Are These Five Celebrity Marriages Doomed to Divorce?

Divorce rates in the United States average somewhere between 40% and 50%. This is just an average, as select data shows that divorce rates go up with the number of marriages. For example, those in their second marriage are facing a 60% divorce rate, and those in third marriage are ominously at 73%. (At eight marriages - twice to Richard Burton - one can only imagine what poor Elizabeth Taylor's divorce rate might have been!) These rates apply to all American couples and essentially represent "average Americans." But what about your not-so-average marriage, like that between two famous people?

There are many factors which can lead to a celebrity marriage malfunction, far beyond the dysfunction fame can bring. For actors, they are often away from their significant other for long periods of time while shooting films or working on projects. This distance can cause estrangement and a lost connection. Marriages require a certain amount of togetherness, and the celeb couples who do make it work do so by carving out time to be with each other.

Of course, there's infidelity, which has long been a source of many a celebrity marriage failure. Famous people are often famous because they are attractive and appealing. Put two attractive and appealing people together for long periods of time, distanced from their spouses, sometimes in close on-screen romantic situations, and BAM! It's time to love the one you're with.

If the infidelity and distance doesn't kill the love, one's huge fame-driven ego or overshadowing success might. Much has been made of the "Curse of the Best Actress Oscar." For five women, most recently Sandra Bullock in 2010, the curse has proven true. Bullock, along with Hillary Swank, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry, and Kate Winslet all won Hollywood's biggest prize, while losing at love. Sad, but true.

Some of these marriages seemed like they stood a chance. As a fan of Bullock's, I had hoped bad boy Jesse James was truly in love with seemingly perfect Sandra, but alas, doom was on the horizon. Was it ego-bruising or jealousy-fueled infidelity? Was it the distance and time apart or were they just doomed from the beginning? Whatever it was, the result was the same: D.I.V.O.R.C.E

I am not a gambling woman, but sometimes there are signs and signals that a couple is just not going to last, no matter how hard they try or how much they're invested as a couple. Here's are five future celebrity divorce predictions.

Gwyneth Paltrow, 38 and Chris Martin, 34 (married eight years, two children): Gwyneth Paltrow, Academy Award-winning actress and general purveyor of perfection, has been married to rock band Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin for eight years.

They have two children together, Apple and Moses, and while children can help keep a couple together, it's no guarantee. There have been multiple articles about what an oddball couple these two are. Martin is shy and keen to stay out of the limelight, and is especially reticent to discuss his personal life, having openly expressed his desire to shield his children from the caustic side of fame.

Polar opposite Gwyneth can't seem to get enough of the spotlight. Barely a day goes by without stories featuring Gwyneth in her bikini, promoting a cookbook, her perfection inspired (and nauseating) website GOOP, multiple appearances on Glee (WTF?). And too numerous to count are the cover stories of her talking about what? Her marriage and kids, of course. I smell trouble for these two. If Gwyneth can't respect her husband's right to privacy and desire to live a low key life, don't be surprised if she gets served.

Ashton Kutcher, 33 and Demi Moore, 48 (married six years, no children together): This should surprise no one. May-December romances don't usually work out, especially when the roles are reversed. Demi Moore reportedly spent close to $300K on plastic surgery in an effort to turn back time, yet no matter how much she spends, she'll never bridge the 15-year gap between her and hubby Ashton. They weathered the infidelity rumors which piled up last fall, and so far they have remained intact, but with Ashton about to replace Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men, the temptation to stray may be too much for him. Watch for the cougar love to go from sizzle to fizzle.

Tom Cruise, 49 and Katie Holmes, 32 (married five years, one child together): The fact that these two have made it this long (five years) is nothing short of a miracle. The unholy union was manufactured in the boardroom of Scientology leader David Miscavige, after Tom lamented the difficulties of finding a moldable wife (i.e. a young female celeb willing to turn her life upside down and become a Scientologist). After many a failed audition for suitable wives was conducted, Tom found Katie. With the right blend of naivety and eagerness, Katie willing traded in freedom for financial security and hitched her star to a mission impossible.

I can't predict when this marriage will fail, as Scientology keeps its members on a tight leash, and any hint of dissension is met with harsh and swift measures. As we've all witnessed over the last five years, Katie has become a shell of her former bubbly self, and unlike Tom's former wife, Nicole Kidman, Katie has yet to realize she is in a gilded prison with no hope of escape without outside help. This arrangement is just sad to its very core.

Marc Anthony, 42 and Jennifer Lopez, 41 (married seven years, two children together): Two hot-blooded Latin lovers seems like a match made in heaven, but this is Jennifer's third marriage and Marc's second. Refer to stats above. I am 50/50 on this union, thinking it could go either way. Anthony, is notorious for his controlling and macho persona, embodying all the classic stereotypes of a Latino man, and there have been many reports suggesting he exercises a tight rein over Jennifer's life and career.

Jennifer seems to like to be in control of her own life and I would think rankles at being controlled, and it makes one wonder how long she will put up with being treated like a puppet, especially now that she has a hit show lining her bank account. However, there are women who do well with a man keeping them in line, so maybe this one has a chance of making it to a decade. Depends how much infidelity Jennifer can tolerate, as Marc has a notorious wandering eye.

Josh Duhamel, 38 and Stacey (Fergie) Ferguson, 36 (married two years, no children together): Black Eyed Peas' only female singer, Fergie, and actor Josh Duhamel (Transformers flicks) give me pause. The couple were barely married a year before cheating rumors surfaced in the tabloids. Cheating while still newlyweds is NEVER a good sign and while Josh initially denied the allegations, the evidence against him was overwhelming. The couple renewed their vows and have attempted to move past the cheating scandal, but all signs of this marriage lasting so far point to "no."

While no one can predict a marriage's success or failure with 100% accuracy, the same problems which plague normal marriages are only amplified when you throw in fame and money. Some famous couples get married simply for publicity, while others attempt to hold together a doomed marriage to save public face. I hope for the sake of the individuals involved I am completely off base, but my instincts tell me otherwise. Either way, good luck, you crazy kids!