The A List celebrities have salaries that are in the financial stratosphere, and so are their divorce settlement’s.
Forbes Magazine has complied a list of The Ten Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces. The list was televised on E Entertainment, the cable television channel. The Forbes (forbes.com) list is made of of A List celebrities who payed big time at the breakup of their marriages. The couples on this list were together for an average of 12.5 years, making them fairly long term, by celebrity standards.
The divorce settlements were huge, but the stars could afford them. The celebrities on this list are some of the most powerful, and most highly paid, stars of these times. Many of the celebrities on this list also dominated Forbes ranking of the Celebrity 100.
1. Michael and Juanita Jordan. The basketball legend married Juanita in 1989 and divorced in 2007. Juanita could receive up to half of his assets, for a settlement of $150 million.
2. Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey: The singer married the production assistant in 1969. Marcia filed for divorce in 1994 and got about half of Diamond’s fortune. The estimated settlement is $150 million. Reportedly Neil Diamond said , “she’s worth every penny” reports Forbes.
3. Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving: The Director and Actress were married for four years. They had a prenuptial agreement, written on a napkin, that Amy Irving was able to contest because she didn’t have legal representation. Amy Irving was awarded $100 million, about one half of Steven Spielberg’s fortune at the time. He is estimated to have a fortune of about $3 billion now.
4. Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison: The couple married in 1983 and divorced in 2004. Harrison Ford was one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors during their marriage, making $20 million a film. Melissa got an estimated $85 million and a pieces of Harrison’s future earnings.
5. Kevin Costner and Cindy Silva: The college sweethearts wed in 1978 and were married for 16 years, during which time Kevin because one the the most highly paid actors in Hollywood. Cindy Silva was awarded approximately $80 million.
6. Paul McCartney and Heather Mills: After Paul was widowed by his beloved wife, Linda, he met and married former model Heather Mills. The couple, who shared four years of marriage, have one daughter. The settlement is not final, but rumors mention $60 million of Sir Paul’s estimated &700 million.
7. James Cameron and Linda Hamilton: The couple met on the set of The Terminator and reportedly lived together for years before marrying. They married in 1997 and the marriage ended 18 months later. The had one daughter before they wed. Cameron directed the blockbuster “Titanic” during this time and received a whopping $100 million bonus from Paramount. Linda Hamilton received half of that amount, for a settlement estimated at $50 million.
8. Michael and Diandra Douglas: Michael was in his thirties when he wed 19 year old Diandra at a Jimmy Carter inauguration party in 1977. They had a whirlwind romance, marrying several weeks after meeting. During their marriage, Michael became one of Hollywood’s top earning stars. After 21 years of marriage, Diandra was awarded as estimated $45 million. They continue to share a home in Majorca (six months each) according to E Entertainment. Michael married another much younger woman, movie star Catherine Zeta Jones.
9. Lionel and Diane Richie: Lionel Richie divorced his first wife, with whom he had adopted Nicole Richie, in 1993. In 1996 he married his second wife, Diane. The couple lived lavishly and had two children. In Diane’s 2004 divorce petition, she detailed the expenses for continuing the lifestyle that she had become accustomed to. Her claims included a monthly clothing allowance of $15,000, and $5,000 a month for personal services such as massages and manicures. Her claims also included a plastic surgery budget of $20,000 a year. The estimated settlement was $20 million.
10. Mick Jagger & Jerry Hall: Rolling Stones rock star, Mick Jagger, met young model Jerry Hall in 1977. The couple had two children before marriage, and two more children after they were married. The couple married in a Hindu wedding ceremony in Bali, Indonesia in 1990. Although they were together for years, they had separated at least twice, as a result of Mick’s infidelity. Jerry filed for divorce for a final time after learning that Mick had fathered a child with a young model. Mick was able to challenge the legality of their marriage, and even though they had four children the marriage was annulled. Exact figures were not available, but Jerry was estimated to have received between $15 and $25 million. This was less that 10 percent of Mick’s estimated fortune at the time, which was approximately $325 million.
Forbes lists of the Ten Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces examined divorces within the last 25 years, utilizing press reports and court documents to verify settlements. The figures were not adjusted for inflation. There may have been higher settlements, but where Forbes was not able to verify the information they did not include it, according to Forbes website (forbes.com).
Resources:
Forbes (forbes.com)
E Entertainment TV
