When Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen announced their divorce with a comical tennis post, it seemed their split was going to be as amicable as Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s “conscious uncoupling”.
Almost a year on and the celebrity couple are no longer laughing, in fact, any remaining attempts at a “veneer of civility has gone” reports Daily Mail.
Behind the scenes, Isla, 49, and Sacha, 53, are lawyering up as they prepare to separate their considerable assets – $120 million fortune and several properties – with their divorce set to be finalised later this year – and an insider says Isla won’t stay silent any more.
According to Daily Mail, comedian Sacha “hit the roof” when Isla appeared to break ranks on their agreement not to discuss their private lives, in an interview with The Sunday Times to promote her blink-and-you’d-miss-it role in the new Bridget Jones movie.
“The women in my life have held me,” she gushed. “The female relationships that I cultivated in our business, those women have been there for me. I’m actually going to get emotional. I’m sitting here today because of them. I’ve learned so much about the power of female friendship and I’ve just learned that I do have resilience, who I am outside of a partnership, and what my values are. It has been this expansive learning curve.”
When Sacha learned of the interview, sources say he was furious, believing Isla’s comments were a “clear dig” at him, adding that he interpreted them as making a point to side with Rebel Wilson, who accused Sacha of sexual harassment in her autobiography – claims Sacha vehemently denied and were removed from the book, but were said to have pushed Isla and Sacha’s already fractured relationship to a new low.
A source tells Woman’s Day Isla thinks it’s ridiculous Sacha is upset about her interview. “She thinks it’s not him but his lawyers who are looking at everything she says to help his case.”
While the couple are set for a showdown in the court, for the sake of their kids and fortune the doting parents have been playing nice socially – they shared a sweet Valentine’s exchange. Sacha “liked” her sultry Instagram post commenting, “stunning photoshoot” and she replied with “thank you” and a blush emoji.
“Isla’s just wrapped a movie with George Clooney and is currently filming rom-com Spa Weekend with Anna Faris in Queensland.
“She’s making sure she’s got a rock solid future so she won’t need anything from Sacha,” says the source. “She wants to be independent and free to say what she wants. She feels she’s been relegated to wife decor for far too long.”
