previously denied Rebel’s claims in a statement to TMZ.
Meanwhile, Rebel took to Instagram last night and broke her silence after Sacha and Isla’s split announcement.
She plugged her upcoming “in person” interviews discussing her memoir, Rebel Rising, while posting a link to buy tickets.
She also shared a timely post following Sacha’s relationship news.
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