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303 couples · updated 2 Oct 2026

Social Media Couples Report 2026

By the Social Media Couple research desk · Press & data

What happens when creator couples break up, what posting a relationship costs in privacy and safety, and how couples turn an audience into income. Built from every couple we track, with each relationship status linked to a public source and search data for the months around each announcement.

Key findings

  1. The breakup video is fading. Before 2020, 56% of couples announced their split in a YouTube video; since 2023, 68% have done it in an Instagram post and 11% on YouTube.

    9 splits before 2020 and 19 since 2023 where we know the channel · See the chart ·

  2. Couples who split had been posting together for a median of 2.5 years before it ended.

    38 splits with both dates known · See the chart ·

Part 1

Couples that break up

Splits counted only when the couple announced it or a reputable outlet reported it. Search interest is monthly US Google searches for the couple's names, measured against the couple's own normal month.

85 of 242

couples we track have split

not a population rate: see the sample note

#

25%

of the couples who split were married

13 of 51 splits where we know

#

3 yrs

median time together before splitting

41 couples

#

2.5 yrs

median time posting together before the split

38 couples

#

Split rate by main platform #

Share of couples with a confirmed status who have split. Small groups swing a lot — read the counts.

  • YouTube30% (41 of 135)
  • Instagram36% (25 of 70)
  • TikTok46% (13 of 28)
  • Twitch67% (6 of 9)

How long they were together #

Years between getting together and the split, 41 couples.

  • Under 2 years13
  • 2–4 years19
  • 5–7 years4
  • 8+ years5

What happened to the content #

After the split, 40 couples where we know.

  • Both kept posting solo95% (38)
  • One partner kept posting5% (2)
Where couples announce a splitFirst public announcement, by year of the split · 38 splits where we know the channelInstagramYouTubeX / TwitterPodcastTikTokOtherBefore 20209 splits11%56%33%2020–202210 splits40%30%10%10%10%2023 onward19 splits68%11%21%Source: socialmediacouple.com · Social Media Couples Report 2026

Grouped into three periods because single years have too few splits to compare.

Link
Splits by year announcedTracked couples who announced a split each year · 2026 is the year to date1'143'153'161'177'188'196'208'2110'229'239'2413'257'26Source: socialmediacouple.com · Social Media Couples Report 2026

More recent years have more splits partly because more couples are posting now. Read this as volume, not a rising divorce rate.

Link

Latest announced splits

Jul 2026Tom Segura & Christina PSplit (2026)Source
Jun 2026Nmplol & MalenaDivorced (2026)Source
Jun 2026Kenia Os & Peso PlumaSplit (2026)Source
Jun 2026FunnyMike & JaliyahSplit (2026)Source
May 2026Bunnie XO & Jelly RollSplit (2026)Source
May 2026Chelsea & KwameSplit (2026)Source
Every couple that broke up

Part 2

Privacy & security

What posting a relationship has cost these couples, counted only when they said it publicly or a reputable outlet reported it. Most incidents are never made public, so treat every number here as a floor, not a rate.

19

couples have publicly reported at least one privacy or safety problem

of 303 we track; a floor, not a rate

#

0

couples reported stalking, swatting, doxxing, hacking or a harassment campaign

of 303 couples

#

3 of 60

family-content couples publicly stopped showing their children's faces or names

publicly reported only

#

What they reported #

Number of couples reporting each kind of event, out of 303. A couple can appear in more than one row.

  • Pulled back on sharing the relationship9
  • Took a break from posting7
  • Stopped showing their children's faces or names3

How to read this

We record the type of event and the year only, never addresses, children's details or anything that would identify a victim further. "Pulled back on sharing the relationship" covers couples who said they would post less about their relationship or private life. "Took a break from posting" is included because couples often link it to the pressure of posting their relationship, but we don't record their reasons.

Part 3

Monetisation of social media couples

How couples turn an audience into income, from what they've shown or said publicly and what's been reported about them. We count income streams, not amounts.

2.0

income streams per couple, on average

148 couples with known income

#

26%

earn from brand sponsorships

39 of 148 couples

#

14%

earn from their own product brand

20 of 148 couples

#

20%

earn from podcast

29 of 148 couples

#

Where the money comes from #

Share of 148 couples using each income stream.

  • Platform ad revenue44% (65)
  • Brand sponsorships26% (39)
  • TV or film deals25% (37)
  • Podcast20% (29)
  • Memberships or subscriptions14% (20)
  • Their own product brand14% (20)
  • Books13% (19)
  • Merch11% (17)
  • Music9% (13)
  • Courses or coaching9% (13)
  • Affiliate links5% (8)
  • Live tours or events5% (7)
  • Twitch subs and donations5% (7)
  • An app or game1% (1)

Income streams by main platform #

Average number of income streams per couple. Platforms with fewer than 3 couples are left out.

  • YouTube2.2 (82 couples)
  • Instagram1.8 (47 couples)
  • TikTok1.4 (12 couples)
  • Twitch1.7 (7 couples)

Brands and businesses couples built

Method & limits

This report covers the 303 couples published on this site, last checked 2 Oct 2026, across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Twitch.

Relationship status only counts when the couple announced it or a reputable outlet reported it, and every status links to its source on the couple's profile. Couples with an unconfirmed status are left out. We don't list couples where either partner was under 18 during the relationship.

Search interest is the estimated number of US Google searches each month for the couple's names together (for example "alix earle and braxton"), from Google Ads data via DataForSEO. For each split, engagement or wedding with a known month, we compare the peak month (the month before, of, or after the announcement) with the couple's normal month: the median of the 12 months ending two months before. We leave out couples whose normal month was under 50 searches, and couples whose best-known search is a channel name rather than their names.

Dates, income streams and privacy events come from the couples' own posts and videos, interviews and press coverage. Each figure shows how many couples it was calculated from.

What this data can't tell you

  • It's not a breakup rate for all couples. We track couples people search for, and couples who split get searched more, so splits are over-represented. Use the split counts as "of the couples we track", not "of creator couples".
  • Search data is US-only and rounded. Google reports monthly volumes in bands, so small couples move in steps. Medians are used throughout so one viral couple can't swing a headline.
  • Privacy and safety figures are a floor. They count only what couples said publicly or what was reported. Most incidents are never made public.
  • Income is counted in streams, not amounts. Couples rarely publish earnings, so we don't estimate them.

Found an error? Send a correction with a link to the source.

For journalists

Use the data

Figures and charts are free to use under CC BY 4.0 with a credit and a link to this page. Every chart downloads as PNG or SVG with the source printed on it, and every number has its own link: click # beside it.

Download the couple-level data (CSV)

Covering a split?

Each couple's profile shows the source for their status and, where we have it, how searches for them moved around the announcement. Search the couple's name on the directory.

Questions or data requests: contact the editor.

How to credit

Social Media Couple. "Social Media Couples Report 2026." socialmediacouple.com, updated 2 Oct 2026. https://socialmediacouple.com/social-media-couples-report/