Renowned English dramatist and librettist William Schwenck Gilbert once famously said that, “It's love that makes the world go round.”
This is certainly the case for celebrity couples, whose every move is analysed by their legions of fans across the globe.
From public displays of affection (PDA) on the red carpet, to luxurious and romantic dates and holidays, it seems like the world can’t get enough of loved-up stars.
And while some celebrity couples appear to be a match made in heaven, others are full of controversy and scandal.
The reasons vary from their level of success, age gaps, physical looks or culture clashes. They simply don’t add up with fans often pondering what led these superstars to get romantically entangled in the first place.
With this in mind and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we have compiled a list of some of the most mismatched celebrity couples, from South African stars to international A-listers.
Nadia Jaftha and Xavier Haupt
The social media world went into a frenzy when the local digital content creator Nadia Jaftha and “Love Island SA” star Xavier Haupt announced their relationship back in April 2022.
As they shared their romance with fans on social media, the couple became affectionately known as “Xadia”, which even resulted in the duo creating a TikTok account with the name @lifewithxadia, which currently has 108 000 followers and a whopping 1.6 million likes.
But this month, the couple officially called it quits on their almost two-year relationship. They recently released a joint statement on Instagram to announce their separation.
And while the breakup came as a shock to some of “Xadia” fans, many were not surprised that their relationship had ended.
Jaftha was seven years older than her bae, who earned himself widespread notoriety for his time on “Love Island SA”.
The musician was initially coupled up with Millie Terblanche on the reality dating show. He then quickly dumped her for fellow influencer Mischka Najar.
The couple made it to the “Love Island SA” finale and appeared loved up for months after the show ended.
But just as quickly as he left Terblanche, Haupt was criticised for doing the same with Najar, when his relationship with Jaftha became public.
As an award-winning content creator, Jaftha is widely regarded as a self-proclaimed “boss babe” and one of the brains behind international creative agency Ace Labs.
Following her breakup with Haupt, she recently bought a Porsche and continues to cement her status as one of South Africa’s biggest social media influencers.
She might just need a grown-up man in her life, who is associated with fewer scandals.
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly
Internationally renowned actress Megan Fox is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful women on the planet.
With her undeniable beauty and status as an acclaimed Hollywood actress, Fox certainly has a long list of dating options.
So when her relationship with the US rapper and songwriter became public, following her separation from ex-husband Brian Austin Green, scores of fans were left perplexed by the odd pairing.
It might be a typical case of opposites attract, but almost a year after rumours began circulating that the musician – whose real name is Colson Baker – cheated on the actress, the appeal around their relationship has been in a constant state of decline.
Media reports have even suggested that the pair have undergone intense couples therapy in a bid to save their relationship, and continue with their engagement and wedding plans.
Rumours have also circulated that those close to the couple are also not fully convinced about their relationship.
Qiniso Van Damme and Gareth “Gaz” Ehret
South Africa’s first ever “bachelorette”, Qiniso Van Damme, started 2024 by announcing that she has separated from Gareth “Gaz” Ehret.
The couple met on M-Net’s first season of “The Bachelorette SA” when the model was looking for love and the digital marketer received the final rose among the 22 men vying for her attention on the show.
But after three years of dating, the couple officially called it quits this month.
Many fans were left disappointed as they watched the pair’s romance blossom on national television screens.
But others were not as surprised, as Van Damme – with her natural beauty and charming appeal – appears to be destined for the spotlight.
She might be better paired with a man who is able to support her as her star continues to rise, while also being able to handle her undeniable beauty and growing fame.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco
Selena Gomez is one of the most popular stars in the world. The actress and singer has millions of fans around the world, who are constantly rooting for her happiness and success.
So when her relationship with music producer Benny Blanco was made public late last year, many were left puzzled by what scores considered a somewhat odd pairing.
Gomez had a fair share of controversial romances, with her relationship with Justin Bieber being chief among them.
She has also had many other failed relationships, health scares and alleged public spats with the likes of Hailey Bieber.
Now Gomez’s relationship with Blanco is in the spotlight, with scores of the opinion that the couple are mismatched – not only because she is one of the most beautiful women in the world, but because she has mega fame.
This has led to many of her fans believing that she can do better than Blanco.
Annie and Kgolo Mthembu
Most lovers are often in pursuit of the coveted “power couple” title. And for entrepreneurs Annie and Kgolo Mthembu, they might have initially appeared to be a perfect match.
But their marriage has since been overshadowed by reports of Kgolo’s infidelity after he was last year linked to fitness influencer Sbahle Mpisane.
This alleged affair is said to have caused the “The Real Housewives of Durban” (RHOD) star so much distress that, between focusing on her mental health and her business, she will not be featuring in the latest season of the show.
And while the Durban beauty has denied all allegations of her husband’s affair, she constantly finds herself denying rumours of his infidelity.
As the owner of Annaesthetic Beauty Studio, Annie is a formidable force in her own right, and deserves to be with a man who sees her beauty, both inside and out.