Holly Zeilenga's cheerful divorce announcement has divided the internet, with viewers questioning her behavior toward her ex-husband.
The content creator filmed the moment their marriage officially ended outside the courthouse, then, in a bizarre move, took him out for lunch and Christmas shopping.
But while some fans celebrated her new beginning, others felt sorry for her ex and questioned who was really at fault.
Highlights
- Holly Zeilenga celebrated her divorce with a cheerful courthouse video, then took her ex-husband out for lunch and shopping.
- While some viewers accused Holly of being “cruel” and sided with her ex, others argued she had every reason to celebrate finally moving on.
- The content creator previously claimed she carried the marriage while her ex wanted “less responsibility.”
One person wrote, “You can easily tell who the problem is!”
Holly Zeilenga celebrated her divorce in a cheerful courthouse video, followed by lunch and a shopping trip with her ex-husband
Holly Zeilenga, a lifestyle and family content creator known for her cozy cooking videos, recently shared an unexpected update with her followers: she and her husband, James Shepherd, were officially divorced.
Rather than documenting an emotional goodbye, Holly appeared delighted as she filmed the moment outside the courthouse.
Holding up the final judgment papers, she announced, “Hi, we just got divorced. This is so exciting... And I am single.”
She explained that the judge had asked them a few questions, including some about their frozen embryos, before confirming that their divorce was final.
“He said, 'You're officially divorced as of this moment, and it's over,’” she told her viewers.
Holly then revealed that she had given James a ride to the courthouse because he was worried about parking downtown.
As they walked back to the car, she turned to him and joked, “It's all downhill from here for you. You're missing out. I'm the best. I'm the best you've ever had.”
The former couple then went to Olive Garden, a restaurant they used to visit when they first started dating.
Holly joked that maybe that was when they lost their spark, then explained they were having one last meal together.
Their day continued with a trip around JCPenney and Hobby Lobby to look at Christmas decorations.
Holly previously said she felt she was carrying the marriage while James wanted less responsibility
The unusually cheerful footage quickly caught viewers' attention, with many questioning how Holly could appear so happy while her ex-husband seemed visibly less enthusiastic.
The courthouse video offered only a glimpse of the couple's relationship, but Holly had shared more about their separation in a YouTube update in May 2026.
At the time, she said she was heartbroken and had never imagined they would reach that point.
However, she also said she felt she was doing most of the work in their marriage, including making plans and managing their shared responsibilities.
“I feel like this video is a good representation of how things have been with us lately. James sitting back, not contributing, while I'm the one who has to make all of our plans and do all the work,” she said.
Holly also opened up about their four-year fertility journey, during which she said she had undergone dozens of procedures, experienced considerable pain, and spent thousands of dollars trying to have a child together.
According to her, after all those efforts, James decided he wanted less responsibility in life.
“The kids and I are going to keep shooting for the stars and chasing our dreams. I'm a completely capable person and know that I don't need a man in order to do that,” she said, adding that she believed things would only get better.
Holly is now a single mother through fertility treatments she underwent before meeting James, and has two children: her son Shepherd and daughter Satie.
Social media users questioned Holly's cheerful attitude, with several calling her the “problem” and taking her ex's side
Despite Holly's explanation of why the marriage ended, her courthouse video prompted a wave of criticism from viewers who felt she was being unnecessarily unkind to James.
One commenter wrote, “The last part when he walked and gave a wave without turning tells me all I need to know.”
A third suggested, “He'll get back in shape in 3 months, regain his self-esteem, meet someone younger, get married and have 3 kids within 2 years. She'll be posting about how he's a creep for marrying a younger woman.”
One comment read, “Bro just want to leave, but she had to make content about the whole situation. He dodged a bullet.”
“The man has got his life back. But he has evidently been so drained of energy that he doesn’t know it yet.”
However, not everyone agreed that Holly's behavior was cruel.
Many viewers argued that the courthouse footage could not be judged fairly without considering what she had previously shared about their relationship.
“He decided after years of her supporting him and them deciding to grow their family, he was done. He didn’t want any responsibility, and he was over it. She has been nothing but nice to him since he decided this. Now if this was me, I would tell him to F off if he needed a ride to court, but she is a better person than me,” one supporter wrote.
Supporters argued Holly had the right to celebrate her freedom after years of carrying the household and fighting for their future alone
Another viewer added, “This is why context is important. Because while it seems that way, he’s definitely the a**hole, not her.”
Others expressed, “People don't realize how exhausting it is to carry the entire household and a partner who acts like a third child. She has every right to celebrate getting her life back, especially for her kids' sake.”
Some also felt Holly showed James more kindness than he could have expected by giving him a ride and spending the day with him after their divorce was finalized.
In a YouTube video shared on September 14 titled LIFE UPDATE (Divorce, Am I still having the baby, Am I working, etc.), Holly revealed that she was once again moving forward with her surrogacy journey as a single mother by choice.
During their final court hearing, questions also arose about the frozen embryos the former couple had created.
Holly explained that the embryos were biologically hers, created using her eggs and the same sperm donor she had used to conceive her first two children.
Although James had no genetic connection to the embryos, he was technically considered a legal owner because they were created while the couple was married.
The court ultimately finalized an agreement allowing Holly to retain full usage rights to the embryos.
“I'm glad she isn't stuck with him. The more time goes by, the more she will realize that she deserves so much better,” one fan wrote
