How Emily Ratajkowski Found a Creative Way to Reuse Her Engagement Ring After Divorce

Emily Ratajkowski has never been one to stick to convention, and her approach to life post-divorce is no exception. After separating from her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, the model found a unique way to mark her new chapter— transforming her engagement ring into ‘divorce rings.’ In March 2024, Ratajkowski shared her custom-made ‘divorce rings’ with her Instagram followers. As per The List , the jewelry, designed by famous designer Alison Lou, features a striking princess-cut diamond ring with side stones on her right hand and a second gold band adorned with a large pear-shaped diamond on her pinky.

Interestingly, the pear-shaped diamond is repurposed from her original engagement ring, symbolizing the idea of carrying forward valuable parts of her past into her renewed sense of self. She simply captioned the post, “divorce rings.” Beyond a fashion statement, the rings are a symbol of Ratajkowski’s broader philosophy on relationships and self-worth. Ratajkowski explained to Elle that her rings are a declaration of transformation, inspired by an essay she read titled The Unravelers . She said, “I’ve lived a lot of lives. I’m 32. I’ve lived a lot of lives already and I plan to live more, and I’m not gonna be shy about that.”

Ratajkowski married Bear-McClard in 2018, and the couple welcomed their son, Sylvester Apollo Bear, in 2021. However, amid reports of infidelity and personal struggles, she filed for divorce in September 2022. In the wake of her separation, Ratajkowski began discussing the often-taboo subject of divorce, aiming to show young women that walking away from marriage wasn’t the worst thing to happen to someone. She remarked, “I think there’s a lot of taboo around divorce and a lot of shame. I think that isn’t helpful, particularly for young women who are trying to get out of bad relationships.”

Reflecting on her journey to independence, the model added, “I want to spread a little positivity and I think that divorce, deciding to leave a relationship despite the financial hardship, despite what it’s going to mean for your kids, everything, is really brave. I want women to feel better about it.” She also said that while her emotions interweaved in her daily life, she still felt as though she was moving forward in life, as reported by ET .

Now a single mom and thriving entrepreneur, Ratajkowski is using her platform to empower women everywhere. She noted that a high number of women are seemingly getting divorced before they turn 30 . But she, however, believes that 30 is just the beginning for someone. She cited her own example as she was 26 when she got married and she split around a similar age. Ratajkowski said, “[I’m] 32—I have to tell you: I don’t think there’s anything better.” She assured women out there to not stress before adding that “being divorced, like, it’s good.”