A gorgeous gown is sometimes the best revenge—and these stars made that very clear.
While Jennifer Lopez may look back on 2024 as the year her "f--king world exploded,” she held her head high and didn’t miss a beat when it came to bringing her fashion A-game. Just weeks after filing for divorce from Ben Affleck, the “Let’s Get Loud” singer left jaws on the floor at attended the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of her movie Unstoppable.
The mirrored ensemble from Tamara Ralph left little to the imagination, featuring high slits up both sides and held together only by three velvet bows on each side. The dress—which J.Lo paired with a metallic Judith Leiber clutch and Dolce & Gabbana platform high heels—showed side everything from boob to hip to ankle.
But despite collaborating with her ex on the movie—she costarred and he served as a producer—she didn’t let the drama interfere with the joy of seeing their film come to life. (Ben, however, skipped out on Unstoppable’s premiere.)
"It's always been about the movie," the movie’s director William Goldenberg told E! News at the TIFF screening, "and that's their personal business. We just kept it about the movie. We just kept her eye on the prize."
J.Lo isn’t the only one who broke the internet with her look after a public split.
The day after a then-pregnant Cardi B filed for divorce from estranged husband Offset, the “Money” rapper stunned a sultry snap posted to Instagram.
“With every ending comes a new beginning,” the 32-year-old who—shares daughter Kulture, 6, son Wave, 3, and a 3-month-old daughter with the Migos alum— wrote in the post’s caption. “I am so grateful to have shared this season with you, you have brought me more love, more life and most of all renewed my power! Reminded me that I can have it all! You’ve reminded me that I never have to choose between life, love, and my passion!”
In the photos, Cardi looked down at her scantily-clad baby bump while cradling it with one hand. Meanwhile, her crimson floor-length gown left little to the imagination as it exposed her midsection. To complete the look, the Grammy winner wrapped an oversized fur coat around her shoulders.
“I love you so much and cannot wait for you to witness what you helped me accomplish, she continued, what you pushed me to do,” she continued. “It’s so much easier taking life’s twists, turns and test laying down, but you, your brother and your sister have shown me why it’s worth it to push through!”
For more jaw-dropping revenge dress moment, keep reading.
Princess Diana
A look so iconic it created an entire new genre in fashion: the revenge dress.
The term was coined when Princess Diana allowed her dress to do the talking for her after her bitter divorce from Prince Charles. The late Princess of Wales infamously wore an off-the-shoulder LBD designed by Christian Stambolin at the Serpentine Gallery Party in 1994, an event that took place on the night ITV aired a documentary in which her then-estranged husband Prince Charles admitted to having an affair with now-wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, during his marriage to Diana.
According to Tina Brown's 2007 biographical book The Diana Chronicles, Christian told a fashion commentator that Diana "chose not to play the scene like Odette [from Swan Lake], innocent in white. She was clearly angry. She played it like Odile, in black. She wore bright red nail enamel, which we had never seen her do before. She was saying, 'Let's be wicked tonight!'"
Ariana Madix
Tom Sandoval likely needed a pumptini or two when he saw his ex-girlfriend at the taping for the Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion show, which came after the shocking news that their nine-year romance had come to an end. Oh, and it was because he had a months-long affair with their co-star and friend Raquel Leviss.
While host Andy Cohen had previously teased Ariana's revenge dress" on social media, fans finally got to see her red-hot look and it proved to be well worth the wait. For the Apr. 3 taping, the Bravolebrity sported a crimson cutout Mônot dress, which left her torso nearly exposed apart from some well-placed bands across the chest and waist. She's smarter than us, prettier than us and we'll happily get the f--k over it.
Bella Hadid
What does one wear when they are attending an event they know that their ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend will be at? If you are a supermodel, you don a see-through Alexander Wang catsuit that is so tight you have to be sewn into it. And that is exactly what Bella did when she attended the 2017 Met Gala, which also served as The Weeknd and Selena Gomez's red carpet debut as a couple.
Jennifer Lopez
Two weeks after filing for divorce from Ben Affleck, Jenny from the Block took to the red carpet for the pair’s film Unstoppable at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6.
While Ben skipped the premiere—which he produced alongside his BFF Matt Damon—Jen showed up both hot and unbothered in a mirrored gown from Tamara Ralph that left little to the imagination. The head-turning ensemble featured no sides with the front and back held together only by three velvet bows on each side. To top off the sultry display, the 55-year-old paired the dress with a metallic Judith Leiber clutch and Dolce & Gabbana platform high heels.
Olivia Wilde
Oh, don't worry about her, darling. Following her high-profile breakup with Harry Styles last November, the Booksmart director made quite the entrance back into single life when she attended the 2022 People's Choice Awards in a completely see-through Christian Dior gown. The icing on the cake? Olivia's film Don't Worry Darling took home the award for Drama Movie of the year.
Miranda Lambert
Pink hair, don't care. Three months after announcing their divorce in July 2015, Miranda and ex-husband Blake Shelton made their first joint public appearance at the CMA Awards. For the occasion, the "Little Red Wagon" singer chose a little black number, complete with new rose-colored streaks in her hair.
Miranda went on to win Female Vocalist of the Year, admitting in her acceptance speech, "I really needed a bright spot this year."
Vanessa Hudgens
Baby V was soarin', flyin' solo when she attended the Bad Boys For Life premiere in January 2020 just hours after news broke that she and Austin Butler had split after nine years together. But the High School Musical alum was ready for the start of something new, exuding Old Hollywood glamour in a chic white gown featuring a long train with feathers and rhinestones.
Victoria Monét
On my mama, Victoria Monét looked so good after calling it quits with boyfriend John Gaines, with whom she shares daughter Hazel, 3. One month after announcing the end of their relationship with a joint statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, Sept. 23, the “Alright” singer arrived at the CFDA Fashion Awards in a daring cutout dress from LaQuan Smith.
Cardi B
Cardi B and Offset’s on-again, off-again romance came to an end after six years when the “Money” singer filed for divorce Jul. 31. One day later, Cardi revealed she was pregnant with the Migos alum’s third baby with a sultry photoshoot.
Dressed in a crimson gown with a plunging neckline that exposed her midsection, the Grammy winner—who she shares daughter Kulture, son Wave, and an infant daughter with Offset—sure did please us in her risqué rooftop pics.
“With every ending comes a new beginning,” she wrote in the caption of the Aug. 1 post. “I am so grateful to have shared this season with you, you have brought me more love, more life and most of all renewed my power! Reminded me that I can have it all!”
To complete the stunning ensemble, the Grammy winner wore an oversized matching fur coat around her shoulders.
Reese Witherspoon
Forget back in black, Reese was ready to say hello in yellow. The Big Little Liars star wasn't hiding after divorce from her first husband Ryan Phillippe, infamously wearing a canary colored Olivier Theyskens for Nina Ricci cocktail dress to the 2007 Golden Globes. Along with a bold red lip and matching heels, Reese also debuted a sleek new hairstyle, showing off sideswept bangs for one of Hollywood's ultimate "break-overs." What, like it's hard?
Gisele Bündchen
The Brazilian supermodel was looking good as gold when she made her return to the red carpet following her divorce from Tom Brady in October 2022. Gisele celebrated the 60th anniversary of jewelry company Vivara in Sao Paulo, Brazil by wearing a shimmering gown and pulling back her signature beachy waves into a chic high ponytail.
Madelyn Cline
This Poque went rogue and looked fierce while doing so. For her first red carpet appearance after her split from her Outer Banks co-star Chase Stokes, Madelyn served up a Gen-Z take on the revenge dress. The Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery actress sizzled in a black Mônot design with extreme midriff cut-outs that she paired with long-sleeve gloves and black pumps.
Mariah Carey
The songstress was finally able to live out her sweet, sweet fantasy when she wore a risque two-piece to the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. While the black bandeau top and thigh-hit slit skirt may seem tame by today's standards, the look symbolized Mariah's next chapter after her separation from her ex-husband Tommy Mottola, the CEO of her then-label Sony.
In her 2020 memoir The Meaning of Mariah, the Grammy winner described their marriage as "intense and all-encompassing," and alleged that Tommy had "crippling control" over her before their divorce. No wonder the first album she recorded after their split was titled Butterfly.
Brittany Cartwright
The same day that the Vanderpump Rules alum filed for divorce from Jax Taylor—whom she’d separated from months earlier—after five years of marriage, she took to Instagram looking as gorgeous as ever, sporting full glam, bombshell hair, and a skin-tight pink dress that showed off her curves. As she captioned the Aug. 27 post, “Getting my sparkle back.”
And Later that week, the Bravolebrity—who shares son Cruz, 3, with Jax—brought her revenge outfits international as she posed in a number of barely-there ensembles during a much-needed Hawaii vacation.
Elizabeth Hurley
The Bedazzled actress was just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to eat his heart out when she wore a plunging Valentino gown at her first major event following her 2000 split from Hugh Grant after 13 years together. Sometimes, revenge really is a dish best served gold.
Emily Ratajkowski
For her first public outing after announcing her split from her husband of four-and-a-half years, Sebastian Bear-McClard, the My Body author rocked a nearly naked fishnet dress for W Magazine's 50th anniversary party in October 2022.
Cameron Diaz
Just days after the Charlie's Angels star and Justin Timberlake announced they had broken up after four years of dating, Diaz was far from crying a river when she went full-on haute couture in a ruffled Valentino gown at the 2007 Golden Globes.
Camila Morrone
Camila was ready to let go of her relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio when she attended her first public event following the end of their four-year romance. The Daisy Jones and the Six star wore a skintight LBD to attend the Burberry spring/summer 2023 after-party in London in September 2022, adding edge to her look with diamond-patterned pantyhose and a black mesh coat—which she cooly wore off-shoulder. Makes it easier to brush that dirt off...
Jenna Dewan
The actress and singer more than stepped up when she walked the red carpet at the 2018 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Hope and Heritage gala, her first major event after announcing her separation from Channing Tatum. Jenna opted for a sophisticated beaded Zuhair Murad gown, complete with a matching cape and feathered hem.