Isla Fisher Opens Up About Life After Divorce: ‘I’m Much Stronger Than I Thought I Was’

Isla Fisher is embracing a new chapter in her life and says she has discovered a strength she did not know she had.

The Australian actress and author, who was married to British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen for 13 years, is opening up about life after their separation. The couple separated in 2023 and finalized their divorce in 2025.

Speaking to E! News at the premiere of Spa Weekend in Las Vegas on August 7, Fisher reflected on her experience of becoming single after spending more than two decades with Cohen.

“I would say that I’m much stronger than I thought I was,” Fisher said.

The actress, 50, credited her close friendships, particularly her relationships with other women, with helping her through the difficult period.

“It was my friendships, my female friendships [that] have really been instrumental to me discovering or recovering that strength,” she said. “And so I’m incredibly grateful.”

Her comments came as she promoted Spa Weekend, a comedy in which Fisher stars alongside Anna Faris, Michelle Buteau and Leslie Mann. The film follows a group of women on a chaotic getaway at a luxury resort, making its themes of friendship especially relevant to Fisher’s own experience.

Fisher and Cohen first met at a party in Sydney in 2001. Cohen later recalled that they immediately connected by making fun of the other guests.

“She was hilarious,” Cohen told The New York Times in 2020. “We were at a very pretentious party, and me and her bonded over taking the mick out of the other people in the party. I knew instantly. I don’t know if she did.”

Fisher apparently did. The couple became engaged three years later and welcomed their first child, daughter Olive, in 2007. They married in 2010 and went on to have three children together.

For years, Fisher and Cohen largely kept their family life private. Even after their separation, they continued to share occasional loving family moments publicly.

In April 2024, however, the couple announced that they had filed for divorce the previous year.

“We have always prioritized our privacy, and have been quietly working through this change,” they said in a joint statement shared on Instagram. “We forever share in our devotion and love for our children. We sincerely appreciate your respecting our family’s wish for privacy.”

Fisher later spoke more openly about the split in February 2025, describing it as the most difficult experience of her life.

“It’s the most difficult thing that I’ve been through, and I’ve learnt so much about myself in the process,” she said. “I never imagined my family being separated, but we are committed and loving parents.”

Now, as she adjusts to life on her own, Fisher appears focused on rebuilding her sense of self and leaning on the people closest to her.

Her latest comments suggest that while the end of her marriage has been painful, it has also given her an opportunity to discover a new kind of independence—and the importance of the friendships that helped her find it.