Celebrity Divorce Blog | MyFamilyLaw

Shaq’s Wife Files for Legal Separation

K. McKinney — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:41:21 +0000

NBA star Shaquille O’Neal’s wife has filed for legal separation in Los Angeles. Va’shaundya O’Neal’s divorce attorney Sorrell Trope filed the documents on November 9, 2009. Shaq previously filed for divorce from Shaunie in Miami back in 2007, but the two reconciled and that case was dismissed last year.

The O’Neals have four children, from ages 9 to 3. They were married in L.A. in December, 2002 – when Shaunie was pregnant with their third child. They have lived in Florida since Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat from the Lakers in 2004 (Shaq currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers).

Shaunie O’Neal claims California residency since November 8 – the day before her filing. She is seeking legal and physical custody of the kids, with visitation for Shaq, as well as child support and spousal support. There is a cohabitation/prenuptial agreement in place although the details of that agreement have never been made public.

The move to California is interesting. TMZ.com argues that California has more lenient spousal support laws than Florida. People.com supposes that the move is to take advantage of “more generous community-property divorce law“. Depending on the terms of any prenuptial agreement, though, the property and spousal support issues are likely to be addressed by that document and not by a judge following property division and alimony laws.

One legal issue is clear though – Shaunie does intend to amend her petition for legal separation and obtain a final divorce. She filed under California Family Code section 2321, which allows someone to file for legal separation in the state even if he or she does not meet residency requirements, amending the document to a petition for dissolution upon meeting those requirements. In this case, it will be six more months before Shaunie meets the residency requirements – and probably many more months after that before the case is resolved.

Sorrell Trope of the law firm Trope and Trope has handled countless celebrity divorces and family law matters, including those of Nicolas Cage, Anna Nicole Smith, Nicole Kidman and Britney Spears.

Also See:

Shaq Files for Divorce – Will the Prenup Hold Up?

Shaq Divorce Dismissed

Frank & Jamie McCourt, L.A. Dodgers’ Owners, Divorcing

K. McKinney — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:05:24 +0000

Major league baseball – fresh on the heels of the divorce of the owner of the San Diego Padres – is once again in play in a California divorce court. Frank McCourt, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ owner, and his wife, Jamie McCourt, formerly the team’s CEO, are divorcing. The McCourts have been married since 1979 and have an estimated net worth of $1.29 billion, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal.

The McCourts purchased controlling interest in the Dodgers on Jan. 29, 2004 for $430 million (the team is valued at $722 million). Frank McCourt reportedly financed more than half the amount he invested when he bought the team from FOX Entertainment Inc. Jamie McCourt became the team’s CEO on March 17, 2009 and was reportedly relieved of her post by her husband this week. Prior to becoming CEO, she was club president since Aug. 12, 2005.

Frank McCourt’s attorney, Marshall Grossman, says his client has documents that back up the claim that Frank McCourt is the sole owner of the Dodgers. “Frank McCourt is the owner of the team. He has always been the owner of the team,” Grossman told the Los Angeles Times. Jamie McCourt’s divorce attorney, Dennis Wasser, believes otherwise. “Everything I’ve seen leads me to believe it’s 50-50, whether there’s a document or not,” Wasser commented. (Dennis Wasser is a longtime L.A. divorce lawyer whose clients include Tom Cruise. His daughter and law partner is Laura Wasser, who most recently represented Britney Spears in her divorce and custody matters.)

Community property laws in California would give Jamie McCourt a 50 percent share of the McCourt’s share of the Dodgers and any of her husband’s other assets acquired post-marriage – unless there is an agreement which indicates otherwise. It is not known whether a pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement exists between Frank and Jamie McCourt, who were college sweethearts.

In addition to the baseball franchise, the McCourts also own four pieces of pricey Southern California real estate – two properties in Holmby Hills and two in Malibu. These properties are reportedly valued at about $80 million. Public records indicate that Jamie McCourt is the sole titleholder to those properties and that Frank McCourt has waived any claim to them.

Avril Lavigne Files for Divorce

K. McKinney — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:56:13 +0000

After months of rumors, singer Avril Lavigne has filed for divorce from rocker husband Deryck Whibley. In her divorce petition, Lavigne cites “irreconcilable differences” , is not asking for spousal support, and has also requested not to pay spousal support to Whibley, frontman for the rock band Sum 41.

The couple separated on September 4th and was married for three years. In her blog, the singer confirmed the split, noting that they had been together for 6 1/2 years – first dating when she was 19 and Whibley was 23.

Reports indicate that Lavigne left Whibley and forced him to move out of their $9.5 million, 12,000-square-foot estate in Bel Air. She has recently been seen out with Dole Foods heir Justin Murdock. Whibley is rumoured to be dating a model.

“I am grateful for our time together, and I am grateful and blessed for our remaining friendship. I admire Deryck and have a great amount of respect for him. He is the most amazing person I know, and I love him with all my heart,” Lavigne noted in her blog. “Deryck and I are separating and moving forward on a positive note.”

While Lavigne and Whibley are both Canadian, they can be legally divorced in California, as they were married in California and apparently resided in California during their marriage. The former couple has no children. It is unknown whether there is a prenuptial agreement or not. While both parties are successful, it appears (at least to the casual observer) that Lavigne is the more financially successful of the two. Both, however, likely have substantial pre-marital property as well as marital earnings to consider.

Because this was a relatively short-term marriage, because there were no children and because both parties are of independent means, I would be surprised if this divorce is NOT handled fairly quickly and quietly.

Jesse James Goes Back to Court Over Daughter With Janine Lindemulder

K. McKinney — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:19:50 +0000

Motorcycle builder/reality television star Jesse James was in an Orange County, California court last week, where a judge was to decide whether his ex-wife Janine Lindemulder is fit to share custody of their 5-year-old daughter, Sunny. James owns the West Coast Choppers motorcycle shop and stars in the Discovery Channel show, “Monster Garage.” Lindemulder is a former Penthouse model and porn star. She has recently been serving a federal prison term for tax evasion.

The judge ruled that, for the next sixty days, Lindemulder will get six hours of visitation every Sunday and may pick up and drop off the child from 10:00am-4:00p.m. She may take the child on trips to the park and does not have to be monitored. Presumably, the custody arrangement will be reviewed after sixty days. The next hearing is scheduled for December 7th 2009.

James was granted full custody of Sunny while Lindemulder served her six-month prison term. Lindemulder has more recently been residing in a Los Angeles halfway house. James took Sunny to visit Lindemulder several times after she moved to the halfway house this summer. He claims that Lindemulder demanded that he leave the little girl there for three hours during a September visit, then called and asked him to pick her up early.

In his court filings, James asked the court to conduct a review upon Lindemulder’s release from custody to determine if their daughter will be safe during any custody/visitation time with Lindemulder.

In her court income declaration, a standard filing in family law cases, Lindemulder indicated that she works for Earl Miller Photography as a set designer. The company’s Web site carries a warning: “Contains explicit hardcore sexual images – minors under 18 (or under 21 where applicable) must leave now!”

At the hearing, James’ attorney raised concerns that Lindemulder had recently married someone she met at her halfway house. Her new husband has a criminal history including numerous felonies. His convictions include possession of a sawed-off shot gun, methamphetamine manufacture and possession, several DUIs, and driving without a license.

James and Lindemulder divorced in 2004, when Lindemulder was about eight months pregnant with their daughter. James married actress Sandra Bullock the next year.

Also See:

Jesse James Gets Custody as Ex Heads to Prison

Christie Brinkley and Ex Settled Latest Family Court Drama

K. McKinney — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:08:50 +0000

Christie Brinkley and her latest ex-husband Peter Cook can’t seem to figure out how to get along post-divorce. They were back in court in New York this week over custody and visitation issues. They ultimately settled their differences.

The former couple’s latest issues started last year over a school trip their son Jack was supposed to take to Egypt. (Hello?! A school trip to EGYPT?! Wow.) Cook was to accompany the school group but Jack was unable to travel because he did not have his passport. Cook accused Brinkley of failing to deliver the passport in order to interfere with his parenting time with Jack.

Brinkley claimed that she arranged for employees to drop it off when she had to unexpectedly be with a friend who had lost her mother.

Under their agreement, Brinkley is obliged to deliver passports for the children when necessary. Cook is also granted additional time with Jack to makeup for the time lost due to the canceled trip.

Both parties claimed victory outside the courtroom. “Ms. Brinkley is completely vindicated,” Peter Caronia, Brinkley’s lawyer, said in a statement. “The parties’ settlement approved by the judge today does not grant any of the requests in Peter Cook’s motion which dragged Ms. Brinkley back to court.”

“Mr. Cook was successful and got what he wanted, which was more parenting time with his children,” Cook’s lawyer Steven Kuhn told the media. “Ms. Brinkley isn’t to interfere with his time with his children.”

Cook had requested that Brinkley undergo anger-management therapy, that a parenting coordinator be assigned for the couple’s two children, and that a third party hold the kids’ passports. None of those requests was granted in the settlement.

Brinkley brought counterclaims against Cook, including an allegation that he had violated their confidentiality agreement, that also appear to be unaddressed in the settlement.

“Since Mr. Cook lost the custody battle in the divorce trial, he has staged a relentless smear campaign against Ms. Brinkley,” Caronia says. “Mr. Cook has tried repeatedly to tarnish Ms. Brinkley’s reputation by making defamatory statements during national television broadcasts, in print media and blogs. Ms. Brinkley chose not to exercise her right to hold Mr. Cook in clear violation of their original confidentiality agreement until Ms. Brinkley was served this unfounded and unwarranted court action at her children’s school holiday concert…”

Brinkley and Cook were divorced in July 2008 after a bitter and very public divorce trial.

Also See:

Christie Brinkley Divorce Case Heats Up

Christie Brinkley Divorce Trial Gets Ugly

Christie Brinkley Settles Divorce Case

Jon Gosselin Ordered to Return $180,000

K. McKinney — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:06:29 +0000

A judge ruled Tuesday in Pennsylvania that Jon Gosselin needs to return $180,000 to a bank account he owns jointly with estranged wife Kate Gosselin, according to her divorce lawyer.

The account allegedly held about $230,000 until Jon removed all but $1,345 earlier this month. Kate said on The View that she uses that account to pay the family’s bills.

Kate’s attorney said that she used $55,000 for household bills and expenses relating to the children, which apparently explains why Jon wasn’t required to return all $230,000. The remaining amounts are subject to further determination by an arbitrator. Jon’s attorney, unsurprisingly, says that there has been no determination or proof that Kate spent the $55,000 on family expenses.

“Nor has there been a determination concerning the hundreds of thousands of dollars that Kate has failed to account for in violation of the arbitrator’s order,” Jon’s lawyer said via written statement. “It may very well be determined that very substantial sums of money which Kate has failed to account for might have been misapplied and misused by Kate. As of now, Jon Gosselin chooses to give Kate the benefit of doubt, but we are all anxiously awaiting her compliance.”

Jon must return the funds to the account by October 26 or face contempt proceedings. Kate is also required to provide a detailed accounting of past expenses by the same date.

Kate says, “As difficult as this has been for me, I am pleased that the court has ruled fairly on behalf of myself and my children. Now that this matter has been ruled on, I look forward to returning to private arbitration, as we have agreed to do, to resolve any remaining issues.”

Other sites report that Jon claims that Kate is hiding money from the court and from Jon and his attorneys. There has been no proof offered for those allegations but if they were found to be true, such actions constitute fraud and generally establish sufficient reason to have settlement agreements and divorce judgments set aside. Parties engaging in fraud also open themselves up to additional civil lawsuits.

Frankly, Jon Gosselin’s behavior in the last few weeks (even the last few months) is unlikely to engender any sympathy or kindness from the judge, much as it has brought consistently negative media attention to the father of eight. I continue to find it amazing that some divorce attorneys actually advise their clients to behave in this manner.

It’s unfortunate but I’ve got to believe that these antics will continue to provide fodder for this blog for quite some time to come.

Beyonce’s Dad Hit with Paternity Suit

MyFamilyLaw Admin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:23:54 +0000

TMZ.com is reporting that singer Beyonce’s father/manager Mathew Knowles is facing a paternity suit in Los Angeles. Alexsandra Wright, 38, filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that Knowles is the father of her unborn baby.

Wright is six months pregnant and, according to TMZ, works in the “name-branding business” (but appeared in one episode of the sitcom Scrubs back in 2001 and one episode of JAG in 1999, according to IMDB.com). Knowles has been married to Beyonce’s mother, Tina Knowles since 1980.

Sources say Wright is represented by Hollywood family law attorney Neal Hersh, who currently represents Lamar Odom in prenup negotiations with Khloe Kardashian and has previously represented Kim Basinger, Brad Pitt, Pamela Anderson and Halle Berry.

Neither Knowles nor Hersh has made any public comment at this time.

By filing a paternity suit, Wright seeks a determination of the legal parentage of her child, a custody and visitation order upon the birth of the child, an award of prenatal and delivery expenses and a judgment of child support. All of this assumes though that Knowles will either admit fathering the child or will be proven the father after DNA testing.

Chris Evert and Greg Norman Split After 15 Month Marriage

MyFamilyLaw Admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:21:29 +0000

Reps for tennis legend Chris Evert and golf superstar Greg Norman have confirmed that the couple separated after 15 months of marriage. Talk about anti-climactic…

Evert and Norman became engaged in December 2007, then married in June 2008. It is believed that they became involved while each was married to someone else. Evert and her second husband Andy Mills divorced in December 2006. Norman and his first wife Laura Andrassy Norman also split in 2006. Laura Norman has been pretty vocal in the press about the role Evert and Greg Norman’s extramarital relationship played in the demise of her marriage.

The Norman divorce, after 25 years of marriage, was fairly vicious with a huge fortune at stake. Laura Norman’s divorce lawyers threatened several times to force Evert to testify in the case regarding various issues. She eventually settled for somewhere between $100 million and $150 million.

After the divorces were filed, Evert and Norman took their relationship public and were seen as a sports power couple. “The marriage is better than I expected,” Norman said shortly after their wedding. “We have a mutual respect for each other, and I love taking her a cup of coffee each morning … We are compatible and like many of the same things. It is easy to be happy.” Added Evert, “At this stage of our lives, Greg and I are every comfortable with each other.”

And yet, they couldn’t even make it to their second anniversary. “Chris and Greg will remain friends and supportive of one another’s family,” Evert’s rep, Tammy Starr, told People magazine. Norman’s rep also confirmed the split.

With the existence of premarital fortunes on both sides of the table as well as children from prior relationships and a wealth of experience in divorce court, it seems highly likely that these two executed a prenuptial agreement although that is unconfirmed at this time.

Also See:

Greg Norman, Chris Evert Divorce Spouses; Engaged to Each Other

Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom Marriage Not Legal Yet

MyFamilyLaw Admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:25:16 +0000

Despite the gowns, tuxedos, paparazzi and bling that accompanied reality TV star Khloe Kardashian and NBA player Lamar Odom’s nuptial event this weekend, it now appears that our speculation was accurate. According to reports, the wedding was not a legally binding ceremony.

Kardashian and Odom began negotiating a prenuptial agreement just last Friday, two days before their ceremony. In order for a prenup to be valid and enforceable, a court will generally require that the parties have had a reasonable period of time to consider the agreement before signing. So, it looks like Sunday’s wedding was for show (Literally. It was filmed and paid for by the Keeping Up with the Kardashians reality television crew.) Kardashian and Odom’s timing was the result of the TV show and the upcoming NBA season.

Purportedly, as soon as the couple has reached an agreement, they will marry legally. That won’t happen until Odom’s attorney Neal Hersh and Kardashian’s attorney Lisa Helfend Meyer hammer out an agreement.

Hersh knows his way around celebrity family law, having represented Kim Basinger, Brad Pitt, Pamela Anderson and Halle Berry in their divorces. Meyer previously represented Donna D’Errico in her custody fights with ex-husband Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx and billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s third wife, Lisa Bonder Kerkorian.

Also See:

Lamar Odom & Khloe Kardashian: Prenup Problems?

Lamar Odom & Khloe Kardashian: Prenup Problems?

MyFamilyLaw Admin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:25:16 +0000

L.A. Lakers player Lamar Odom’s wedding to Khloe Kardashian will apparently be paid for – to the tune of $1,000,000 – by the producers of one of the Kardashian family’s reality television shows. But the wedding has to occur according to the show’s production schedule (and prior to the start of the NBA season), so September 27th is the date.

Although the couple has only been dating for about a month and despite the fact that no prenuptial agreement has yet been hammered out, the wedding will apparently go on as directed, at the home of a family friend in Los Angeles.

Odom and Kardashian have both reportedly retained attorneys to negotiate a prenup. A quickie wedding, however, makes the chances of a fully-considered, valid prenuptial agreement extremely difficult. A prenup might not be enforceable in the future unless both parties fully disclosed their financial situations to one another and had a reasonable amount of time to consider the proposed agreement.

Some in the media believe that the big wedding might not be a legally binding ceremony – but just a show for the cameras. It certainly would not be the first time that a celebrity bride and groom (I know, it’s kind of a stretch to call these two celebrities…) had a wedding but didn’t officially marry until later, after signing a prenup.

Back in September 2004, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline were married at a friend’s home, complete with bridesmaids and groomsmen, but didn’t make it legal until a few weeks later – in October – after they finalized their prenuptial agreement. Prior to the “wedding” though, they signed an agreement and acknowledgment that the big event wasn’t binding in order to prevent future claims to the contrary.

Britney Gets 50/50 Custody of Kids for Near Future

MyFamilyLaw Admin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:01:01 +0000

Britney Spears will share 50/50 custody with Kevin Federline at least through the end of the year, according to TMZ.com. The gossip website says that an L.A. County Superior Court judge extended a temporary custody order that was initially put in place for Spears’s Circus concert tour which started in March 2009. The tour ends in Australia on November 29, 2009.

Apparently, under the terms of the order, Spears is allowed take their two young sons, Sean and Jayden, on the road with her. She must, however, provide Federline with a place to stay if he wants to follow them on tour. The paparazzi has photographed Federline and his girlfriend on several of the tour stops, including some in Europe.

TMZ says that the order provides Spears with minimum 50/50 custody of the kids and, at times, she has even more than 50/50 time. At the end of the year, after the tour ends, the judge will reevaluate custody. TMZ’s sources say that it seems likely that the 50/50 split will be continued after the end of the tour.

Spears pays Federline $20,000 a month in child support. In addition to this sum, he gets between $20,000 and $25,000 a month when the kids are outside of California. My guess is that this additional money is technically to cover the travel and meal expenses he incurs to spend time with the boys during the tour (and maybe even to compensate him for potential loss of income that he may give up in order to be with them). The amount is pretty high, especially if Spears is paying for his hotel costs (and I’m not sure exactly what income he may lose by traveling), so it likely also represents the result of a hard-fought negotiation.

I don’t believe that the custody order has been changed with regard to legal custody of the kids yet. The 50/50 split refers to physical custody or parenting time. As far as I know, Federline still has sole legal custody as Spears is technically under conservatorship of her father, following last year’s mental and emotional problems.

Until the probate court lifts the conservatorship, in effect finding that Spears is capable of handling her own legal and financial matters, I don’t see the family court giving her legal custody of her children. But we’ve been hearing that the conservatorship will be terminated after the tour ends, so the stars may be aligning for a major legal shift for Spears at the end of the year.

Gossip Girl’s Kelly Rutherford Gets Restraining Order Against Ex

MyFamilyLaw Admin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:55:25 +0000

Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford was granted a temporary restraining order against her ex-husband Daniel Giersch in L.A. this week. According to court documents, Rutherford alleged that Geirsch repeatedly harassed both her and their nanny. Rutherford and Giersch have two children, Hermes and Helena.

Giersch is now ordered to stay 100 yards away from Rutherford, her mother, the nanny, and Rutherford’s home, job and vehicle — “except for brief & peaceful contact as required for court-ordered visitation.”

Rutherford argued that Giersch “has harassed [my nanny] with questions about me virtually every time he sees her … last week Daniel’s harassment of [the nanny] led to an actual threat that he is going to file a lawsuit against her.” According to Rutherford, the nanny then quit.

The former couple just settled their custody battle last month, with both of them agreeing to attend co-parenting counseling sessions and to share joint legal and physical custody of the two kids. Since the initial divorce filing in December 2008, Rutherford and Giersch have continually fought over the children. The public mud-slinging seemed to end with the recent settlement.

Appearances were apparently deceiving. And now they’re back in court. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a motion to modify the custody arrangement filed soon.

Also See:

Anne Heche & Ex Hire Parenting Plan Coordinator

K. McKinney — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:02:59 +0000

Actress Anne Heche and her ex-husband Coleman Laffoon continue their family court drama. The cease-fires have been few and brief since their initial divorce filing back in February 2007. They settled their differences, including custody and visitation of their young son Homer, in June 2008. The divorce was finalized earlier this year.

Heche and Laffoon were back in the news a few weeks ago when Heche appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman. Heche, who pays $3,700 a month in child support to Laffoon, told Letterman that Laffoon was a “lazy ass” who was overly excited to open the mailbox and get his monthly child support check.

It appears that the comments were likely the result of escalating frustrations between the former couple. It now appears that they are having serious problems communicating with regard to Homer. They have now hired a “parenting plan coordinator” to help.

The coordinator gets paid $375 an hour for his or her work – which includes coaching Heche and Laffoon on effective co-parenting, helping them make joint parenting decisions and resolving disputes between the parents concerning the court-ordered parenting plan.

In my experience, these types of coordinators or case managers are only brought in when the parents are almost completely incapable of communicating with each other. Constant drama, persistent calls to the court and unrelenting conflict wear judges and divorce attorneys out. When the family court judge gets frustrated enough with the parties, he or she will resort to a parenting coordinator or case manager. These are generally legal and/or mental health professionals who are brought in as impartial third-parties to resolve daily conflict – to the tune of $375 an hour.

Regardless of the parental conflict, Heche is probably best advised to stop bad-mouthing her son’s father in the press. It accomplishes nothing constructive and will ultimately probably damage Homer. (Side note: same advice goes to Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin…) Hopefully, the new coordinator will help these two get their act together.

Also See:

Jayson Williams Ordered to Pay $200K in Back Support

K. McKinney — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:09:45 +0000

Former New Jersey Nets star Jayson Williams reportedly cried to a Manhattan Supreme Court Judge last week, claiming that he is broke. Williams was ultimately ordered to pay his estranged wife, Tanya Young Williams, $200,000 in overdue child support and spousal support or face going to jail.

Williams, who made $87 million playing for the Nets and then enjoyed a television career, insisted he used the last of his money to pay the mortgages on his three homes in South Carolina. He also said that he had to borrow money to pay for his children’s private school tuition (you might remember these two? Tryumph and Whizdom? How could you forget those names?)

The judge apparently had little sympathy for Williams, ordering him to sell his houses and his interest in a professional lacrosse team. Tanya Williams and the kids live in Manhattan. She filed for divorce in February of this year.

In July, Williams was ordered to pay $20,000 a month in maintenance (also known as spousal support or alimony) and child support, pending the resolution of the divorce case. The order was made retroactive to March of this year. It is not unusual for support orders to be made retroactive to the date upon which the support was requested.

Williams made no payments and Tanya’s lawyers went back to court to seek the judge’s assistance in getting support payments made.

Williams had a seemingly terrific post-NBA existence until about seven years ago. His vibrant personality made him a natural in television but his life began spiraling out of control in 2002 when he was charged with fatally shooting a limo driver at the family’s mansion in New Jersey. A jury convicted Williams of trying to cover up the crime, but deadlocked on a reckless manslaughter charge. He is still waiting for the retrial of that case.

Also See:

Jayson Williams’ Wife Makes Serious Divorce Allegations

Hugh Hefner Divorcing After 11 Year Separation

K. McKinney — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:13:47 +0000

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner filed for divorce from his wife, former Playmate Kimberly Conrad, last Friday in Los Angeles. They’ve been married since July 1989 but separated since 1998. Since the separation, Conrad and the couple’s two sons lived in a home next door to the famed Playboy Mansion in L.A.

Hefner says he paid Conrad $40,000 a month pursuant to a prenuptial agreement following their separation and claims that, in total, he gave her close to $12 million since 1998. (They apparently had a postnuptial agreement as well.) He filed for divorce after Conrad sued him recently for $5 million stemming from the sale of the home Conrad was living in.

Hefner told the media: “I would’ve been happy to divorce her when we separated, but she wanted to remain married for our boys.” The couple’s boys, Marston and Cooper Hefner, are now both in college.

He asked the court to set spousal support for Conrad at $20,000 a month. His income and expense statements reveal that he makes almost $300,000 a month – from Playboy salary, investments, Social Security and other income. He lists his assets at about $43 million. Hef wants the monthly payments to end in two years, or after a trial on the couple’s divorce is held, whichever comes first.

Hef claims that he was “faithful” during the time he and Conrad were together, but says she cheated on him “early in the relationship.” He has lived with three girlfriends at the Playboy Mansion since 2001. Their relationship has been the subject of the E! show “The Girls Next Door.”

Hefner founded Playboy magazine in 1953 and has two adult children from a first marriage.

I don’t know what Conrad intends to do going forward but it seems unlikely that she could successfully challenge the prenuptial or postnuptial agreements (unless she has newly-discovered proof of fraud on Hef’s part). She has lived by the terms of the agreements for over a decade. It is doubtful that a court would now let her argue that those same terms are unconscionable in some way.

Without knowing the exact claims made in the civil lawsuit, Conrad may have a better shot of getting more money out of her estranged husband in that court than in family court.

Lisa Wu Hartwell's Custody Case Set for Trial

K. McKinney — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:02:01 +0000

Lisa Wu Hartwell of The Real Housewives of Atlanta is scheduled to be in Fulton County (Georgia) court in just over a month to argue for sole custody of her 14- and 11-year-old sons by R&B singer Keith Sweat. Sweat and Hartwell were married from 1991 until their final split in 2002. (Between the two, there were five divorce filings before the final filing in August 2002.) The ensuing divorce was apparently very ugly with allegations of infidelity, violence, fraud and more. Ultimately, the judge in that case awarded sole legal and physical custody of the boys to Sweat.

Now remarried, mother to a 2-year-old son by current husband Ed Hartwell and star of a popular reality show, Lisa Wu Hartwell wants custody of her older sons. She filed a motion to modify the custody order in February and the court has set the case for trial on October 5. “I’ve already been seeing them four or five times a week, but now the time has come when I want to have them with me full-time,” she told Star magazine.

Interestingly, Hartwell also told Star, “I immediately filed for an appeal after the verdict, but I was never given a court date in five years. I’ve been afraid of the judicial system, but I’m finally taking the bull by the horns and trying to get my boys back again!” I find it highly unlikely that any appeal she may have filed just slipped through the cracks and she “was never given a court date”. Her statement may be technically true but it may be that her case did not legally warrant a hearing.

Her statement that she was “afraid of the judicial system” is also interesting. She filed for divorce from Sweat at least three times and filed for bankruptcy in 2005. In the bankruptcy, she successfully got out from under over $500,000 in debt – including $150,000 in lawyer’s fees, $150,000 owed to Sweat and $189,000 on a foreclosed mortgage.

Frankly, Hartwell’s motives seem a bit suspect, especially when she makes comments to the tabloids about having her older sons appear on the Real Housewives show. Sweat has refused to sign a waiver to allow the boys to appear on the show. Hartwell tells Star that, if she’s successful in her bid for custody, Jordan and Justin will appear on the show.

“If Keith has a hang-up about our sons being on TV, I would be fine with that. But Real Housewives is supposed to be a reality series, and the reality is that all the fans watching believe I only have one child,” Hartwell commented. “Jordan and Justin understand what the show involves, and they’d love to do it. I adore all three of my sons — and I believe they all have a rightful place on the show.” I imagine that the family court judge will be interested to hear that she intends to have them take their “rightful place” if she is awarded custody.

As I’ve opined before, I will be very surprised if the court awards Hartwell sole legal and physical custody of the boys. If the court believes she has her life back in order, it may very well modify custody to allow for joint legal custody with a liberal parenting schedule – but it would most certainly not punish Sweat by taking all custody rights away from him. (And, I’m guessing that the boys’ potential appearance on the TV show will be a topic of discussion at the hearing. Sweat would likely have to agree to have them appear, even if joint custody is granted.)

Eddie Cibrian Files for Divorce Amidst Rumors of Affair

K. McKinney — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:09:36 +0000

Actor Eddie Cibrian has filed for divorce from his wife of eight years, Brandi Glanville. Rumors of trouble between these two heated up this spring when Cibrian was seen on surveillance video on an apparent date with singer LeAnn Rimes. Rimes and Cibrian co-starred in a Lifetime movie, filmed last fall. Cibrian has starred in several television series including Third Watch and and Baywatch Nights.

At the time, all parties involved denied any extramarital affair and both couples seemed to go out of their way to put on a happy face for the media. Then, Rimes and her husband of seven years, Dean Sheremet, put their Nashville mansion on the market in May. Even after that news, Rimes still denied that a divorce was in the works.

Finally, in July, Cibrian and Glanville announced their separation. Glanville took immediately to the media, accusing Rimes of stalking Cibrian. Sources then told the tabloids that Rimes and Sheremet had, in fact, been separated for “quite some time”. Just last week, Rimes and Cibrian appeared together in public on a golf outing – apparently now confirming their relationship.

Both marriages occurred after the famous spouse achieved some degree of fame but it is unknown whether there are prenuptial agreements in place. In modern day America, it is unlikely that either Cibrian or Glanville will be “punished” financially in family court for their indiscretions. While “no-fault divorce” officially refers to the legal grounds for divorce, most family courts look to divide marital property equally or close to equally, even where there has been adultery by one party.

Glanville and Cibrian have two sons: Mason, 6, and Jake, 2. Rimes and Sheremet have no children.

UPDATE: Cibrian is represented in the divorce by noted L.A. family law attorney Neal Hersh. Hersh previously represented Kim Basinger and Brad Pitt in their divorces.

Transformers Star Tyrese Gibson Wraps Up Divorce

K. McKinney — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:55:17 +0000

Model-turned-rapper-turned-actor Tyrese Gibson was married to Norma Mitchell for 10 months before he filed for divorce late last year. Their divorce took almost as long to settle as the entire marriage. Eight months after the filing, the former couple has settled their divorce case including custody of their 2-year-old daughter, Shayla.

A judge approved the terms of their settlement last week in Los Angeles. RadarOnline posted a copy of the court’s judgment. Gibson and Mitchell will share legal custody of Shayla but Mitchell appears to have primary residential custody of the child. Gibson has visitation with Shayla every Friday, Saturday and Sunday – but none of those visits are overnight stays. Gibson will pay $6,230 a month in child support.

Although Gibson had been temporarily ordered to pay rent on behalf of Mitchell, those payments are no longer required under the final judgment and both parties waived any right to request spousal support. Gibson is required to pay the remaining lease payments on Mitchell’s Land Rover and purchase the vehicle for Mitchell when the lease runs out.

They divided their marital property with Mitchell receiving a $42,500 cash payment to equalize the distribution. Gibson retained his premarital home in Temecula, California.

Gibson, who appeared in this summer’s Transformers sequel, was represented in the settlement by family law attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, who previously represented Kevin Federline in his divorce and custody battles against Britney Spears.

Also See:

Tyrese in Divorce Battle after 10 Month Marriage

Tyrese’s Prenup Details Released

Robin Wright Penn and Sean Penn Divorce: It's Back On

K. McKinney — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:21:38 +0000

Robin Wright Penn filed for divorce from her husband, actor Sean Penn. Again. The Princess Bride and Forrest Gump actress filed paperwork in Marin County, California last week – the third time in the last two years that this couple has been in family court.

This time, Wright Penn’s filing states that “both parties have already agreed to [shared] custody” over their minor son, Hopper Jack, and that “the estranged couple have already agreed to division of all property.” She did not request spousal support.

The Penns have been together since 1989, married since 1996. They have two kids – 18-year-old Dylan (headed to college) and 16-year-old Hopper.

Penn originally filed for divorce back in December 2007. Wright Penn filed her own case that month as well. Those cases were ultimately dismissed, as the couple reconciled. Penn was back in court in April of this year, filing for legal separation. That case was dismissed as well.

In an interview released Monday, the actress told More magazine that she had no plans to reconcile with her husband. “I hit that crossroad a while ago,” she said. “I know what I don’t want.”

Also See:

Sean Penn Files for Separation

Sean Penn Drops Legal Separation Case…Again

Actor John Cleese Settles Divorce for Almost $20 Million

K. McKinney — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:23:15 +0000

British actor John Cleese has finally settled his 18-month-long divorce battle with ex-wife Alyce Faye Eichelberger Cleese. The Cleeses were married in 1992 and divorced last year – although their financial matters were bifurcated and not determined until just last week.

Cleese, who found fame in the Monty Python television show and films, agreed to pay Alyce, a psychotherapist, $13 million in cash and assets plus monthly spousal support of about $82,000 for the next seven years, taking the total package to almost $20 million.

Some of the assets going to Alyce Cleese? A $1.2 million apartment in New York’s Upper East Side, a $3.3 million house in London, and half the proceeds of a $10 million beach house in Santa Barbara that is still on the market.

Cleese was quoted as saying, “I got off lightly. Think what I’d have had to pay Alyce if she had contributed anything to the relationship.” (I’d probably be a bit cranky too if I had to hand over those kinds of assets!)

Although Cleese was already well off due to the Monty Python franchise and his other British TV hit, Fawlty Towers, his financial position and career were even more prosperous after the marriage as a result of good investments and popular films like A Fish Called Wanda. The couple moved from Great Britain to California shortly after their wedding.

After they decided to divorce, Alyce made substantial financial demands. She outlined the couple’s use of private jets, a staff of chefs, chauffeurs, massage therapists and personal stylists, and requested $117,000 a month in spousal support. She also sought half of everything Cleese had earned since their marriage and half of his nine real estate holdings – a typical demand in a community property state like California, where the divorce was filed.

Cleese disagreed with his wife’s memory of their lifestyle, claiming that they only used a private jet twice over 14 years. And many of his real estate holdings were devalued in the current market.

The actor, divorced twice before, has blamed Alyce’s tactics on her divorce attorney Jacqueline Misho. He claims that his two previous divorce were “peaceful affairs”.