Man gets divorced after 10 years and his Irish friends turned somber milestone into something unforgettable

Cakes are a staple at any celebration. Whether it’s a birthday, wedding, or anniversary, a cake is always part of the occasion. But who says you can’t cut into one after parting ways with your spouse? A newly divorced man, Billy—who goes by u/WhoisMrBilly on Reddit—shared a photo of a special "divorce cake" his friends in Ireland made to cheer him up. "My friends here in Ireland made me a divorce cake. They're the best. Mixed feelings," he captioned the post. 

The "Star Wars"-themed cake was brought in by his friends to mark a fresh start in his life. The cake had a Darth Vader toy on top of it, flashing his red lightsaber. A small cake decor on the side of the toy read, "May divorce be with you." The line had put a twist on the classic "Star Wars" quote, "May the force be with you." Billy, who is actually from Seattle but currently lives in Ireland, spoke to Newsweek about his pop-culture-influenced divorce cake scenario. 

Billy originally planned to travel to China during his university years but ended up in Ireland, where he fell in love with the Irish people. He decided to pursue his Master's degree at the University of Galway and landed a job as a lecturer in Dublin. However, Billy ended up separating from his wife after 10 years. "We had our troubles and the marriage ultimately didn't survive," he told the outlet. He added that it took them 90 days to get officially divorced in the U.S. Though he was going through a rough patch in his personal life, Billy found a network of amazing friends during this time.

"The Irish are great and have been supportive through this entire hard process," Billy mentioned. "I went out and had some mulled wine and a night of Mongolian throat singing concert with some other friends. The next day was a quiet sort of reflection for the day and then dinner and cake with friends." That was when his friends brought out the divorce cake for him. "I was like, 'nobody gives you a cake when you get divorced—I want a divorce cake. It made me feel a sense of completion. It felt like a celebration of resilience, personal growth and the start of a new chapter. This isn't the outcome I would have hoped for or the one I would have liked, but it does seem to be the necessary one ultimately for us both to grow," Billy continued.

Billy expressed gratitude for having an incredible network of friends. He also maintained close ties with his friends in America, regularly connecting with them through online gaming sessions. "My friends in the U.S. and Ireland are the best—we chat every day. They encourage me and keep me pointed in the right direction. I don't think most men don't have the same thing and that's a tragedy considering the struggles I had even with this network and counseling," Billy concluded. The Reddit community chimed in with supportive comments, applauding Billy's friends for their thoughtful efforts to lift his spirits.

u/Bruncvik explained, "Also in Ireland. My wife recently attended a divorce party (not hers). Apparently, it's becoming a thing here, with outfits and decor similar to bachelorette parties." u/igordogsockpuppet commented, "I had a pair of friends that were married, but shouldn't have been. After a few years, they had a divorce ceremony. They performed it like a wedding. The same officiated, the same groomsmen, the same bridesmaids. Some still wearing the original bridesmaids' dresses." u/alwaysfatigued8787 joked, "I'm pretty sure that Darth Vader still owes a lot of back child support for the years of being absent for Luke. This is the dark side of divorce."