In fact, their individual moves behind the scenes suggest Fisher and Cohen are gearing up for a one hell of a showdown in court. The Sun claimed the Australian actress, 48, had reached out to Fiona Shackleton, the same divorce lawyer who helped Sir Paul McCartney navigate his tumultuous split from Heather Mills. Shackleton also acted as a negotiator for then-Prince Charles during his divorce from Princess Diana.
As for Cohen, the same publication reported that the 52-year-old consulted notorious divorce lawyer Laura Wasser. She famously represented Angelina Jolie when she split from Brad Pitt, and had represented both Kim Kardashian and Johnny Depp as clients, too.
With a joint fortune of around $400 million, Fisher knows she needs the best of the best in her artillery. “Isla has known for some time the marriage was over, and after some difficult conversations with Sacha, made the decision to consult a divorce lawyer. This was back in early summer, 2022,” a source told The Sun.
The announcement this month won’t come as a surprise to the couple’s friends. “Fiona Shackleton was recommended by mutual contacts, and Isla was put in touch with an associate at the office,” the source continued, adding that Fisher might have the upper hand if things get acrimonious. “With Fiona on board, no stone will be left unturned if things did turn nasty – which neither of them want … Fiona is an incredible lawyer, and utterly fearsome in both reputation and ability.’
The reasons behind their marriage ending are less tumultuous than the aforementioned celebrities that have gone before them. However, these said reasons could turn ugly, especially when it comes to their three kids, daughters Olive, 17, and Elula, 13, and son Montgomery, 9.
The Mail on Sunday reported that the Cohen-Fishers had been splitting their time between Los Angeles and Perth, but the Borat actor wanted his family to relocate to London. Fisher, on the other hand, was reportedly much happier at home in Oz, and fans do wonder if the death of her beloved father, Brian, in January 2023 forced her to reassess things.
“‘It was one of those moments in life that changes you, and it wasn’t long after this that Isla began to consult lawyers about splitting up with Sacha,” an insider told Daily Mail.
For Fisher, living in Oz has always been endgame. In 2018, the mother-of-three said she had a “secret fantasy of slowing down, moving to Byron Bay, getting off the grid and sitting on the sand with a Vegemite sandwich”.
In 2021, after they relocated to Perth during the COVID lockdowns, she admitted, “I’m the happiest when I’m home. I miss it when I’m not here I don’t feel any pressure when I’m in Australia. I don’t have to say or do or be anything. I mean, I don’t even have to wear shoes.”
Ironically, in 2022, she gushed about how she and her British husband “survived lockdown together”, which “is not easy for any couple”. She also reminisced about when they met. “I totally loved him right away. I mean I knew it was definitely love at first sight,” she said. “It is a fun ride. I feel so lucky to have Sacha in my life.”
Just two years later, for Fisher, the Cohen “fun ride” is officially over.