Relationships have their ups and downs; anyone can attest to that. Some people manage to make their marriages work while others cannot move past certain differences and end up separating. According to relationship experts, almost 50 percent of marriages in the United States end up in divorce.
Celebrities are not exempt from relationship challenges and hardships. More than that, being rich and famous makes things even more complicated as large sums of money are also involved in the divorce process. Some celebrities manage to end things with their partners in a civilized way while others have to deal with serious complications before starting their new, single life.
That being said, read on to find out some of the most expensive celebrity divorces ever and who had to pay the highest amount to put an end to their “love” story.
Most expensive divorces of all time:
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Guy Ritchie and Madonna
Settlement: $76 million to $92 million
The iconic Madonna and talented British film director Guy Ritchie divorced in 2008, after being married for eight years. According to Reuters and other important media outlets, the American pop superstar had to pay Ritchie between 40 and 60 million pounds, or $76 million to $92 million. There was no official statement released by the couple after their separation was officially decided in court.
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Kevin Costner and Cindy Silva
Settlement: $80 million
The Bodyguard star met Cindy Silva at California State University and tied the knot in 1978. They were married for sixteen years, during which they had three children. The actor’s career took off in the 80s and 90s, starring in movies such as Dances With Wolves, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams and many others, becoming one of the best paid actors of the time.
Unfortunately, his personal life took a turn for the worse and Costner divorced his wife in 1994, paying his ex around $80 million, as reported by Forbes.
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Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison
Settlement: $85 million to $118 million
Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison seemed like the perfect couple that could successfully withstand the passing of time. Unfortunately, after 17 years of marriage, the couple ended things in 2000. According to rumors, Harrison was seeing a younger woman, which prompted Mathison to file for divorce in 2001. The process ended in 2004 and Harrison had to pay his ex-wife approximately $118 million, as reported by the Daily Mail.
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Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving
Settlement: $100 million
Before tying the know to his current wife, actress Kate Capshaw, famous director Steven Spielberg was married for four years to actress Amy Irving, whom he met during an audition for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Their relationship lasted from 1985 to 1989.
American Bar Association stated that the couple concluded a prenup on a scrap paper; at the time of the divorce, Irving argued against the validity of the prenup, as she had no legal representation when she signed it. The court agreed with her and Spielberg had to award the actress a $100 million divorce settlement.
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Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
Settlement: $100 million
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren had a rocky relationship, from the very beginning, due to Woods’ numerous affairs. Although in many interviews, Nordgren stated that she did not realize nor believe any of the things people said about her then husband while being married to him.
In an interview with People, Nordegren said that she “never suspected, not a one”. “For the last three-and-a-half years, when all this was going on, I was home a lot more with pregnancies, then the children and my school.”
Initially, Nordegren asked for a divorce settlement of $750 million. However, the court ruled for $100 million, according to Forbes.
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Garth Brooks and Sandy Mahl
Settlement: $125 million
Sandy Mahl and country music icon Garth Brooks tied the knot in 1986. They were married for 14 years. Brooks career took off during that time, becoming one of the most successful recording and touring artists in music history.
Rumors have it that the couple could not stand the test of time because of Brooks infidelity as well as his exhausting work schedule. The pair decided to end things officially in 2000 and Mahl received $125 million in the divorce settlement, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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Frank and Jamie McCourt
Settlement: $130 million
After approximately 30 years of marriage, Frank and Jamie McCourt decided to go their separate ways in 2009. The legal battle was not that simple, as the couple owned the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium, which meant high sums of money were at stake.
After being fired by her husband as the Dodgers CEO for “insubordination, non-responsiveness, failure to follow procedures and inappropriate behavior with a direct subordinate,” Jamie McCourt officially filed for divorce.
The divorce was not pleasant, with both former partners revealing their shadier personalities. In the end, it was decided for Jamie to receive around $130 million and give up any claim to a share of the Dodgers, according to Los Angeles Times.
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Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey
Settlement: $150 million
Rock star Neil Diamond and his wife Marcia Murphey had been married for 25 years when they decided to go their separate ways in 1994. The divorce cost Diamond around $150 million, which was half of his estate at the time.
Apparently, Diamond stated that she was “worth every penny” but later on denied having paid his ex-wife the amount speculated in the press. Bottom line, his ex received enough money to have a comfortable life without lifting a finger.
Read also:10 Hollywood Mistresses Who Stole Their Famous Partners
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Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy
Settlement: $168 million
According to Marie Claire, Michael Jordan was not quite loyal during his marriage to Juanita Vanoy, being involved in “some compromising situations with half a dozen women over 1992-2002,” as revealed by private investigator Ernie Rizzo.
Vanoy made the first attempt to divorce in 2002, without giving any reason for her decision. A month after, she filed a petition for reconciliation but, in the end, things didn’t work out and the couple officially got divorced in 2006.
According to a mutual statement by the family lawyer, “Michael and Juanita Jordan mutually and amicably decided to end their 17-year marriage”. The divorce cost Jordan $168 million in the divorce settlement and another $2.1 million in legal fees.
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Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore
Settlement: $425 million
Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore’s marriage lasted for 31 years before it was finalized in 2011. The couple had seven children together, no prenup, and lots of unresolved issues that ultimately led to their split. And rumor has it that the split was quite pricey, as Gibson had to pay around $425 million dollars in the divorce settlement, according to ABC News.
The divorce process was kept under tight wraps. At the time, the actor was worth around $850 million, which meant that Moore had the right to half of it, as per the law in California. Thus, the huge settlement amount.
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Rupert Murdoch and Anna Mann
Settlement: $1.7 billion
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch had been married to Anna Mann for nearly 32 years, when they went their separate ways in 1999. The divorce was one of the most expensive in recent history, Murdoch’s former wife receiving 1.7 billion of Rupert’s fortune, including $110 million in cash.
As stated by Mann during an interview with an Australian magazine, “I don’t want to get too personal about this… but [he] was extremely hard, ruthless and determined that he was going to go through with this, no matter what I wanted or what I was trying to do to save the marriage. He had no interest in that whatsoever”.
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Jeff Bezos and Mackenzie Scott
Settlement: $38 billion
Jeff Bezos is one of the richest people alive, if not the richest. It did not come as a surprise that his divorce from former wife Mackenzie Scott cost him an outrageous sum of money. The Amazon founder and his then wife announced their separation in January 2019, after being married for 25 years and sharing four children.
As reported by CNN, part of the divorce settlement included 25 percent of the couple’s Amazon stock going to Scott, which meant around $38 billion. In various statements about her divorce, Mackenzie Scott said that she would donate more than half of her fortune to charity. Even with donating half of it, she would still have enough money to life the best life for the rest of her days.
See also: 7 Viral Celebrities Who Lost Their Fortunes
