Summary

• Lorelai and Christopher's divorce on Gilmore Girls had many reasons.
• They rushed into marriage and ignored red flags. Lorelai and Christopher also didn't communicate with Rory about getting married.
• Christopher struggled to fit into Stars Hollow and didn't accept Lorelai's maturity.

There were many reasons Lorelai and Christopher got divorced on Gilmore Girls. Throughout the show, Rory's parents couldn't work out if they were best friends, brief lovers, or soulmates. After meeting when they were just 6 years old, the two became physically intimate in high school and conceived Rory when they were 16. Lorelai chose to raise Rory alone. Christopher didn't become a presence in Rory's life until they were 16, but this led to a new spark between Lorelai and Christopher. By Gilmore Girls season 7 they were married, though Lorelai and Christopher had divorced before season 8 arrived.

When Rory started high school, Lorelai and Christopher reconnected, which started a second chapter for the pair. The "will they won't they" between Lorelai and Chris lasted all the way until season 7, when they flew to Paris and eloped in the episode "French Twist," However, their marriage was short-lived. The two rushed into it and ignored all the red flags that were leading to their demise. There are many reasons Lorelai and Chris got divorced, but the biggest red flags in their marriage on Gilmore Girls are clear and easy to see.

Gilmore Girls is available to stream on Netflix.

14 Lorelai Wouldn't Have Handled Christopher's Good Relationship With The Gilmores

Lorelai's Parent Issues Were A Marital One Too

Although it's refreshing for Lorelai to be with someone that her parents approve of, her marriage with Christopher wouldn't have worked out because Lorelai wouldn't have handled Christopher's good relationship with her parents well. Lorelai and her parents have a long history filled with disappointment. They had their good moments, and Lorelai and Richard had some things in common, but Lorelai wouldn't have been able to deal with it being three against one on Friday night dinners. Christopher would have hated not having Richard and Emily's approval, which would have led to Lorelai fighting for herself.

13 Chris Pressured Lorelai Into A Quick Marriage

Taking Things Slower Could Have Prevented Their Divorce

In season 7, Chris and Lorelai were newly dating and things were going smoothly. They flew to Paris to drop Gigi off with Sherry, which meant the two got to explore the City of Lights through the eyes of tourists. One morning, Chris and Lorelai enjoyed a lovely Parisian meal where they really connected. Chris randomly asked Lorelai to marry him, which threw her off guard. His eagerness was so sincere that Lorelai couldn't say no.

Without thinking about the logistics of it or even talking about it with Rory, they got married in season 7, episode 7, "French Twist." In the eyes of many viewers, Christopher got worse and worse for pressuring Lorelai and rushing their relationship. Since the wedding was so rushed, there was always a strong chance Lorelai and Chris would divorce once the emotional high wore off and she'd had a chance to assess her decision.

12 They Didn't Talk To Rory About Getting Married Before Doing It

Lorelai Rushing Into Marriage Fractured The Family Unit

In Gilmore Girls season 7's "Introducing Lorelai Planetarium," Lorelai and Christopher were back in Stars Hollow after eloping in Paris. Lorelai knew that Rory was going to react strongly to the news and was worried. Christopher, on the other hand, didn't know Rory like he thought he did. When he proposed to Lorelai, he told her that Rory "would be thrilled" that her parents were now together.

As expected, Rory was anything but thrilled. She was mad that her mom didn't talk to her about marrying Christopher, and she thought her parents were rushing things. Knowing how close Lorelai and Rory were, it was a low blow to leave Rory out of such a big decision. It created a dynamic of friction early in Lorelai and Chris's marriage that made building the family home both had hoped for much more difficult.

11 Rory Never Trusted Christopher With Much

Christopher's Relationship With His Daughter Doomed His Marriage

Christopher was not a present dad in Rory's life. Rory grew up in Stars Hollow and Christopher only went there for the first time when she was 16. Whether it dealt with time, finances, or accountability — Rory never trusted Christopher. There were times Christopher ignored Rory's boundaries and showed up at Yale, thinking Rory would go along with whatever plan he had in store, but it never worked.

With Rory and Lorelai being so close, Lorelai would choose Rory over Christopher time and time again. Rory isn't the reason Lorelai and Christopher got divorced, but their marriage may have lasted longer if he was closer with his daughter.

10 Christopher Didn't Seem Too Keen On Living In Stars Hollow

Lorelai's Husband Didn't Realize Home Was Non-Negotiable

The difference between Luke and Christopher was that Luke could read Lorelai, while Christopher thought he could read Lorelai. Luke knew after one conversation with Lorelai that she didn't want to move out of her house and dropped the idea of house-hunting. Christopher, on the other hand, didn't seem interested in staying in Stars Hollow. He took her house-hunting in another town because he didn't love Lorelai's history with Stars Hollow. However, Lorelai never wanted to leave Stars Hollow, and separating her from the town was grounds for divorce.

9 Christopher Struggled To Integrate Into Lorelai's Community

Stars Hollow Never Accepted Christopher

It wasn't just Christopher who didn't love being in Stars Hollow — the people of Stars Hollow didn't like him much either. Season 7's "Knit, People, Knit" was the episode where Lorelai was embarrassed to show him off around town because she didn't know how her friends in town would react to him. This was an early crack in their relationship that foreshadowed Lorelai and Christopher's divorce, since the community of Stars Hollow is incredibly important to Lorelai.

When Christopher donated a large amount of money towards a Stars Hollow knit-a-thon event, the gesture backfired. It took the fun out of knitting and made it seem like he was trying too hard. In later episodes, Jackson and Christopher were at a bar together, and it was day and night compared to Jackson's interactions with Luke. Lorelai wouldn't have been able to last with someone who wasn't accepted (or accepting) of Stars Hollow.

8 Christopher Rushed Lorelai About Their Future

He Wanted To Have Kids Right Away Without Talking About It

In season 7's "Merry Fisticuffs," Christopher was eager to lock a future down with Lorelai in every possible way. Now that they were married, and he was trying to win over Stars Hollow, he realized the only other way to keep Lorelai bound to him forever was by having another kid. Lorelai was thrown off guard because they never talked about having more children.

Lorelai wasn't even sure if she wanted to be a mother once again, and the conversation made her uncomfortable. Christopher, however, saw Lorelai's hesitation as her confirmation that their marriage wouldn't work. This was a hasty conclusion, and perhaps a self-fulfilling prophecy when it came to Lorelai and Christopher's divorce a few episodes later.

7 There Was To Much History For Christopher In Stars Hollow

Luke Was Never Going To Leave The Picture

In Gilmore Girls season 7, episode 9, "Knit, People, Knit," Christopher realized how out of place he felt in Stars Hollow for a key reason — Luke. Lorelai and Luke's past were woven into so many aspects of the town. Christopher would never be able to escape him. Despite Luke and Christopher's hatred for each other, Luke was Lorelai's best friend. He helped raise Rory when Christopher wasn't there, and he served her favorite coffee. Christopher felt he couldn't compete. As long as Luke was in Stars Hollow, Lorelai and Christopher had no chance. While he was petty and paranoid about the situation, he was also inevitably right.

6 Lorelai's Involvement With Luke's Custody Battle

Christopher's Jealousy Drove Him To Leave

When Luke and Lorelai slowly started talking again, he knew she was the only person that could help him get custody of his daughter, April. She knew his character better than anyone and would go out of her way to help him get his daughter back. Even though many fans rooted for Lorelai and Luke, Christopher was still Lorelai's husband.

This all came to a head in season 7, episode 12, "To Whom It May Concern". While Christopher was eventually right about Lorelai's feelings for Luke, his jealousy still caused him to have an emotive reaction. When Christopher realized how involved Lorelai was in Luke's custody battle, his anger drove him to leave. Seeing her true feelings in the form of a letter was the start of the final stretch of road to Lorelai and Christopher's divorce.

5 Christopher Couldn't Accept That Lorelai Had Matured

Christopher Didn't Know Lorelai As Well He Thought He Did

Christopher claims to know Lorelai better than anyone, but realistically, Christopher knows the old Lorelai that he dated when they were teenagers. The Lorelai in his head and his heart was the Lorelai he fell in love with as a youth. However, Lorelai is a different woman in her adult years. She's much more responsible, and has grown up considerably thanks to raising Rory on her own.

His assumptions about their daughter, her points of view, and their future together were just that — assumptions. When Lorelai breaks the hard truth to Christopher, he has a meltdown. He was upset that Lorelai wasn't the same girl from their teen years. A painful breakup between the two began to ensue.

4 Christopher Placed Redemption Over Rory

A Second Chance Made Him Overlook His First Child

Christopher was so excited for a second chance at fatherhood when Gigi was born, but his parenting skills were nowhere near what he thought they were. When he moved in with Lorelai in season 7's "Introducing Lorelai Planetarium", he immediately told her that they were transforming Rory's room into Gigi's room. He told Lorelai that Rory wouldn't care, which proved he didn't know Rory (or Lorelai) at all.

He started moving all of Rory's things and it made Lorelai uncomfortable. She didn't want to swap Rory for Gigi. Lorelai slowed Christopher down, but not talking about where his daughter fit in their relationship was a lapse in judgment. They'd only just returned from getting married in Paris, and it was an early sign that Lorelai was having subconscious misgivings about her decision.

3 Christopher Sided With Emily Over Lorelai

Planning A Wedding With The Gilmores Brought Tension

No one was more thrilled about Lorelai and Christopher's union than Richard and Emily Gilmore. They had been rooting for the couple to marry for decades and were happy to throw them a party to celebrate in season 7's "Merry Fisticuffs". However, as usual, Lorelai hated every second of it and it showed how different she and Emily were. Emily and Christopher wanted to make the party a second ceremony, while Lorelai didn't want a ceremony at all. This brought a huge shift in Lorelai and Christopher's relationship and made them second-guess their union.

2 Luke Was There When It Mattered (Chris Wasn't)

Christopher Had An Inkling That Lorelai Never Healed From Luke

Christopher thought Lorelai's character reference for Luke was the end of their relationship, but it was really when he saw Luke at the hospital when Richard had a heart attack in Gilmore Girls season 7, episode 14, "Farewell, My Pet,". Lorelai called Christopher when her father was admitted to the hospital, but Christopher was a no-show.

Luke soon showed up to support Lorelai, and Rory with bags of food while they waited. The gesture meant a lot to Lorelai, since Christopher never answered her calls. When Christopher eventually showed up, he saw how Lorelai looked at Luke. Christopher knows that his relationship with Lorelai isn't going to work with Luke still in the picture after that, and he tells Lorelai as such.

1 Lorelai Realizes Christopher Was Right

The End Of An Era

Christopher and Lorelai were at a crossroads. Christopher wasn't there for Lorelai when her Richard was in the hospital, and he held a petty grudge over her for giving Luke a good character reference. Once again, his jealousy flared up, continuing to be a factor in why Lorelai and Chris got divorced — and, with this final slight, it finally happened.

By the end of the episode, it hit Lorelai that Christopher was right — she wasn't fully invested in their marriage. She and Christopher no longer fit in each other's lives, and she wasn't over Luke. Lorelai and Chris agreed to get divorced, ending their marriage and focus on Rory as co-parents instead of as husband and wife. However, if it weren't for Richard's hospitalization, there's still a chance Lorelai wouldn't have seen how petty Christopher acted at this critical moment, meaning Gilmore Girls could have ended very differently.

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  Gilmore Girls

  Summary:

  In the fictional town of Star's Hollow, single mother Lorelai Gilmore raises her high-achieving teenage daughter Rory. Mother and daughter rely on each other throughout their own life changes, romantic entanglements, and friendships.

  Release Date:

  2000-10-05

  Cast:

  Lauren Graham, Scott Patterson, Sean Gunn, Keiko Agena, Matt Czuchry, Alexis Bledel, Yanic Truesdale, Kelly Bishop, Melissa McCarthy, Edward Herrmann, Liza Weil, Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia

  Genres:

  Comedy, Drama

  Seasons:

  7

  Writers:

  Amy Sherman-Palladino

  Network:

  The WB

  Story By:

  amy sherman-palladino

  Streaming Service(s):

  Netflix

  Season List:

  Gilmore Girls - Season 1, Gilmore Girls - Season 2, Gilmore Girls - Season 3, Gilmore Girls - Season 4, Gilmore Girls - Season 5, Gilmore Girls - Season 6, Gilmore Girls - Season 7, Gilmore Girls - Season 8