Celebrity marriage splits 'can be predicted with formula'

Published Mar 15 2012, 14:21 GMT  |  By Harry Kind

A formula that was developed in 2006 predicting the lifespans of celebrity marriages has had variable success, it has been revealed more than five years later.

Using the 'Sundem/Tierney Unified Celebrity Theory', the New York Times posted predictions on the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes several years ago.

While the break-ups for Kutcher and Moore, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, and Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock were correctly foreshadowed, others like a split for Cruise and Holmes and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were wrongly predicted.

Elsewhere, Affleck and Damon's marriages have remained intact as forecast.

Garth Sundem and John Tierney, who came up with the formula, have now worked on portending the success of celebrity marriages for the next five years after refining the equation based on the data they have collected.

The duo believe that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett's marriage will not last, while they predict a healthy union for Prince William and Kate Middleton as well as for Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky.

The 2006 equation had taken into account the celebrities' age gap, marital history and the wife's 'sex symbol' status.

The formula has now been revamped to consider the couple's combined age, time spent together before marriage and the wife's popularity in broadsheet newspapers over tabloids.

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