The delicious new way to tell a celebrity has split from lover BEFORE they announce it

It turns out the first clue a celebrity has split from their partner isn’t a missing wedding ring – it’s a real estate listing.

A-listers often inadvertently signal trouble in paradise by suddenly shopping for suspiciously large homes long before the press gets wind of a breakup, according to a juicy report from Curbed.

Take Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, for example. Rumors began swirling when Lopez was spotted house-hunting. Her team insisted it was merely an ‘investment property’ – but Affleck quietly moved into a $100,000-a-month bachelor pad in Brentwood.

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness put their Hamptons estate up for rent months before announcing their split in 2023. Records of how they divided their Manhattan penthouse surfaced weeks before their divorce was finalized.

Even Sutton Foster raised eyebrows when she offloaded her $2.2 million Tuxedo Park estate in 2024 – a move fans took as a telltale sign of her split from screenwriter husband Ted Griffin.

So how do celebrity brokers keep these discreet moves from becoming headlines?

Off-market ‘pocket listings’ are essential, says Steven Cohen of luxury realtor Douglas Elliman. ‘It’s controlling the paper trail,’ he told Curbed. These hush-hush sales allow stars to buy or sell properties without triggering a public record or online listing.

To avoid being seen, some celebs skip the tours altogether. Brokers will FaceTime them from the property or send a business manager in their place – with that rep’s name often used on the LLC tied to the purchase.

Jennifer Lopez was spotted house-hunting before news of her and Ben Affleck’s rumored split made headlines

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness listed their Hamptons estate months before announcing their separation

And if the star insists on attending in person? That’s when the alias comes in. 

Philip Tabor, from the realtor Corcoran, told Curbed he books showings under generic names like ‘John Sullivan’ to avoid tipping anyone off. Some clients are even said to have worn disguises.

Tabor once helped a well-known star quietly relocate amid a high-profile divorce – taking every precaution along the way. He used fake names, encrypted calls, and even skipped one property entirely because he didn’t trust the listing agent.    

But even the best efforts can be undone by loose lips – especially from nosy neighbors. 

When Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise split in 2012, residents at the Chelsea Mercantile told The New York Post they had known for weeks. ‘I’ve seen her every day for three weeks,’ one blabbed.

Sometimes, even the broker is left in the dark. 

Christie’s Aaron Kirman recalled a particularly secretive client who was going through a divorce but refused to reveal their identity, sending a representative to every showing. 

‘To this day, I don’t know who it was,’ he admitted to Curbed.

And when all else fails? One thing always works: paperwork.

‘It’s very simple,’ Douglas Elliman’s Michelle Griffith told Curbed. ‘You have an NDA signed. They’ll sue your ass.’