Center of attention! Celebrities know how to stand out amid the noise of Hollywood, whether it is on the red carpet or in the love connections they make. 2021 continued the trend, and the best photos from the year prove it.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, for instance, made headlines when they rekindled their relationship after her April split from Alex Rodriguez. The couple were initially engaged from 2002 to 2004 before getting back together in May.
The Oscar winner, 49, kept the details behind their reunion vague when he opened up about the romance six months later. “I can say that it’s definitely beautiful to me. And, you know, one of the things I really value across all facets of life now is that it was handled in a way that reflected that,” he told WSJ. Magazine. “My life now reflects not just the person that I want to be, but the person that I really feel like I am — which is not perfect, but somebody who tries very hard and cares very much about being honest and authentic and accountable. It’s hard to say who benefits more, without going into gossipy detail.”
Affleck added: “I could just say that I feel great about being very healthy. And it is a good story. It’s a great story. And, you know, maybe one day I’ll tell it. I’ll write it all out. And then I’ll light it on fire.”
Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim, meanwhile, struck up a relationship after working together at The Oppenheim Group and starring on Selling Sunset. The news that they were dating took some fans by surprise, but their romance was short-lived. Us Weekly confirmed earlier this month that the pair called it quits after seven months of dating.
“Jason was and is my best friend, and other than our ideas for family ultimately not being aligned, the amount of respect and love we have for each other will not change going forward,” the actress, 40, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, December 21. “I very much hope to one day have a family and decisions I make at this point are with that goal in mind. … Thank you Jason for the most incredible relationship and for consistently being honest with me even when it hurts.”
Outside of breakups and makeups, stars were also in the news for reasons such as family drama. One year after their royal exit, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made shocking allegations against his relatives in a March CBS tell-all interview, including that there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [son Archie’s] skin might be” before he was born.
In response, Buckingham Palace issued a statement that read: “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
Scroll through the gallery below to revisit the best photos from this year: