Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen divorce: Why the pair is splitting after over 20 years

Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen shocked fans last week when they announced that they filed for divorce last year after over 20 years together. The Borat star, 52, and the Aussie actress, 48, announced on social media that they had parted ways with a bizarre tennis-themed post.

Now, the reason behind the pair's split has been revealed, with Daily Mail claiming one huge factor was the loss of Isla's father, Brian, in January 2023. Friends say the loss left her "absolutely devastated" and made her "reassess her life".

"Isla and her dad were so close; she absolutely adored him and losing him destroyed her," a friend told the publication. "It was one of those moments in life that changes you, and it wasn't long after this that Isla began to consult lawyers about splitting up with Sacha."

"Maybe, after all, she decided that he wasn't the man that she would spend the rest of her life with. Her dad was such a strong, male influence in her life."

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The pair also moved from LA to Sydney in 2020, then to Perth where Isla's family live in September 2021 due to Sydney's Covid lockdown rules. They believed at the time that the move would be permanent.

However, it's believed that the move became difficult for Sacha, who was settled in Hollywood, and the flight home to London was much shorter than it is from Australia.

An insider says that the couple's move to the UK "came from nowhere" and they hadn't expected to relocate there.

"But things were becoming difficult and, as they say, home is where the heart is. Perhaps Sacha thought that would make things better. It didn't though – things just crumbled and crumbled."

Isla reportedly revealed to friends that she was looking into hiring a divorce lawyer in 2022. She quietly contacted Baroness Fiona Shackleton, who famously negotiated King Charles' divorce from Princess Diana. She advised the couple to go down an "amicable route".

"Isla has known for some time the marriage was over, and after some difficult conversations with Sacha, made the decision to consult a divorce lawyer. This was back in early summer, 2022," a source told The Sun.

"Fiona is an incredible lawyer, and utterly fearsome in both reputation and ability," they added.

Sacha is believed to have spoken to Laura Wasser, who represented Johnny Depp when he split from Amber Heard.

Isla and Sacha announce split

The pair announced their split by sharing a snap of themselves in tennis gear, with a statement that read: "After a long tennis match lasting over 20 years, we are finally putting our racquets down.

"In 2023 we jointly filed to end our marriage. We have always prioritized our privacy and have been quietly working through this change.

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"We forever share in our devotion and love for our children. We sincerely appreciate your respecting our family's wish for privacy."

The couple met in 2001 and married in 2010. They share three children, two daughters Olive, 17 and Elula, 13, and son Montgomery, nine.

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