If you’re a fan of a good gossip magazine or a long episode of Access Hollywood, chances are, you’ll hear tell of divorce… a lot!
A Quick look at High Profile Divorce Cases
When it comes to celebrities and business tycoons, engagements, babies and divorces tend to come along in short intervals.
And, for better or worse, those divorces are sometimes just as high profile as the weddings – and probably more expensive. Here are some of the most expensive high profile divorces in history:
Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey
He may be named after the most precious stone, but it was Marcia Murphey who ended up with enough to buy a whole lot of diamonds. This is High Profile Divorce #1.
After Neil Diamond split from Marcia Murphey in 1969, Ms. Murphey wound up with half of the singer’s fortune – after 25 years of marriage, the divorce was estimated at $150 million. Pretty sweet (Caroline).
Samathur Li Kin-Kan and Florence Tsang-Chiu-Wing
You might not hear about them on Perez Hilton, but this “celebrity” couple is well known for being, well, crazy rich. This is High Profile Divorce #2.
A Hong Kong billionaire and real estate tycoon, Samathur Li Kin-Kan divorced his wife in 2011 because (get this) she refused to abort her unborn child.
With an estimated $157 million settlement, the divorce goes down as the largest in Asian history. That’s a lot of cha-ching for Tsang-Chiu-Wing.
Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy
If you owned a pair of Air Jordans in your youth, you contributed to the Jordan fortune – and part of the crazy large settlement Juanita Vanoy wound up with when she and the basketball great divorced in 2006. This is High Profile Divorce #3.
After 17 years of marriage, along with an amazing basketball career, some of history’s largest sponsorships and endorsements and even a stint at professional baseball, Vanoy wound up with a cool $168 million.
Charles Edgar Fipke and Marlene Fipke
Ever dreamed of sharing a diamond mine fortune? This is High Profile Divorce #4.
That was the case for Marlene Fipke, who received an estimated $200 million when she divorced Charles Fipke, the first person to discover diamonds in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Through the divorce, Marlene was awarded 1/5 of her husband’s company.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver
From Mr. Universe to Mr. Hollywood to Mr. Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger has done it all – and lost a whole lot of it too. This is High Profile Divorce #5.
After 25 years together, Shriver filed for divorce after finding out her husband had had an affair – and an illegitimate son – with their housekeeper. The cost of the divorce? Upwards of $375 million. Yowza.
Irina Malandina and Roman Abramovich
Sometimes, when you aim for $6 billion, you can’t reach your goal – and you wind up with only $400 million. This is High Profile Divorce #6.
Now, how can you live on that? That was the question Irina Malandina had to ask when she divorce Roman Abramovich, whom she suspected of cheating. She wanted half the Russian businessman’s fortune, but alas, she had to settle for $300 million.
Robert Johnson and Sheila Crump
Hollywood moguls sometimes become billionaires. Such is the case with Robert Johnson and Sheila Crump. This is High Profile Divorce #7.
The couple, who founded BET, spent 33 years of marriage together. Guess that was enough to warrant a $400 million divorce settlement. There you go.
Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore
Those long Hollywood marriages are hard to come by. And when they go, boy do they crash hard. This is High Profile Divorce #8.
When Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore married in 1980, Gibson was a relatively unknown actor. Twenty-six years later, Gibson was not only notorious but incredibly rich – and that cost him. The $425 million settlement is still the largest in Hollywood history.
Steve Wynn and Elaine Pascal
You can’t venture to Vegas without patronizing one of Steve Wynn’s properties. This is High Profile Divorce #9.
And in 2010, Wynn’s wife received an extremely large settlement – an estimated $741 million. This wasn’t the couple’s first rodeo, however. They divorced in 1986, but remarried in 1991. Think there will be a third go-round?