Eat Pray Love’s Elizabeth Gilbert Might Have Left The “Love” Guy For Her Best Friend
Earlier in the summer we learned that Elizabeth Gilbert, writer of Eat, Pray, Love and person who looks like someone whose Secret Santa gift is always an Oprah & Deepak Mantras & Music CD, was getting divorced from her husband of 9 years José Nunes. José was the real “Felipe“, aka the guy Elizabeth fell in love with in the Love part of Eat, Pray, Love. At the time, Elizabeth claimed the reason for their split was “very personal.” As it turns out, the “very personal” she was talking about might have been that she was getting very personal with her best lady friend of 15 years Rayya Elias.
Elizabeth released a statement about her current relationship status on Facebook yesterday (via People). Although she really should have sent it to a publisher and tried to sell it as a non-fiction novella, because it’s really long and takes you on an emotional journey. But here’s the SparkNotes version of it. Elizabeth says it all started after her best friend Rayya was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer. Elizabeth dropped everything to be with Rayya as she battled cancer. Spending so much time with each other and thinking about Rayya being taken by that asshole cancer made Elizabeth realize she had feelings for her friend in that way, so she decided to leave José.
Elizabeth says that she and Rayya are a thing now, and that yes, getting on Rayya’s business had something to do with her decision to dump her marriage in the metaphorical bargain book bin. She also says she didn’t want to pretend Rayya was just her “special friend” if they were seen out in public together.
I mean, good for Elizabeth and Rayya to embrace those feelings and go with it. I don’t want to call Rayya a homewrecker, because I don’t want to earn myself a one-way first class ticket to hell. But José is never going to get laid ever again if he starts explaining his situation during future Tinder dates. “Your wife left you for her cancer-battling best friend and then they realized they were in love? (Sniffs back tears) That’s beautiful. I’m sorry, but I just got the urge to call my girlfriends and have a sisterhood and ice cream night.”
Pic: Instagram