I’m divorcing the same man TWICE – I always thought I’d have a ‘forever marriage’ but am cursed by my unusual name
REMARRYING an ex is a rare event and divorcing the same person twice even more unusual - with just a 0.018 per cent chance of it happening.
But a mum-of-two from Western-super-Mare has done just that - joining the likes of Liz Taylor and Elon Musk in and exclusive club.
And she puts her romantic hiccups down to her name - Bridget Jones.
Bridget, 51, is now waiting for her second divorce from husband Rich to be finalised in December.
“I met, married and divorced Rich and then remarried him and now we’re divorcing again.
It’s time for a new chapter in both our lives and we’re still friends,” Bridget tells The Sun.
Read more in Features
“Friends tell me it’s a storyline worthy of my namesake Bridget Jones's Diary.
“Others say I am a modern day Liz Taylor who married, divorced, remarried and divorced Richard Burton, or billionaire Elon Musk who twice married and divorced Talulah Riley.
“People are gobsmacked when I tell them. We never set out to be like Liz and Richard but I had to do what was best for me in my fifties and it made me stronger.
“I am proud I am still friends with my ex-ex husband... That was critical to us both.”
Most read in Fabulous
The chances of a couple marrying and divorcing twice are rarer than being hit by a bus at a zebra crossing.
According to research, between 10-15 per cent of couples reconcile after they separate and about 6 per cent marry each other again after they divorce.
Of those who remarry each other, 30 per cent go on to divorce a second time which equates to 0.018 per cent overall.
“When I heard the statistics I was shocked. We know it's the right thing for us. I have no regrets,” says Bridget.
Young love
Bridget, was just 17 and a glass collector when she met Rich, then 20, who was working as a bouncer in a nightclub in Weston-super-Mare.
“When Rich asked me out I was standoffish. I fancied him but I was aware of bouncers and their reputations as ladies men,” she says.
“I said yes to the date, hoping for the best, expecting the worst. What happened was young love.”
After only two weeks of dating the pair decided to marry,
“Richard's company was moving to Manchester and I offered to move with him,” she says.
“Richard responded by saying, ‘I suppose if I ask you to marry me, you'd say no," expecting me to laugh it off, instead of saying yes.
“Four months before the wedding we discovered I was expecting our first child and on the 31st of August 1991, I said 'I do'.
When Richard put my wedding ring on my finger I never imagined this wasn't a forever marriage.
Bridget Jones
“My mother in law gave me the wedding dress as a gift and it cost more than £500 which in those days was a lot of money. It had a high lace collar and sheer lace sleeves.
“It was a big church wedding and we had 80 guests. Luckily, my morning sickness stayed away.
“When Richard put my wedding ring on my finger I never imagined this wasn't a forever marriage.”
Too much too young
Being married so quickly and so young was a challenge.
“Looking back we were so young and our son Ricky, now 31, was born five months later, in February 1992 so we went from husband and wife to mum and dad really fast.
“Those important early twenties when you party with your mates and date were suddenly consumed with nappies, feeding schedules and bill paying. It's enough to stress mature couples but it was our undoing.”
The couple welcomed their second child Ryan, now 29, in August 1994.
Bridget says the pair started bickering over work, money and daily chores.
“We were immature and not ready to settle down. Marriage is hard, working and raising two children under three is even harder in such a short period of time.”
The couple separated in 1996, and Bridget remembers signing her decree nisi for divorce on the day Princess Diana died, 31 August 1997 - ironically the couple's wedding anniversary.
“Despite our inability to remain married we vowed to be great parents. The boys lived with me and saw their dad regularly,” she says.
According to Bridget, she and Richard went through what she calls “that terrible divorce phase of not talking.”
“Divorce is painful and awful and with children you still have to talk and see each other. There is no way around it. But we vowed to put the kids ahead of our feelings,” she says.
Rekindled romance
With two small boys to co-parent the exes were spending time together for their children’s sake, keeping true to their vow.
“We went back and forth to each other's houses with the kids. We did our bit in each other's homes picking up toys, tidying and co-parenting in a positive way,” she says.
“Soon Richard and I started talking properly and the boys were constantly nagging us to live together again.
“We explained we were great friends and neither considered getting back together.”
In 2000 Richard won a trip for two on the Eurostar and invited Bridget.
“We went together and had an amazing time. That's when we rekindled our romance,” she says.
“We started going on dates and Richard, then agreed move back in together to see how things went.
“We were taking baby steps and it made sense to share one house, even if I did have my own room. Not running two homes meant we could save money and spend it on the boys.”
Bridget decided to take control of her own destiny, in 2004, using the Leap Year as an excuse.
“I sent Richard a Valentine's day card saying: ‘You + Me + a beach somewhere - let's get remarried’,”' she said.
“I could tell Richard was shocked and thrilled but we both knew we had baggage. After all we’d been married and divorced to each other before.
“But we'd matured, I was older and wiser. I knew what I wanted in life and I knew I wanted him. He felt the same.”
Richard accepted Bridget's proposal and their friends were flabbergasted.
She says: “For many people it was a huge shock. It wasn't something they’d ever heard of.
“They weren't sure if it was a joke and they wanted us to be happy but in some cases mutual friends had taken sides and so they were confused. But most were incredibly happy - it was a fairy tale ending.”
In October 2009, the couple remarried in Florida, at the Royal Chapel during a trip to Disneyworld.
“I chose a white wedding dress with a super full tulle skirt and fitted top - fairy-tale like - and very different from my first wedding dress. My dress this time around cost £450,” she says.
The couple's son Ryan gave his mum away and Ricky was his dad’s best man.
“The Royal Wedding Chapel was lovely and we had three relatives who flew out because they wanted to be part of our private wedding.
“This time, when Richard slipped on my ring, I was convinced this was forever.”
For many years, the couple couldn't have been happier, second time around.
"We were mature, we got on so much better, the sex was great and we have a wonderful family,” she says.
The pair had dated other people after the first divorce and realised their timing had been off when they initially wed.
“I was proud of my decision. Sometimes people need time to grow and discover themselves and if kids are involved there is an added reason to give it another go.”
However by 2016 Bridget admits the couple, now based in Bristol, were growing apart.
“The kids had left home. Work was our focus along with our lovely German shepherd dogs.
“I started feeling depressed and realised we’d become best friends without even realising it.
“There was more and more distance and bickering. I was facing turning fifty and wanted different things.
“Lockdown hit in 2020 and we were suddenly on top of each other. Despite valiant efforts to save our second time around marriage, I knew we needed to divorce.
“We had plans in 2022 to travel to Florida in 2022 to celebrate my 50th birthday and our son 30th birthday but in January 2021 I spoke to Rich and we cancelled them
“Instead I explained to Richard I felt we needed time apart. He was shocked.”
In February 2021 Bridget moved in with her mum to think about the future.
“We did try another reunion in April 2021 but looking back it was a final goodbye,” she says.
“Second time around divorce for us meant we were respectful and kind. I just wanted enough money to get a small two bedroom house.”
In June 2022, Bridget bought a £242,000 two bedroom house in Weston-super-Mare.
“Richard has our dogs but we still make joint decisions about them. I pop over to Richard’s for a cuppa and we speak often."
But Bridget admits telling family and friends was even harder the second time around.
“Some couldn't understand why we were divorcing again and others got it,” she says.
“Richard’s dating someone and I am just being single. Online dating is a nightmare.
“I'm focused on my fifties and my job. What we had was amazing and our friendship now is brilliant too.
“I do laugh when people compare me to Liz Taylor or Elon Musk. I never thought this would ever happen.
“The most important thing is to remain friends with my double-divorce ex.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“Maybe this Bridget Jones just needs time to plan her next single adventure.”