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Do Celebs Show Off Their Homes in Design Magazines Right Before They Split?

Want to know whether a celebrity couple might soon split up? Just check the pages of Architectural Digest. If their home’s featured there, separation could be in the cards.

That, at least, is the latest theory purported by Slate contributor Ruth Graham, who claims she wasn’t surprised by news last week of Jennifer Aniston‘s separation from Justin Theroux. Graham wrote that she suspected as much since the couple had left what she called a “whopping clue right out in the open: a spread in Architectural Digest.”

True, Aniston graced the cover of AD’s February issue, lounging in a rattan hanging chair. Inside those glossy pages, she proceeded to show off her Bel Air home with its hand-painted wallpaper, marble bathtub, and other Mid-Century Modern details, explaining in her signature bland way, “sexy is important, but comfort is essential.”

So, was Aniston just showing off her house—or was there an ulterior motive?

Graham suspected the latter, particularly since this couple’s Feb. 15 separation statement was followed that same day with news that, oh yeah, they’re selling the house they just flaunted in AD.

“Here’s my hunch: Celebrities show off their homes in design magazines when they’re thinking about selling them, because a splashy feature boosts a property’s profile,” Graham wrote. “And property sales sometimes mean a couple is splitting their household and organizing their finances in preparation for a split.”

As such, “this article’s very existence now feels like a tipoff that the couple was on the rocks. Call it the Architectural Digest curse.”

Graham cites other examples, too: Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber showed off their New York loft in AD’s March 2016 issue, a mere six months before their reported breakup. Meanwhile, Marc Anthony and his wife flaunted their Dominican Republic vacation home shortly before filing for divorce, too.

Granted, hardly every couple with a spread in Architectural Digest is divorce-bound; nor does this supposed sales tactic always lead to a sky-high price. Still, gorgeous shots featured in a glossy magazine sure can’t hurt, right?

Soon after Patrick Dempsey‘s Malibu, CA, house appeared in AD’s March 2014 issue, his wife filed for divorce … and the property sold for $500,000 over asking price (although Dempsey and his wife eventually reconciled, this time a bit richer).

“This theory has some validity,” says New York City–based celebrity real estate agent Dolly Lenz. “It could hint at divorce, or just that they bought the house but changed their minds and want to sell it. Good managers will say, ‘You know what, let’s show how fabulous your house is in Architectural Digest or Mansion Global and hope that someone flipping through the magazine thinks ‘hey, I want that.’ Catch it right, and you could raise your home’s price upward of 20%.”

“If you own high-end real estate you want to move quickly, PR through any magazine works wonders,” says Los Angeles developer Tyler Drew. In fact, “I can’t imagine a reason why a celebrity couple would let a photographer into their house unless it was going to make money for them.”

But aside from helping you hone your predictive powers of which famous couples are on the rocks, there’s a lesson for the rest of us regular home sellers in here, too.

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