A look at 2012’s celebrity marriages, break-ups, births & deaths

From marriages to break-ups, births to deaths, 2012 was a headline-making year for Hollywood’s stars.

Here’s a look at some of the top stories of the past year out of Tinseltown:

Marriages

It’s not a marriage – yet – but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie officially got engaged in 2012.  The actors, who have been a couple since 2005 and are raising six children together, said they have no plans to marry right away, but Jolie was photographed with a diamond engagement ring that Pitt designed with jeweler Robert Procop.  There was speculation on multiple weekends throughout the year that the couple had married, but as far as what’s been officially announced, they still remain just engaged.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel married in southern Italy. The Sexy Back singer and actor and Total Recall actress had been dating on and off since 2007. They announced their engagement at the beginning of 2012, and carefully shielded the details of their nuptials from the public.

Matthew McConaughey and Brazilian model Camila Alves tied the knot in an intimate wedding at the couple’s home in Austin, Texas.  The wedding incorporated the couple’s roots with an “island beach meets Texas” theme that included Brazilian food. McConaughey and Alves have a four-year-old son, Levi, and a two-year-old daughter, Vida.

Anne Hathaway married Adam Shulman at a wedding on the scenic coast of Big Sur, California.  Hathaway married the jewelry designer at a private estate on the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline south of San Francisco. The couple became engaged last November and married before more than 100 invited guests, with Hathaway wearing a custom Valentino gown.

Oscar winner Natalie Portman married French dancer-choreographer Benjamin Millepied in Big Sur. They were surrounded by family and friends when they exchanged vows in the dark.  The duo met on the set of the 2009 film Black Swan, and welcomed their 14-month old son, Aleph, the following year.

Drew Barrymore tied the knot for the third time, marrying her art dealer Will Kopelman in southern California. The Charlie’s Angels actress wore a Chanel gown and wed Kopelman at their estate in Montecito, Calif., with guests including Reese Witherspoon, Cameron Diaz, and Jimmy Fallon.

Break-ups

Katie Holmes filed for divorce from her superstar husband Tom Cruise, ending a six-year marriage that produced one daughter and captivated celebrity watchers worldwide. Holmes filed papers citing irreconcilable differences and sought sole custody of the couple’s daughter Suri.  Their divorce was settled quickly — less than two weeks after Holmes filed.  Dubbed “TomKat” by the media when they started dating in 2005, the actors were married in an Italian castle in November 2006.

Johnny Depp separated from his partner of 14 years, French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis.  The announcement followed widespread reports that the couple’s relationship was on the rocks.  Depp began dating Paradis in 1998, following his split from British supermodel Kate Moss.

Supermodel and Project Runway TV host Heidi Klum and British singer Seal separated after seven years of marriage.  The German-born Klum and Seal married in 2005. They have four children ranging in age from two to seven. Klum has already moved on, reportedly dating her bodyguard Martin Kristen.

Actors Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman separated after 30 years of marriage.  The couple married in 1982 and has three adult children. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel, however, as reports are surfacing that they are trying to reconcile.

Young Hollywood power couple Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez called it quits, maybe.  Bieber and Gomez disclosed their  relationship in February 2011 when they appeared together at an Oscar night party after months of rumours of their dating.  Despite the separation, the duo has been spotted together recently, fueling rumors of a reconciliation.

It was a tumultuous year for Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.  The Twilight stars broke up after Stewart was photographed kissing and embracing the director of her movie, Snow White and the Huntsman.  Stewart took to Twitter to publicly apologize for the affair.  By October, however — just before the release of the final Twilight film, Breaking Dawn Part 2 — the couple had reunited.

Births

Adele had a baby boy in October with her partner Simon Konecki.  The couple has yet to reveal the baby’s name.

Beyonce gave birth to a baby girl on Jan. 7.  The singer, and her husband Jay-Z, named the child Blue Ivy Carter.

Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon gave birth to a baby boy on Sept. 27 — her first child with husband Jim Toth.  They named him Tennessee James Toth.

Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman welcomed their first child, a girl, on Sept. 26.  She was named Olive Barrymore Kopelman.

Jessica Simpson gave birth to her first baby on May 1, a 9 lb. 13 oz. girl named Maxwell Drew Johnson.

Deaths

Whitney Houston, whose soaring voice lifted her to the top of the pop music world but whose personal decline was fueled by years of drug use, died on Feb. 12 in a Beverly Hills hotel room at age 48. The pop superstar died in her bathtub on the eve of the Grammy Awards from what would later be described as accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine use and heart disease.  Over the course of a 30-year career, Houston won six Grammys, 30 Billboard awards and 22 American Music Awards. She released seven studio albums and sold some 170 million CDs, singles and videos. The soundtrack for the hit movie in which she starred, The Bodyguard, was among the best-selling soundtracks in movie history.

British-born filmmaker Tony Scott, director of Hollywood   blockbusters like Top Gun, Crimson Tide, and Enemy of the State, jumped to his death on Aug. 19 from a bridge over Los Angeles Harbor. An autopsy on the 68-year old director confirmed his death was a suicide but gave no hint as to why he took his own life. Scott, who was frequently seen behind the camera in his signature faded red baseball cap, is credited with directing more than two dozen movies and television shows and producing nearly 50 titles.

Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, who with brothers Barry and   Maurice helped define the disco era with their falsetto harmonies and funky beats on hits like Stayin’ Alive and Jive Talkin’, died on May 21 after a long fight with cancer. The singer had colon and liver cancer and, despite brief improvements in his health, passed away at age 62.