Why Is Grey Divorce Gaining Prominence Amid Separation Of Sania Mirza, Urmila Matondkar, Malaika?

What Is Grey Divorce?: Urmila Matondkar has reportedly filed for divorce from her husband Mohsin Mir, eight years after their marriage. Previously, famous Tenni player Sania Mirza also announced her split from Shoaib Malik after 14 years of being married. Similarly, several popular celebrity couples have decided to call it quits at an older age. This phenomenon is called grey divorce, which is now widely discussed following the high-profile separation.

What is Grey Divorce?

Grey Divorce is a term that refers to separation between couples who have spent years together. It usually is used for couples who get divorced above the age of 50. they are also called ‘silver splitter’. 

Such couples usually have spent more than a decade, either being married or having known each other. Research shows that the trend has been on the rise in the past few years. The most common reason attributed to grey divorce is empty nest syndrome- referring to when children of old couples move away leaving the parents only to the company of each other. Other reasons for the same are retirement, increased life expectancy, financial Independence, especially in women and changes in social attitudes.  

Urmila Matondkar, Kamal Haasan, and Malaika Arora are examples of grey divorce 

Several high-profile splits are examples of grey divorce. Kamal Haasan parted ways with his wife of over 20 years in 2004. Co-founder of Mircofeodt Bill Gates also decided to split with his wife Melinda French after being married for 25 years. Actress Deepti Naval and her filmmaker husband Pankaj Jha got married in 1985 and split up in 2022, after 20 years of togetherness.

Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan too decided to get divorced after being married for 19 years. Most recently, Sania Mirza parted ways with Shoaib Akhtar after 14 years of marriage. Now, Urmila Matondkar's reportedly divorce from husband Mohsin has made it to the list.

Abhishek Bachchan's post sparks conversation around grey divorces

Amid reports of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai parting ways, the actor’s social media activity has raised suspicion. On July 17, days after the rumours of their split first surfaced online, the actor seemingly showed his appreciation in a post talking about divorces. The actor’s activity has now gone viral on social media.

The post shared by Heena Khandelwal, “When love stops being easy. Couples who have been married are now parting ways. What has prompted their decision and why are grey divorces on the rise?” The photo spoke about the rising rate of divorces. The caption along the post read, “Divorce is never easy for anyone. Who doesn’t dream of a happily ever after or envision recreating those heartwarming videos of elderly couples holding hands as they cross the street? Yet, sometimes life doesn’t unfold as we hoped. But how do people cope when they separate after decades together, after spending a significant portion of their lives relying on each other for both big and small things? What drives them to sever ties, and what challenges do they face? This story delves into these questions. Coincidentally, ‘grey divorces’ or ‘silver splitters’—terms for those seeking marital dissolution typically after age 50—are on the rise globally. The reasons, though varied, are not surprising.” Abhishek Bachchan was one of the people who ‘liked’ the post. A screenshot of the same is now been circulating online. This came after the couple's separate arrival at the wedding celebration of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant .