Behind the dazzling lights and death-defying illusions of his Las Vegas shows, magician Criss Angel‘s personal life has recently taken a very public and painful turn. For over a decade, his relationship with Shaunyl Benson was a central part of his story, a journey that included secret weddings, children, and a battle with pediatric cancer that tested their strength. Today, that chapter appears to have closed in a storm of social media accusations, with both parties sharing their raw, conflicting versions of what went wrong.
The story of their split is unfolding online for all to see, revealing a complex narrative of love, betrayal, and a struggle to control the story. As fans watch this real-life drama unfold, the focus has shifted from the magician on stage to the man and the family now facing an uncertain future.
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A Complicated Relationship: Marriage, Divorce, and Another Split
Criss Angel and Shaunyl Benson, an Australian songwriter and model, first got together around 2012 after meeting through mutual friends in the entertainment industry. They kept their romance away from the public eye for three years before deciding to tie the knot in a secret ceremony in February 2015. The public eventually learned of their marriage, but the fairy tale was short-lived. Reports emerged that the couple had divorced just a year later, in 2016, with the pressures of Angel’s demanding career and new parenthood cited as reasons for the split.
Remarkably, their story didn’t end there. After a brief separation, the couple found their way back to each other and reconciled. Their family grew, and in a moving gesture in November 2023, Angel proposed to Benson again, presenting her with a new ring and symbolizing a fresh start for their “wild ride” of a relationship. However, in October 2025, this on-again, off-again relationship seems to have reached its final act.
Both Angel and Benson took to Instagram to confirm they have parted ways after 13 years together. Angel dramatically changed his Instagram bio to “Single Father of 3 Beautiful Kids,” making the new reality of their situation clear to the world.
A Public Clash of Accusations
The breakup has been anything but quiet. Angel kicked things off with a cryptic post featuring an empty, swaying swingset set to the emotional song “Changes” by Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne. In his message, he spoke of going through a personal struggle and accused an unnamed “narcissist” of having “destroyed a beautiful family in pursuit of another man.” He urged his fans not to support this person, whom he claimed had “damaged the lives of beautiful children.”
Benson was quick to respond. Just minutes after his post, she shared a video of her own to set the record straight. While she admitted that she had once sent a message to a “rockstar” after feeling lonely in the relationship, she insisted the conversation went nowhere and was the first time in 12 years she had spoken to another man. She fiercely denied that her decision to leave had anything to do with someone else. Instead, she turned the tables, alleging that “infidelity had been very present” on Angel’s end throughout their relationship.
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She claimed to have discovered “around 16 to 17 instances of infidelity” and described a “heart-shattering” moment four years ago when, while breastfeeding their premature daughter, she learned of “young girls” having to send “really personal, disgusting things” to their boss. Benson stated she had forgiven much for the sake of their home but ultimately decided she could no longer “live a lie.”
A Family and Its Scars
At the heart of this public dispute are three young children: Johnny, 11; Xristos Yanni, 6; and Illusia, 3. Their eldest son, Johnny, is a cancer survivor who battled B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a journey the family faced together before he was declared cancer-free in January 2022. This shared experience of fighting for their child’s life makes the current acrimony all the more poignant. Both Angel and Benson have indicated that their children are their priority, with Angel vowing to focus on his role as a single father and Benson explaining that she tried for years to make the relationship work for the sake of their kids.
The online spat has also featured a battle over definitions. In response to Angel’s use of the word “narcissist,” Benson fired back, “A narcissist is the one that’s trying to control the narrative.” She suggested that she enjoyed a “luxurious lifestyle” only as long as she was “compliant and kept quiet,” and that finding her voice had put her in jeopardy. This very public and messy exchange underlines the deep hurt and conflicting perspectives at play. For now, the curtain has fallen on Criss Angel and Shaunyl Benson’s long-running relationship, leaving their audience of fans to piece together the illusions of a happy family from the scattered fragments left behind.
