Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage
Sacha Baron CohenandIsla Fisherare going their separate ways.
The coupleannounced their divorcein April 2024. “After a long tennis match lasting over twenty years, we are finally putting our racquets down. In 2023 we jointly filed to end our marriage,” they said in statements shared on their Instagram Stories.
The English actor and Australian actress first met in 2001. In the years that followed, both found success in their respective acting careers while they also remained focused on raising their three children: daughters Olive and Elula and son Montgomery.
Despite being A-list actors, the couple preferred to keep the details of their personal life private — a sentiment they reiterated when announcing their split. “We have always prioritized our privacy, and have been quietly working through this change,” the pair wrote in their statement.
From their long engagement to working together on a film to their eventual breakup, here’s a complete timeline of Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher’s relationship.
2001: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher meet at a party in Sydney
Dave Benett/Getty
Cohen and Fisher met for the first time at a party in Sydney, Australia. Inan interview withThe New York Times, Cohen reflected on their first encounter and said of his now-wife, “She was hilarious. We were at a very pretentious party, and me and her bonded over taking the mick out of the other people in the party. I knew instantly. I don’t know if she did.”
2004: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher get engaged
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
After a few years of dating, Cohen asked Fisher to be his wife in 2004.
In preparation for their wedding, Fisher converted to Cohen’s religion, Judaism, in early 2007.
Fisher told the British newspaperMetroin 2009, “I love Judaism, the fact that there’s such a huge emphasis on family and, to me, family’s everything. We’re quite observant, we keep Shabbat and do Friday night dinner and celebrate the holidays. I really enjoy being part of that Jewish community.”
The couple’s pregnancy was first reported in June 2007. In July, Fisher told reporters at the premiere of her movieHot Rodthat she was “so happy” and “very excited” to become a mother. She also shared that she had no plans to “jump back into work” after the birth. “I plan on just coloring in books. I’ll focus on that for the next few years,” she joked.
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
In October 2007,Cohen and Fisher welcomed their first child, a daughter named Olive.
March 15, 2010: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher get married in Paris
Charley Gallay/Getty
After a six-year engagement,the couple tied the knotin an intimate Jewish ceremony in the City of Lights.
Cohen discussed their special day withThe New York Timesduring a 2021 interview and revealed how they were able to keep it private.“We had a secret wedding in Paris,” he said. “The ruse was that it was my father’s 70th birthday and that he was a famous chef in England. That was how we avoided having photographers at the wedding. I trained him up to be in character. He said that his favorite dish that he created was L’oeuf Scrambled.”
Prior to the wedding, Fisher toldAllure, per theSydney Morning Herald, that it had been “difficult to plan” their nuptials. “It is very important to me to have a beautiful ritual celebrated with all my family and friends,” she told the outlet. “When you are in the public eye, to keep that private and to make it happen without it being really visible is really difficult.”
Summer 2010: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher welcome their second daughter
Michael Kovac/WireImage
The newlyweds kept their second pregnancy private in 2010. That summer, Cohen and Fisher quietlywelcomed their second daughter, Elula, which means “August” in Hebrew.
Stefanie Keenan/Getty
In March 2015,Fisher gave birth to their third child and first son, Montgomery.
February 14, 2016: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher attend the BAFTA Awards
Ricky Vigil M/GC Images
Cohen and Fisher stepped out together at the 2016 BAFTA Awards and looked stunning on the red carpet. Cohen also shared with PEOPLE which of hismovie characters was his wife’s favorite— and least favorite.
“She’s had to make love to all of them but I think her least favorite was Borat,” he said. “Probably the best was Bruno because of the personal hygiene. Bruno showered, shaved, waxed.”
March 11, 2016: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher star in their first movie together
Allen Berezovsky/Getty
During an appearance on the British talk showLorraine, Fisher said of the experience, “This is the first time we’ve worked together. He’s such a perfectionist. He’ll do everything and anything to get the best joke possible into the movie, so it was definitely inspirational. He’s so funny on set and it was a lot of fun.”
“Maybe I’m sick and twisted, but I tend to find [Cohen] really funny,” the actress said at the premiere. “He always surprises me in the best possible way.” She continued, “I’m proud of him for taking risks and putting himself out there as an artist. I think once we start censoring everything, well, what will there be left to look forward to?”
December 7, 2017: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher celebrate their 16th anniversary
December 9, 2019: Isla Fisher celebrates Sacha Baron Cohen’s Golden Globe nomination
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
After Cohen received a Golden Globe nomination for his role inThe Spy, Fisher praised her husband’s dedication and hard work on Instagram.
TheConfessions of a Shopaholicactressshared a video of Cohen getting in shapefor the role and wrote in the caption, “So proud of the Hubs @sachabaroncohen getting a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a limited series. He worked so hard transforming for his role inThe Spy- not just getting rid of his dad-bod (see video) but learning three dialects, including Syrian and living in Casablanca, mainly in character for 4 months while shooting … "
July 1, 2020: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher get a dog
Cohen and Fisher expanded their family again in 2020 when the couple welcomed a dog named Maisy. Fisher shared the news on Instagram with asweet picture of her holding the pup. A few years later, theactress-turned-authorwrote a children’s book about the dog titledMazy the Movie Star.
October 13, 2020: Isla Fisher celebrates Sacha Baron Cohen’s birthday
December 21, 2020: Isla Fisher reveals that Sacha Baron Cohen was the reason she got into comedy
Rachel Murray/Getty
Duringan interview with PEOPLE,Fisher revealed that it was her husband who suggested she try her hand at comedy. “Sacha was the reason I got into comedy,” Fisher recalled. “I was going up for a lot of dramatic roles and getting rejected. He said, ‘You’re one of the funniest people I know. You should be doing comedy.'”
Soon after she received this advice, Fisher landed her breakout role in the hit comedyWedding CrashersalongsideOwen WilsonandVince Vaughn. “It was such a departure from anything I’d played before,” she said of the role.
February 28, 2021: Sacha Baron Cohen thanks Isla Fisher in his Golden Globes acceptance speech
Frazer Harrison/Getty
“It’s impossible to make a movie like this without having an incredibly supporting spouse,” he told reporters later that night. “You know, I went and made two movies in the last 12 months:[The Trial of the] Chicago 7andBorat 2. And these aren’t normal shoot days; you’re calling up sometimes at the end of the day and just saying, ‘I was lucky to make it out in one piece today,’ so you need a very, very understanding wife. And I’m very lucky to have it.”
April 25, 2021: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher attend the Oscars together virtually
Rick Rycroft-Pool/Getty
Cohen was nominated for Academy Awards in 2021 for both his role inThe Trial of the Chicago 7and his screenplay forBorat Subsequent Moviefilm.The pair celebrated the event together virtuallyin Sydney, dressed to the nines.
June 2021: Isla Fisher opens up about parenting with Sacha Baron Cohen
Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage
In her June 2021 cover story forMarie ClaireAustralia, Fisherdiscussed parentingher and Cohen’s three children. She also revealed that her goal is for them to have a “normal childhood.”
“Motherhood is actually my favorite topic, but I keep it private. I think all parents are trying to protect their kids, especially in the social media age,” she said. “I want our children to have a normal childhood, being able to play outside without pressure or scrutiny.”
December 7, 2021: Sacha Baron Cohen pays tribute to Isla Fisher on their 20th anniversary
TheBoratactor shareda tribute to his wifeon Instagram as they celebrated 20 years together. “Happy Anniversary ❤️ 20 YEARS,” Cohen wrote alongside a series of pictures of him and Fisher through the years.
He continued, “Happy Anniversary my love. I’m writing this rather than getting you a card. Our duration is largely due to our location - after all Hollywood is the bastion of lengthy marriages.”
November 4, 2022: Isla Fisher explains why she keeps her marriage to Sacha Baron Cohen private
During an interview withThe Australian Women’s Weekly, Fisher opened up about why she prefers to keep her personal life with Cohen and their three kids private.
Fisher continued, “I don’t know if that’s the secret. But having a shared ability to find humor in the sharpness of life is always going to bring connection. And, otherwise, I just think it’s nice to keep some things for yourself.”
The actress later added of her family, “I’m not just responsible for myself. I have four other human beings [in my life] and I need to keep everybody happy.”
February 3, 2023: Sacha Baron Cohen celebrates Isla Fisher’s 47th birthday
On Fisher’s birthday, Cohen posted a photo of theWedding Crashersalum holding a beer.
“Isla looking at me and thinking ‘ten more of these and I may find him a tiny bit attractive,’ " he jokingly captioned the image onInstagram. “Happy Birthday my darling.”
May 23, 2023: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher are seen kissing in Rome
Cohen and Fisher were photographedholding hands and kissingas they strolled through Rome.
Fisher wore a purple polka-dotted dress for the Italian outing, while her husband wore white jeans, a floral-print shirt and a fedora.
July 31, 2023: Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen vacation in Greece
Isla Fisher/ Instagram
Fisher documented the couple’strip to Greeceon Instagram. While visiting the island of Antiparos, they savored gelato and spent time on the beach.
“GREECE…You definitely don’t sock!” theWedding Crashersalum wrote alongside a photo of her and Cohen sharing a passionate kiss.
February 13, 2024: Isla Fisher reveals her and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Valentine’s Day tradition
During an appearance onThe Kelly Clarkson Show, Fisher revealed the one thing Cohen always does for her on Valentine’s Day.
“Every yearSacha does give me a cardthat’s like, ‘Happy Valentine’s from … ’ and then there’s a massive question mark,” she shared. “As if anybody else would send me … as if I have any other Valentines. I’m a mother of three. I mean, I’m always like, ‘Ooooh. So many men.’ "
April 5, 2024: Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher announce their divorce
After 13 years of marriage, Cohen and Fisher revealed they had jointly filed to end their marriage in a statement shared on both of their Instagram Stories. Alongside a photo of the couple posing in tennis outfits, the pair wrote that they are “finally putting our racquets down.”
“We forever share in our devotion and love for our children,” they added. “We sincerely appreciate your respecting our family’s wish for privacy.”
February 8, 2025: Isla Fisher calls divorce from Sacha Baron Cohen “the most difficult thing I’ve been through”
In an interview withThe Sunday Times, Fisher opened up about her divorce from Cohen.
“It’s themost difficult thing that I’ve been throughand I’ve learnt so much about myself in the process,” she told the outlet. “I never imagined my family being separated but we are committed and loving parents.”
source: people.com
