Eat Your Heart Out By Looking Back on the Most Iconic Celebrity Revenge Dresses of All-Time

Lately she's been dressing for revenge. 

Vanderpump Rules' Ariana Madix has clearly been listening to Taylor Swift's "Vigilante Shit" following her shocking split from her co-star Tom Sandoval, because, in the wake of "Scandoval," the SURver came ready to, well, serve when she arrived at the season 10 reunion show. After her look was first teased by Andy Cohen, Ariana delivered on her off-camera promise to make Tom's "eyes bleed" when Bravo released the first image of Ariana on Apr. 3, which proved vengeance was definitely on the menu and it was red-hot. 

Ariana is hardly the first celebrity to make headlines for the outfit they chose to wear for a major public outing following a high-profile breakup, the Bravo star joining an elite sartorial club that includes Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon and Mariah Carey. And, of course, the original look that started it all: Princess Diana's iconic little black dress that proved sometimes an outfit can say a thousand words. 

Let's look back on all of these red carpet moments that prove revenge is a dish best served cold bold...

A look so iconic it created an entire new genre in fashion: the revenge dress.

The term was coined when Princess Diana allowed her dress to do the talking for her after her bitter divorce from Prince Charles. The late Princess of Wales infamously wore an off-the-shoulder LBD designed by Christian Stambolin at the Serpentine Gallery Party in 1994, an event that took place on the night ITV aired a documentary in which her then-estranged husband Prince Charles admitted to having an affair with now-wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, during his marriage to Diana. 

According to Tina Brown's 2007 biographical book The Diana Chronicles, Christian told a fashion commentator that Diana "chose not to play the scene like Odette [from Swan Lake], innocent in white. She was clearly angry. She played it like Odile, in black. She wore bright red nail enamel, which we had never seen her do before. She was saying, 'Let's be wicked tonight!'"

Tom Sandoval likely needed a pumptini or two when he saw his ex-girlfriend at the taping for the Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion show, which came after the shocking news that their nine-year romance had come to an end. Oh, and it was because he had a months-long affair with their co-star and friend Raquel Leviss. 

While host Andy Cohen had previously teased Ariana's revenge dress" on social media, fans finally got to see her red-hot look and it proved to be well worth the wait. For the Apr. 3 taping, the Bravolebrity sported a crimson cutout Mônot dress, which left her torso nearly exposed apart from some well-placed bands across the chest and waist. She's smarter than us, prettier than us and we'll happily get the f--k over it. 

What does one wear when they are attending an event they know that their ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend will be at? If you are a supermodel, you don a see-through Alexander Wang catsuit that is so tight you have to be sewn into it. And that is exactly what Bella did when she attended the 2017 Met Gala, which also served as The Weeknd and Selena Gomez's red carpet debut as a couple. 

Oh, don't worry about her, darling. Following her high-profile breakup with Harry Styles last November, the Booksmart director made quite the entrance back into single life when she attended the 2022 People's Choice Awards in a completely see-through Christian Dior gown. The icing on the cake? Olivia's film Don't Worry Darling took home the award for Drama Movie of the year.

 

Pink hair, don't care. Three months after announcing their divorce in July 2015, Miranda and ex-husband Blake Shelton made their first joint public appearance at the CMA Awards. For the occasion, the "Little Red Wagon" singer chose a little black number, complete with new rose-colored streaks in her hair. 

Miranda went on to win Female Vocalist of the Year, admitting in her acceptance speech, "I really needed a bright spot this year."

Baby V was soarin', flyin' solo when she attended the Bad Boys For Life premiere in January 2020 just hours after news broke that she and Austin Butler had split after nine years together. But the High School Musical alum was ready for the start of something new, exuding Old Hollywood glamour in a chic white gown featuring a long train with feathers and rhinestones. 

 

While she may be Jennifer Affleck now, J.Lo was a glowing solo goddess when she walked the red carpet at the 2004 Golden Globes after the end of her first engagement to now-husband Ben Affleck. For the event, the "Shotgun Wedding" star stunned in a orange chiffon Grecian gown by Michael Kors that had our jaws on the floor.

Forget back in black, Reese was ready to say hello in yellow. The Big Little Liars star wasn't hiding after divorce from her first husband Ryan Phillippe, infamously wearing a canary colored Olivier Theyskens for Nina Ricci cocktail dress to the 2007 Golden Globes. Along with a bold red lip and matching heels, Reese also debuted a sleek new hairstyle, showing off sideswept bangs for one of Hollywood's ultimate "break-overs." What, like it's hard? 

The Brazilian supermodel was looking good as gold when she made her return to the red carpet following her divorce from Tom Brady in October 2022. Gisele celebrated the 60th anniversary of jewelry company Vivara in Sao Paulo, Brazil by wearing a shimmering gown and pulling back her signature beachy waves into a chic high ponytail. 

This Poque went rogue and looked fierce while doing so. For her first red carpet appearance after her split from her Outer Banks co-star Chase Stokes, Madelyn served up a Gen-Z take on the revenge dress. The Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery actress sizzled in a black Mônot design with extreme midriff cut-outs that she paired with long-sleeve gloves and black pumps. 

The songstress was finally able to live out her sweet, sweet fantasy when she wore a risque two-piece to the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. While the black bandeau top and thigh-hit slit skirt may seem tame by today's standards, the look symbolized Mariah's next chapter after her separation from her ex-husband Tommy Mottola, the CEO of her then-label Sony. 

In her 2020 memoir The Meaning of Mariah, the Grammy winner described their marriage as "intense and all-encompassing," and alleged that Tommy had "crippling control" over her before their divorce. No wonder the first album she recorded after their split was titled Butterfly.

The Bedazzled actress was just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to eat his heart out when she wore a plunging Valentino gown at her first major event following her 2000 split from Hugh Grant after 13 years together. Sometimes, revenge really is a dish best served gold. 

For her first public outing after announcing her split from her husband of four-and-a-half years, Sebastian Bear-McClard, the My Body author rocked a nearly naked fishnet dress for W Magazine's 50th anniversary party in October 2022. 

Just days after the Charlie's Angels star and Justin Timberlake announced they had broken up after four years of dating, Diaz was far from crying a river when she went full-on haute couture in a ruffled Valentino gown at the 2007 Golden Globes. 

Camila was ready to let go of her relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio when she attended her first public event following the end of their four-year romance. The Daisy Jones and the Six star wore a skintight LBD to attend the Burberry spring/summer 2023 after-party in London in September 2022, adding edge to her look with diamond-patterned pantyhose and a black mesh coat—which she cooly wore off-shoulder. Makes it easier to brush that dirt off...

The actress and singer more than stepped up when she walked the red carpet at the 2018 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Hope and Heritage gala, her first major event after announcing her separation from Channing Tatum. Jenna opted for a sophisticated beaded Zuhair Murad gown, complete with a matching cape and feathered hem. 

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