With fame, fortune, and success often comes the added difficulty of a very public personal life. Most people with large assets to protect enter marriage comfortably believing it will last, but find comfort in a prenuptial agreement in case it doesn’t. When the unthinkable divorce does indeed happen however, many celebs give in to the outrageous demands of their spouses, managers, and attorneys to protect their reputation. Here are some of the most expensive and extravagant divorce settlements among the rich and famous in recent years.
1. Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore
After having seven children together in their 31 years of marriage, Robyn and Mel Gibson separated immediately after Mel was arrested for drunk driving in 2006. Robyn filed for divorce in 2009 and since no prenuptial agreement was in place, she was entitled to half his estate, averaging about $450 million. This was reportedly one of the most expensive divorce settlements in Hollywood’s history. Following the divorce settlement, Gibson had to shell out $750,000 and a house in California to his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, who is the mother of his eighth child, Lucia.
What went wrong?Reports of a misdemeanor battery charge in combination with a drunk driving arrest caused problems that led to the absolving of a long marriage and the breakup with his girlfriend following the divorce.
2. Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
In 2010, at the height of his career as the best golfer in America with the highest salary in the industry, Tiger Woods was exposed as a serial cheater, with over a dozen women admitting to having affairs with the professional athlete. As a result, Woods lost important endorsements, took a hiatus from golf, and underwent an expensive, yet private divorce from his wife of six years. Though the settlement amount has never been confirmed, Nordegren was rumored to have received $110 million outright with large monthly child support benefits. Even at this minimum of $20 million for every year of marriage, the Woods-Nordegren settlement made celebrity divorce history.
What went wrong? It’s safe to say that having dozens of secret extra-marital affairs can really put a damper on a marriage, not to mention ruin a career and soil a reputation.
3. Michael Jordan and Juanita Jordan
After 17 years of marriage, Juanita received $168 million in the divorce settlement, which was one-third of the basketball star’s net worth. They did sign a post-nuptial agreement after Jordan had been in the NBA for five years, but the couple mutually and amicably divorced in 2006.
What went wrong? The couple rarely had instances of public turmoil in the relationship, but fame and celebrity proved to be hard on their family and led to the end of their marriage.
4. Madonna and Guy Ritchie
In 2008, Madonna’s eight year marriage ended, leaving her $92 million poorer and wondering if she would ever find love again. While we expect celebrity divorces to be riddled with scandal and corruption, Madonna and Ritchie appeared to have simply fallen out of love. Friends said Madonna had some eccentric lifestyle choices that made her difficult to live with.
What went wrong? What happened to Madonna’s marriage happens to many marriages that end in divorce. As people grow apart, they lose sight of the commitments they made when, as Madonna said, things were “flawless” in the relationship.
Despite the Hollywood divorce stories that make it seem as if money is everything, the emotional upset of divorce is very real for everyone from celebrities to the average Joe. Finding an attorney who is sensitive to the difficulty of divorce while being willing to fight for your financial rights is an important part of the divorce process. Brad Crider, a practiced Arizona family law attorney, specializes in the complex division of assets and understands the impact of separation on the modern-day family. Contact Crider Family Law to set up your initial consultation and let Brad begin fighting for your financial rights today.
