Are the Game of Thrones cast CURSED? As Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner head for divorce, how stars have been plagued by tragedy – from brain tumours to alcoholism

  • Reading time:14 min(s) read
Movie channels                     Music channels                     Sport channels

  • A number of Game of Thrones cast members have struggled in recent years
  • Read more: Sophie Turner ‘felt trapped in her marriage to Joe Jonas’, friends say

Game of Thrones may have been known for its wild plotlines and incredible characters.

But since the show came to an end in 2019, a number of its stars have faced their own struggles in their personal lives. 

Among them is Sophie Turner, who starred as Sansa Stark in the series, whose husband Joe Jonas officially filed for divorce from Turner after four years of marriage this week.

He stated in the paperwork that their relationship is ‘irretrievably broken’ and there are reports Sophie feels her ‘life has stalled after Game of Thrones’. 

However she is far from the only star of the hit programme who has faced tragedies in recent years.

Game of Thrones may have been known for its wild plotlines and incredible characters. But since the show came to an end in 2019, a number of it's stars have faced their own struggles in their personal lives (pictured, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, who are set to divorce)

Game of Thrones may have been known for its wild plotlines and incredible characters. But since the show came to an end in 2019, a number of it’s stars have faced their own struggles in their personal lives (pictured, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, who are set to divorce) 

A number of her castmates have struggled through heartbreak, including Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark on the show. 

Meanwhile other stars of the programme have faced different kinds of battle – including Kit Harington, who has openly spoken of his struggle with depression and alcoholism.  

So is there a Game of Thrones curse? Here FEMAIL reveals the challenging struggles the actors have had in recent years… 

MAISIE WILLIAMS

Sophie isn't the only Game of Thrones star to have faced heartbreak in recent months. Her co-star Maisie Williams revealed she has split from her boyfriend of five years Reuben Selby in February

Sophie isn’t the only Game of Thrones star to have faced heartbreak in recent months. Her co-star Maisie Williams revealed she has split from her boyfriend of five years Reuben Selby in February

The actress, 25, took to her social media to make the announcement after last being pictured with the designer, 25, at Paris Fashion week in October

The actress, 25, took to her social media to make the announcement after last being pictured with the designer, 25, at Paris Fashion week in October

'End of an era': In February, she took to social media to make the announcement after last being pictured with the designer, 25, at Paris Fashion week in October

‘End of an era’: Sharing a snap of the pair she wrote: ‘The end of an era. Reuben and I have decided to end our relationship’

Sophie isn’t the only Game of Thrones star to have faced heartbreak in recent months.

Her co-star Maisie Williams revealed she has split from her boyfriend of five years Reuben Selby in February. 

The actress, 25, took to her social media to make the announcement after last being pictured with the designer, 25, at Paris Fashion week in October.  

Sharing a snap of the pair she wrote: ‘The end of an era. Reuben and I have decided to end our relationship.

‘Since we met 5 years ago, our connection always extended deeply into our shared, and separate, creative careers… and it will continue to do so.

‘This decision is something we are so grateful or as we can protect the magic, that we can’t help but emit, whenever we put our brains together.

‘P.s no further questions, please, we must protect our children (my dog).’

The pair had recently led to speculation of a split after sharing snaps from separate holiday’s to social media. 

They had been inseparable since first going public with their romance back in late 2019.

KIT HARINGTON 

Kit Harington achieved worldwide fame with his role as Jon Snow on Game of Thrones. However after the programme ended in 2019, he struggled with alcoholism and depression

Kit Harington achieved worldwide fame with his role as Jon Snow on Game of Thrones. However after the programme ended in 2019, he struggled with alcoholism and depression

Past battle: Game of Thrones actor Kit, also 35, revealed he was suffering from alcohol addiction in 2019 after the hit series came to an end and checked into the Privé-Swiss retreat in Connecticut to recover

Past battle: ‘Things that have happened to me since Thrones ended, and that were happening during Thrones, were of a pretty traumatic nature and they did include alcohol,’ the 34-year-old said of life after Game of Thrones. Pictured as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones 

Kit Harington achieved worldwide fame with his role as Jon Snow on Game of Thrones.

However after the programme ended in 2019, he struggled with alcoholism and depression.

In a candid interview with The Sunday Times, the actor said he ‘went through some pretty horrible stuff’ in the years since the fantasy drama series ended in 2019.

Kit  revealed that while he is now ‘very happy’ and ‘content’, he once battled suicidal thoughts.

‘I went through some pretty horrible stuff,’ Christopher, who goes by the moniker Kit, told The Sunday Times, when describing his life after the end of Game of Thrones. 

‘Things that have happened to me since Thrones ended, and that were happening during Thrones, were of a pretty traumatic nature and they did include alcohol,’ he revealed.  

Kit went on to describe his experience of hitting rock bottom, that resulted in a stint in rehab at the Privé-Swiss retreat in Connecticut, costing £95,000 a month.

When asked by the publication whether he ever contemplated suicide, Kit reportedly hesitated before saying: ‘The answer is yes. Yes of course. I went through periods of real depression where I wanted to do all sorts of things.’ 

Kit said he hopes his comments will help others suffering, and admitted to being very ‘secretive’ about his addictions.

‘I will say about my addictions that I kept them very, very quiet and I was incredibly secretive and incredibly locked up with them,’ he confessed.  

JASON MAMOA 

Last year, Jason Momao and his wife Lisa Bonet split after four years of marriage and 16 years together

Last year, Jason Momao and his wife Lisa Bonet split after four years of marriage and 16 years together 

Jason played Khal Drogo in the hit TV series (pictured alongside his co-star Emilia Clarke in 2011)

Jason played Khal Drogo in the hit TV series (pictured alongside his co-star Emilia Clarke in 2011) 

Heads held high: The couple explained in their statement that they weren't announcing their separation ' because we think it¿s newsworthy, but so that as we go about our lives we may do so with dignity and honesty'

Heads held high: The couple explained in their statement that they weren’t announcing their separation ‘ because we think it’s newsworthy, but so that as we go about our lives we may do so with dignity and honesty’

And it’s not just Maisie and Sophie whose love lives have been turned upside down since the end of the show.

Last year, Jason Mamoa and his wife Lisa Bonet split after four years of marriage and 16 years together.

Mamoa and Bonet’s romance goes back to 2004, when they were introduced by mutual friends at a jazz club performance. 

The Game Of Thrones star, 42, and the Cosby Show actress, 54, announced they are separating in a joint statement shared to Jason’s Instagram account last year. 

Their statement read: ‘We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times… A revolution is unfolding and our family is of no exception… feeling and growing from the seismic shifts occurring. 

‘And so we share our Family news that we are parting ways in marriage.’

The couple explained in their statement that they weren’t announcing their separation ‘because we think it’s newsworthy, but so that as we go about our lives we may do so with dignity and honesty.’

‘The love between us carries on, evolving in ways it wishes to be known and lived. We free each other to be who we are learning to become.

The continued: ‘Our devotion unwavering to this sacred life & our Children,’ they concluded. ‘Teaching our Children What’s possible ~ Living the Prayer.

‘May Love Prevail,’ they added, signing off as ‘J & L.’

EMILIA CLARKE 

Emilia Clarke had just finished filming the first season of the HBO series in 2013 when she had her first brain aneurysm while working out with a personal trainer

Emilia Clarke had just finished filming the first season of the HBO series in 2013 when she had her first brain aneurysm while working out with a personal trainer

Before she was thrown back into filming, Emilia had to endure a press tour for the first season of the show

Before she was thrown back into filming, Emilia had to endure a press tour for the first season of the show

Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen in the hit series,  had just finished filming the first season of the HBO series in 2013 when she had her first brain aneurysm while working out with a personal trainer.

The star was quickly sent for an MRI after the shocking event, where they diagnosed her with a subarachnoid haemorrhage.

This type of hemorrhage is a life-threatening form of stroke, which is caused by bleeding around the brain and a third of patients die immediately or soon after suffering one.

Emilia told The New Yorker: ‘In my worst moments, I wanted to pull the plug. I asked the medical staff to let me die. My job—my entire dream of what my life would be—centred on language, on communication. Without that, I was lost.’

While recovering from her first aneurysm she was told that she had another on the other side of her brain which could burst at any time, however it may also just lie dormant.

Before she was thrown back into filming, Emilia had to endure a press tour for the first season of the show and said she remembers feeling like she could die at any moment and made it through interviews by sipping on morphine.

Despite being promised a simple operation, Emilia said she awoke screeching in agony following the failed operation and doctors had to operate again in order to improve her chance of survival.

She said while spending another month in hospital she sometimes lost hope and suffered from anxiety and panic attacks, adding that she felt like a shadow of her former self.

The Me Before You actress said that she now struggles recalling those dark times because her mind has tried to block them out, but she does remember being convinced she would die, and that her story would get out.

DIANA RIGG 

Game of Thrones star Dame Diana Rigg died in September 2020 aged 82 following a short battle with cancer

Game of Thrones star Dame Diana Rigg died in September 2020 aged 82 following a short battle with cancer

Diana as the cutthroat matriarch Oleanna Tyrell in HBO's worldwide hit series, Game of Thrones, a show she admitted in 2019 that she had never watched

Diana as the cutthroat matriarch Oleanna Tyrell in HBO’s worldwide hit series, Game of Thrones, a show she admitted in 2019 that she had never watched

Game of Thrones star Dame Diana Rigg died in September 2020 aged 82 following a short battle with cancer. 

The British actress made her name in the cult 1961 TV series The Avengers, before going on to star as the cutthroat matriarch Lady Olenna Tyrell in HBO’s Game of Thrones, a show she later admitted she had never watched.

Game Of Thrones paid tribute to on the show’s official Twitter account after her death.

It said: ‘Be a dragon. The realm will always remember Diana Rigg.’

Dame Diana Rigg’s Game Of Thrones co-star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau wrote on Instagram: ‘Dame Diana Rigg. She always raised the bar with her incredible talent, intelligence and wit. An absolute joy and honor to work with. May her soul Rest In Peace.’ 

Meanwhile John Bradley, who starred in Game of Thrones alongside Diana Rigg, said the actress was ‘just wonderful’.

Posting a tribute to the actress on Twitter, he said: ‘Diana Rigg was just wonderful. But you all knew that already. Everybody did. Very sad news.’

Afterlife actor Tony Way tweeted: ‘A true icon. I met her a couple of times on Game of Thrones. I played Backgammon with her once. She called me a c**t for beating her. She was fantastic.’

BJ HOGG

Much missed: Tributes have been paid to Game Of Thrones actor BJ Hogg following his death aged 65 (above as Addam Marbrand in GOT)

Much missed: Tributes have been paid to Game Of Thrones actor BJ Hogg following his death aged 65 (above as Addam Marbrand in GOT)

Game Of Thrones actor BJ Hogg, who played a Addam Marbrand in the first series of the show, died at the age of 65 in May 2020. 

The actor, who was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, was best known for his role in the HBO drama as Addam Marbrand, and for parts in BBC’s The Fall and Big Mervyn in the BBC Northern Ireland comedy series Give My Head Peace.    

The comedy team behind Give My Head Peace, the Hole in the Wall gang, said in a statement: ‘BJ is part of the Give My Head Peace family.

‘He was a fine actor, great colleague and a true friend. Our thoughts are with his wife Elish, son Nathan and daughter Abigail at this time.’

BJ’s agent Geoff Stanton told Mailonline: ‘We are all devastated at the news of BJ’s passing and offer our profound sympathies to his wife Elish, son Nathan and daughter Abigail. 

‘BJ was an exceptionally fine actor with a tremendous range and a gift for comedy and music. 

‘But more than that, he was a wonderful human being, with never a bad word spoken about him. It was a privilege to represent him and to know him. 

‘He will be a great loss to our industry and to anyone whose lives he touched. 

DARREN KENT 

Starman: Kent won the Best Actor Award at the Van D¿or Awards for his role in Sunnyboy and has also worked as a director

Starman: Kent won the Best Actor Award at the Van D’or Awards for his role in Sunnyboy and has also worked as a director

As well as starring in Game of Thrones, as a Goatherd from Slavers Bay, the Essex-born actor Darren Kent was also famous for his roles in EastEnders and Snow White and the Huntsman. 

Kent won the Best Actor Award at the Van D’or Awards for his role in Sunnyboy and has also worked as a director.

However, he also battled with osteoporosis, arthritis and an extremely rare skin disorder in his early career.

A much-loved actor, he received a number of tributes from friends and family following his passing in 2020. 

SOPHIE TURNER

It's over: Days after Sophie's wild night Joe Jonas officially filed for divorce after four years of marriage, stating that their relationship is 'irretrievably broken' (pictured in March)

It’s over: Days after Sophie’s wild night Joe Jonas officially filed for divorce after four years of marriage, stating that their relationship is ‘irretrievably broken’ (pictured in March) 

While Joe stated in the paperwork that their relationship is 'irretrievably broken' and there are reports Sophie feels her 'life has stalled after Game of Thrones'

While Joe stated in the paperwork that their relationship is ‘irretrievably broken’ and there are reports Sophie feels her ‘life has stalled after Game of Thrones’ 

An ‘unhappy’ Joe reportedly tried to ‘salvage’ his four-year marriage to Sophie Turner before he filed for divorce on Tuesday as a ‘last resort.’ 

Sophie previously confessed she was homesick for the United Kingdom and wanted to move back for her ‘mental health’ but she couldn’t convince Joe to leave the States. 

The Jonas Brothers singer, 34, and the Game of Thrones alum, 27, ‘were going through it this year’ according to a source who spoke with Page Six, following reports that Turner’s alleged ‘partying’ caused a rift in the marriage.

‘Divorce was a last resort for Joe. He never wanted to break up his family, but he had to take what he felt was the best course of action for his girls,’ the insider added.

However he submitted the paperwork to end his marriage in a Miami Dade County courtroom – hours after it was revealed that he had hired a divorce lawyer. 

Despite their differing lifestyles, the estranged couple will most likely not be fighting over money amid their divorce, as they have an ‘ironclad prenuptial agreement in place,’ according to The Blast. 

The pair – who reportedly have an ironclad prenup – share three-year-old daughter Willa and a one-year-old daughter, whose name they have not revealed, but who was listed as D.J. in the divorce filing.

The source went on: ‘An unhappy home isn’t a home, and the truth is that he and Sophie were going through it this year. There’s a lot of noise out there, but it wasn’t a straw-that-broke-the-camel’s-back situation like it’s being reported.’

‘It just kept building, and Joe finally reached a point where he felt that he had exhausted all options to salvage the marriage.’ 

It comes after reports that Sophie’s lifestyle is what caused her estranged husband to file for divorce.

The actress allegedly ‘likes to party’, which caused a clash with the musician, who is more of a homebody.  

‘She likes to party; he likes to stay at home. They have very different lifestyles,’ a source revealed to TMZ. 

Meanwhile another insider close to the pair shared that Joe’s filing was not a ‘surprise’ to the people around them, and that the duo spent ‘the whole summer apart,’ as per People.

‘They were not separated but they’ve been living separate lives for months,’ the insider claimed. ‘As far as custody goes, this literally all just happened, so they’re figuring it out in real time,’ the source went on, sharing the couple were ‘based in Florida.’

‘The kids were with him the last few months, traveling with him with family while he’s been on tour. Sophie’s been working in the UK.’

Jonas will keep all of his royalties from music, while Turner will keep the money she made from her acting career. 






#Game #Thrones #cast #CURSED #Joe #Jonas #Sophie #Turner #divorce #stars #plagued #tragedy #brain #tumours #alcoholism