Divorce is so hot right now. In 2023, we're unapologetically choosing ourselves.

• A wave of celebrity divorces have overtaken headlines in recent weeks.
• These high-profile splits are part of a larger uptick in divorce across the US, as per CDC data.
• Divorce now feels as matter-of-fact as marriage, and celebrities are owning that.

In just two weeks, news of multiple high-profile divorces has overtaken headlines.

Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez announced they're getting divorced after two years of marriage, citing Grande's busy overseas work schedule and saying they want to "remain best friends." Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef are divorcing after six years of marriage, saying they plan to co-parent their children. Billy Porter and Adam Smith divorced after six years of marriage, which was an "amicable" and "mutual" decision, they said. And Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello are parting ways after seven years of marriage, a source saying their "different attitudes" eventually pushed them apart.

This follows so many more break-ups in 2023:

• Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner are splitting after 18 years of marriage. Costner's representative told People that the divorce was "beyond his control."
• Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth announced their divorce in March after 11 years of marriage, saying they made the mutual decision "with a great deal of care and consideration."
• "The Bear" star Jeremy Allen White's wife Addison Timlin filed for divorce in May after three years of marriage.
• Former Trump aide Kellyanne Conway and George Conway said they were ending their 22-year marriage in March.
• "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kim Zolciak-Biermann and Kroy Biermann ended their 12-year marriage. Zolciak-Biermann said it was "irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation."
• "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky separated after 27 years, but reportedly still live together.
• Actor Alex Pettyfer and model Toni Garrn are divorcing after two years of marriage, saying they will co-parent their daughter.
• Shannen Doherty and Kurt Iswarienko split after 11 years of marriage.
• Drake Bell and Janet Von Schmeling got divorced after Von Schmeling filed in April, citing "irreconcilable differences."
• "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Eva Marcille and Michael Sterling divorced after four years of marriage.
• Drew Sisora and Ralph Pittman, also of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" fame, announced their divorce in March, ending their nine-year marriage.
• Former "Bachelorette" star Deanna Pappas Stagliano and Stephen Stagliano are divorcing after 11 years of marriage.
• Oasis band member Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald are splitting after a 12-year marriage.

The wave of high-profile divorces reflects a larger societal trend.

According to the latest CDC relationship data, divorce was steadily declining between 2017 and 2020. In 2021there was a sharp uptick, with 689,308 divorces in the 45 states where the CDC collects such data — nearly half the number of marriages that year.

Divorce is now just a part of life, whether you're an average Joe or an Ariana Grande.

To a hopeless romantic, this year's laundry list of breakups may seem disheartening. But is it? Until recently, marriage has been held up as a prize; a societal good. Celebrities, television shows, movies, and even our legal system, have perpetuated the idea that a singular great love is the best thing you could ever achieve.

Things are different now, though. We're living longer and becoming more accepting of unconventional relationship dynamics. The divorce trend is a reminder that people can outgrow each other. You can change without being tied to a particular destiny. You've lived and loved, and plan to keep on living and loving. And that's OK. 

As recent celebrity news shows, love isn't always enough, even for the rich and famous. They're imperfect, just like us. Now we're all owning it.