It’s been a tough 48 hours for fans of the couple dubbed “Tiger Flowers,” as FKA Twigs and Robert Pattinson have both made headlines for breaking up.
Shortly before midnight on Saturday (December 22), Robert Pattinson posted a cryptic status on his Instagram account, saying, “I’m not in a good place right now,” and adding, “I don’t want to talk to the press.”
A few hours later, Twigs confirmed the breakup via a cryptic tweet, writing, “It’s been an incredible journey. Thank you for everything.”
On Sunday, Pattinson deleted the previous day’s posts and replaced them with an image of the couple’s hands entwined or clasped together. Later that day, Twigs posted on her Instagram account, “[Robert] told me he wants to focus on his music and films, and that this was a difficult but necessary step. I respect his vision and felt that I should let him go with dignity.”
Pattinson himself addressed the media on Monday, confirming the split and thanking fans for their support. “It’s not about the relationship or the fame, it’s about the work and what I’m trying to create,” he told the BBC. “I want to focus on my music and my films and not be distracted by anything else.”
Although the end of their brief four-month engagement made headlines, it was actually the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The couple had been together since 2014 and previously dated for around a year before tying the knot.
“I think they both really liked the other person, but they didn’t know how to be together,” a source close to the couple told The New York Times in December. “They have a lot of love and respect for each other and will remain close.”
How Did This All Come Together?
According to PEOPLE, a source close to the couple revealed that their split was ‘petty’ and ‘toxic.’ But the truth is slightly more complicated. As the Times reports, the breakup was reportedly motivated by a combination of factors, including money (the pair reportedly owe $10 million in combined credit card debt), fame (they’re both high-profile individuals who are used to getting their way), and family obligations (Pattinson’s kids, aged 11 and 13, are set to start boarding school in New York in the new year).
While it’s sad that their love story came to an end in such a public way, it seems that they both felt a sense of duty to their respective families and had to end the relationship. “He respects her decision and they still remain friends,” the source told The Times. “They’re still best friends and will remain so.”
Pattinson has been open about the struggles of fame and fortune. In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, he said: “You can’t always get what you want, and what you don’t want doesn’t always disappear. So you have to learn to be happy with what you’ve got. Otherwise you’re just causing yourself unnecessary suffering.”
Twigs has also spoken candidly about the pressures of fame, explaining in an interview with Paper in August 2016: “It’s like trying to run away from your shadow. But you can’t, because you were born to be famous. If you want to run away from your shadow, you have to go towards it. You have to embrace it. Like, everyone’s going to judge you anyway, so why not have some fun with it? Why not make some mistakes? Why not feel the pain? Why not show the darkness inside you?”
While both Pattinson and Twigs have admitted that their relationship was challenging, they’ve never actually talked about whether it was worth it. Perhaps it was just a question of timing: They were both in the right places at the right times, and fame and fortune never looked more alluring. But perhaps they also saw something in each other that they didn’t see in their other relationships, and decided to give it a try. Although their breakup was sad, it seems that they both walked away with a lot to gain, and we, as a result, have more to celebrate.