Coldplay, Cheating, And The End Of The Blame Game: What No-Fault Divorce Really Means In England And Wales

• Published date: 30 July 2025
• Subject Matter: Family and Matrimonial, Family Law, Divorce
• Law Firm: Herrington Carmichael
• Author: Alexandra Hawkes

By now, most of the internet has seen *that* Coldplay concert clip - where a high-profile tech CEO was caught on camera with someone who wasn't his wife. The fallout has been swift, and social media has done what it does best: speculate wildly. One recurring claim? That his wife can "take him for millions" because of his alleged infidelity.

But here in England and Wales, that's not how divorce law works anymore.

The End of Adultery as a Legal Weapon

Before April 2022, if you wanted a divorce in England or Wales, you had to prove your marriage had broken as a consequence of either: adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, or separation (two years with consent or five years without). Adultery was a common route, but it often inflamed tensions and made amicable separation harder.

That all changed with the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, which came into force on...