Have you ever wondered whether what you’re watching in a legal drama is actually legally accurate? Us too. That’s why HelloPrenup founder and CEO Julia Rodgers teamed up with celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser for a Vanity Fair video reviewing divorce scenes from popular TV shows and movies. In the recently released segment, Julia and Laura break down how accurately television and film portray divorce law, prenuptial agreements, and mediation, attempting to separate the Hollywood drama from real-world legal practice. From Kim Kardashian’s new Hulu legal drama to classic scenes from Wedding Crashers and beyond, they explain what would really happen behind the scenes in these high-stakes moments. Let’s get into it.
What the Vanity Fair video covers
Let’s walk through one by one how Julia and Laura review different divorce lawyer scenes in TV shows and movies.
All’s Fair
In All’s Fair, the scene that they show centers on the use of sexual extortion as a negotiation tactic, where a presumably nude image is shown to the husband’s legal team as leverage to discourage litigating the prenuptial agreement and to push toward a more favorable settlement. Laura Wasser points out that most divorce cases, even high-profile ones, settle long before trial—despite this show suggesting otherwise. At the same time, Wasser acknowledges that the underlying tactic isn’t pure fiction: reputational leverage and implicit extortion are realities that surface frequently in celebrity divorces. She also adds, with humor, that the post-victory champagne toast depicted in the show is one detail that’s surprisingly accurate.
Marriage Story
In this scene, the divorce attorney, Laura Dern, is advising the client, Scarlett Johansson, not to do or say certain things. Laura (Wasser) says this part of representing clients is true, and that they often do advise their clients not to say certain things. In addition, Julia chimes in and says that calling people names (as the client does in the scene) generally wouldn’t surprise a family law judge, but what is important is to avoid crossing the line with name-calling. Laura also notes that when you’re prepping for trial, you do have to make sure your witness is credible and prepped (which is part of the reason why trial is so expensive). Laura also comments that saying to your client, “that’s just how it is,” is actually something they say to clients all the time because the law is the law.
Kramer v. Kramer
In this 1979 classic, it shows Meryl Streep is cross-examined in a divorce where the opposing attorney aggressively asks her, “Were you a failure at the one most important personal relationship of your life?” Julia explains that this isn’t as applicable anymore because we have no-fault divorce, and you don’t need to prove a fault ground for divorce anymore, like may have been the case here in this 1970s movie. Julia also smartly adds that you don’t want a divorce attorney who’s overly emotional, but instead one who can remain calm and stable and help control the situation.
The Roses
In this scene, a couple is seemingly mediating some divorce terms with their lawyers and there’s some table slapping and emotionally charged dialogue. Julia notes that just because you’re emotionally attached to an asset in a divorce, as is in the movie, it doesn’t mean you’re more entitled to it in a divorce. Laura adds that there’s a bit of dog and pony show going on with the attorneys and their clients in the scene, which some lawyers do. However, Laura does reminisce on a time when one of the clients she was working with picked up a conference room chair and threw it against the window. She also mentions a time one of her clients hucked a stiletto heel, and it stuck in the door. But, overall, this kind of behavior rarely happens anymore.
Wedding Crashers
In Laura and Julia’s discussion of Wedding Crashers, they focus on the mediation scene in which Vince Vaughn’s character attempts to make peace in the divorce mediation as the couple argues over seemingly meaningless assets (airline points). Laura notes that Vaughn’s performance is one of the more accurate portrayals of herself as a notorious family law lawyer, emphasizing that effective mediation often requires creative, outside-of-the-box thinking to move the parties toward resolution. Julia adds that the scene reflects real life because divorce disputes can often be about the emotional attachment, rather than the financial value. Julia reminisces on a real client who spent over $10,000 fighting over sparkly wall art from TJ Maxx.
Laura further notes that marriage as an institution remains strong when couples approach it intentionally, by having difficult financial conversations early, including through prenuptial agreements, and points to platforms like HelloPrenup for making that process more accessible.
Law of attraction
The scene shows a lawyer asking for a motion for continuance, and Laura explains how it kicks out the conversation for a later day.
Sex and the City
In this nostalgic scene, Charlotte is with her divorce lawyer and her husband’s mother, and her husband’s attorney, negotiating her divorce and discussing her taking a coin collection. Julia and Laura explain that this isn’t very realistic, and parents aren’t typically involved in a divorce. However, Julia notes that sometimes they are involved in a prenup matter because they are the ones pushing the prenup to protect inheritance.
Julia makes one of the closing statements about how divorce lawyer scenes are often sensationalized when in reality, most family law lawyers’ day-to-day is pretty boring.
Conclusion on HelloPrenup founder reviewing TV divorces on Vanity Fair
Ultimately, this Vanity Fair coverage highlights the realities between how divorce is dramatized on screen and how it actually unfolds in real life with high-profile divorce attorney, Laura Wasser and founder of HelloPrenup, Julia Rodgers. However, there are still many aspects that ring true ot the real lives of divorce attorneys–such as toasting to champagne after a win or toning down the emotions with their clients.
As Julia and Laura make clear, the real work of family law happens in preparation, mediation, and difficult conversations, which isn’t as sensational as the emotional scenes you see in shows. After unpacking these iconic scenes from movies like Wedding Crashers and shows like Sex and the City, viewers have a more grounded understanding of divorce law and underscore an important takeaway: the best outcomes don’t come from theatrics, but from planning, perspective, and thoughtful legal guidance—ideally long before conflict ever reaches the screen.
Nicole Sheehey is the Head of Legal Content at HelloPrenup, and an Illinois licensed attorney. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to prenuptial agreements. Nicole has Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School. She has a deep understanding of the legal and financial implications of prenuptial agreements, and enjoys writing and collaborating with other attorneys on the nuances of the law. Nicole is passionate about helping couples locate the information they need when it comes to prenuptial agreements. You can reach Nicole here: Nicole@Helloprenup.com
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