FIRST PUBLISHED: December 23, 2008 7:17 PM EST
LAST UPDATED: December 24, 2008 4:33 PM EST

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

The break-ups of Madonna and Guy Ritchie, and Paul McCartney and Heather Mills resulted in two of the most explosive celebrity divorces of the year.

But what about the most expensive? Or surprising?

As we near the end of ’08, it’s time to take a look back at the biggest break-ups of 2008.

#6 Paul McCartney & Heather Mills

Heather Mills’ split with Paul McCartney cost the former Beatle $48 million.

The two divorced on May 12 after being married for four years. And if you do the math, Heather got $34,000 for every day she was married to the rocker.

#5 George Clooney & Sarah Larson

When George Clooney and former cocktail waitress Sarah Larson split after about a year, it came as a shock to onlookers. After all, Clooney brought Sarah to the Oscars. But some said even Sarah was blindsided by the break up.

“It was quick,” she told Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush earlier this year. “Break-ups are difficult but people, you know, we move on, go onto other things.”

#4 Hugh Hefner & Holly Madison

Octogenarian Playboy Hugh Hefner and 28-year-old Holly Madison went their separate ways earlier this year. Hugh went on to 19-year-old twins, while Holly found love with Chris Angel.

#3 Anne Hathaway & Raffaello Follieri

After dating for four years, Anne Hathaway and Raffaello Follieri broke up when he was arrested in June on fraud and money laundering charges. Raffaello was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. As for Anne, she hasn’t found a new love yet, but she told Vogue’s January 2009 issue that the split is “not a part of my life anymore.”

# 2 Madonna & Guy Ritchie

It was the end of an era when Madonna and Guy Ritchie divorced after nearly eight years of marriage amid rumors of an affair between Madonna and Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez. The former couple vowed to keep their divorce settlement private, but the singer’s rep told the Associated Press in December that it would be in the range of $76-$92 million.

#1 Christie Brinkley & Peter Cook

After 10 years as husband and wife, Christie Brinkley divorced philandering Peter Cook, who had an affair with 18-year-old Diana Bianchi.

The very public court battle, which was full of scandal, ended in July, with Christie getting custody of their two children.

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