You’ve probably heard by now that Madonna and Guy Ritchie are spliting. Oh this is the crap that tabloids squeal over. I first learned the split was for reals when I was on the subway and the man across from me was reading the NY Post and the big headline across the front was “SPLITSVILLE AT LAST FOR MADONNA.”
At last? Gross. As if it were expected and the NY Post was just counting the days until Madonna’s marriage failed. Saying “AT LAST” is just so tasteless. Then again, so is most media.

Meanwhile, I am going to make the assumption that this divorce is heartbreaking for Ritchie, Madonna and their family No one ever thinks about that though, they just want juicy pics of Madonna canoodling with A-Rod completely disregarding that peoples feeling are involved. Real people. Like Madonna and Ritchie’s kids?

For more info on helping kids deal with divorce takepart
and visit The American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry page on divorce.

The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Arrested in Development by Wendy Cohen

Is Google Making Us Dumber? by Blair Golson

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Nicole Hughes:

Top 5 Ways to Green Your July 4th

Greenopia: Eco-Guides For Your City

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Andy Kondrat:

Hypermiling Contest Winner Gets 124 Miles to the Gallon

Rise in Fuel Prices May Lead to Dirtier Energy Sources

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Jon Popham:

Red Tide in Yellow Sea Threatens Olympics

Mercedes-Benz Ditching Gasoline Cars by 2015

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Giulia Rozzi:

46664 Concert: Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela

Denise Richards Likes to Share

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Gina Telaroli:

Top 10 Movies for the 4th of July: For Patriots and Cynics!

The Radical and Beautiful Journey of Wall-E

I think we all know more than we care to about Denise Richards and her messy divorce with Charlie Sheen.  She publicly accused Sheen of hitting “an all-time low” after telling her to “die of cancer.” She’s discussed Sheen on The Today Show, Extra and everywhere else that will give her airtime.  And now, Richards is sending her kids to therapy to deal with the trauma of her divorce.

Denise Richards has sent her two young daughters to therapy sessions, fearing they’ll be scarred by their parents’ bitter divorce and ongoing war of words. The actress’ publicist has confirmed 4-year-old Sam and 3-year-old Lola are “in therapy,” according to “Access Hollywood.” Richards and her newly remarried ex, Charlie Sheen, rarely speak directly, but have feuded through their lawyers and on TV since they split in 2005. [SF Gate]

Isn’t having a  TV show called Denise Richards: It’s Complicated which puts Richards entire life on broadcast scarring as well? I think therapy is a great idea for this family, but perhaps a bit of privacy would help as well. Having your publicist announce to Access Hollywood that your kiddies are in treatment is kind of sad. I’m sure Sam and Lola will be discussing these and other such issues with their shrink.  For more on helping kids deal with divorce check takepart out http://www.helpguide.org/mental/children_divorce.htm

 Apparently the first working Monday after the New Year is the biggest day to file for divorce.

According to The Guardian a survey of 2,000 troubled couples indicated that 42% were splitting due to discovering (over Christmas) that their partner was having an affair. 29% blamed boredom.

Lawyers have even nicknamed today, D-day aka “divorce day.”

Derek Bedlow of InsideDivorce.com says “Unfortunately, there are just so many opportunities for things to go badly at Christmas.”

Yikes! Thank God my hubby got me a good Christmas gift this year.

For more on divorce and support during this often difficult process, visit http://www.divorcesupport.com/

I get so sad when custody battles become media merriment. Divorce is hard enough on kids without having Mommy and Daddy’s dirt leaked all over the TV and internet.I suppose it’s good new then that David Hasselhoff and his ex-wife have agreed to share custody of their teenage daughters and reached a financial settlement, ending months of bitter wrangling played out in the celebrity media.However it’s still unsettling that “The Hoff” was originally granted full custody way back when this tape of him drunkenly eating a burger topless was released.

For information on how to help kids deal with divorce visit http://www.helpguide.org/mental/children_divorce.htm

By Kerry Trueman

We all know that divorce can be hard on the kids, but did you know that it takes a toll on Mother Nature, too? U.S. researchers have studied the environmental impact of divorce and found that walking away from your marriage is a surefire way to increase your carbon footprint.

According to the study, divorce leads to increased consumption of all kinds: more housing, more cars, more water and energy usage required by all that housing for the newly single. And don’t forget to tally the fuel burned driving the kids back and forth, not to mention all the duplicate stuff it takes to fill their bedrooms at mom’s house and dad’s.

“The researchers tracked divorce and resource use in 12 countries, both developed and developing, and found marriage breakdown packs a harmful hit,” The Globe and Mail reports. “In those countries, divorce created a total of 7.4 million extra households in or around the year 2000, fuelling extra needs for more consumer goods.”

The solution? The study encourages people to fall in love again, for the sake of the planet. Does anyone want to volunteer to e-mail this story to Laurie David?