Spielberg's divorce one of the most costly
Sunday, April 15, 2007
THE bigger they are, the harder they fall especially in the world of celebrity divorce. Basketball great Michael Jordan, singer-songwriter Neil Diamond and Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg top a new Forbes magazine list of the most costly divorce settlements of the stars.
Jordan's pending divorce settlement with his wife of nearly 18 years, Juanita Vanoy, could end up as the most expensive in entertainment history, Forbes said, if his estranged spouse walks away with half his fortune.
With Jordan having earned much of his wealth during his marriage, Vanoy stands to collect more than US$150 million, the magazine said.
A close second would be the estimated US$150 million settlement Diamond paid to Marcia Murphey, whom he married in 1969 before his breakthrough album Touching You, Touching Me went gold, Forbes said. They divorced in 1996. Spielberg's first marriage, to actress Amy Irving, ended in 1989 with his ex-spouse awarded roughly half of the filmmaker's fortune, about US$100 million, ranking No 3 on Forbes' list.
Actor Harrison Ford ranks No 4 on the list with an estimated US$85 million paid to his second wife, Melissa Mathison.
Fellow screen star Kevin Costner landed in fifth place for an estimated US$80 million settlement obtained by his first spouse, Cindy Silva.
Forbes ranked the pending divorce between former Beatle Paul McCartney and ex-model Heather Mills at No 6, based on reports suggesting she may collect more than US$60 million.
Another rock superstar, Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, got off much easier, giving up a fraction of his estate US$15 million to US$25 million to Texas supermodel Jerry Hall after he successfully challenged the legality of their 1990 Balinese wedding ceremony and obtained an annulment.
Rounding out the roster are film director James Cameron, who paid an estimated US$50 million half of what he earned for Titanic to divorce Linda Hamilton; Michael Douglas's US$45 million settlement to his first wife, Diandra and singer Lionel Richie's US$20 million settlement to his second wife, Diane. Reuters
Jordan's pending divorce settlement with his wife of nearly 18 years, Juanita Vanoy, could end up as the most expensive in entertainment history, Forbes said, if his estranged spouse walks away with half his fortune.
With Jordan having earned much of his wealth during his marriage, Vanoy stands to collect more than US$150 million, the magazine said.
A close second would be the estimated US$150 million settlement Diamond paid to Marcia Murphey, whom he married in 1969 before his breakthrough album Touching You, Touching Me went gold, Forbes said. They divorced in 1996. Spielberg's first marriage, to actress Amy Irving, ended in 1989 with his ex-spouse awarded roughly half of the filmmaker's fortune, about US$100 million, ranking No 3 on Forbes' list.
Actor Harrison Ford ranks No 4 on the list with an estimated US$85 million paid to his second wife, Melissa Mathison.
Fellow screen star Kevin Costner landed in fifth place for an estimated US$80 million settlement obtained by his first spouse, Cindy Silva.
Forbes ranked the pending divorce between former Beatle Paul McCartney and ex-model Heather Mills at No 6, based on reports suggesting she may collect more than US$60 million.
Another rock superstar, Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, got off much easier, giving up a fraction of his estate US$15 million to US$25 million to Texas supermodel Jerry Hall after he successfully challenged the legality of their 1990 Balinese wedding ceremony and obtained an annulment.
Rounding out the roster are film director James Cameron, who paid an estimated US$50 million half of what he earned for Titanic to divorce Linda Hamilton; Michael Douglas's US$45 million settlement to his first wife, Diandra and singer Lionel Richie's US$20 million settlement to his second wife, Diane. Reuters
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