Five celebrity break-ups that made headlines in 2018

Fans want nothing but happiness for their favourite celebrities. So it comes as no surprise that when those celebrities fail in love, their supporters also lose a little bit of their hearts.

Here's some of the biggest splits of 2018.

AKA and Bonang Matheba

The love affair between rapper AKA and media darling Bonang Matheba began under a cloud of controversy, with the two having started dating while AKA was still with DJ Zinhle.

After months of breaking up and making up, Queen B and AKA finally called it quits in January. 

AKA headed to the studio and recorded a track to sum up his relationship with Matheba.

Bonang told Drum magazine that she "missed nothing" about being with the hip-hop star.

Maps Maponyane and Nomzamo Mbatha

There was a time when fans were sure that actor and model Maps Maponyane would propose to actress Nomzamo Mbatha. But that wasn’t to be.

In May, when the pair, who became popular for dishing out #CoupleGoals, decided to go their separate ways, some fans refused to believe it.

Sources claimed that Maps had cheated, but he strongly denied it. 

Proverb and Liesl Laurie

People on social media were supportive when Proverb started dating former Miss SA Liesl Laurie, and hoped the pair would someday walk down the aisle. Their hopes were dashed.

In October, TimesLIVE reported that the couple had split after three years together.

To some, the news was expected, as Proverb and Laurie had started removing photos of each other from their social media accounts long before the break-up was confirmed.

Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower

Probably the least expected break-up of 2018 was that of Hollywood actor Robert de Niro and Grace Hightower.

They were married for more than two decades, when, in November, The Independent reported that the couple would be getting divorced.

They have two children, 20-year old Elliott and six-year-old Helen Grace.

De Niro and Hightower had a divorce scare in 1999, but worked through their differences, renewing their vows in 2004.

Fans are crossing their fingers that the couple can salvage their marriage, despite reports that they are living apart.

'Dash' Mkhathini and Ayanda Thabethe

Dreamteam rapper Mthoko "Dash" Mkhathini and Top Billing presenter Ayanda Thabethe waited a couple of years before going public with their relationship. 

Dash said: "When a relationship starts off, you meet in private areas and have private confirmations until you get comfortable to tell others about it."

And when they did eventually let fans in on their relationship, the pair activated #RelationshipGoals envy on social media. 

People who were rooting for the couple were unpleasantly surprised when Ayanda confirmed their split in November.

"I’m single again. I’ll always think the world of him," she responded to a fan on Instagram.