Does a big wedding spell doom? Does a big wedding translate to big and costly divorce? In showbiz, it seems probable that the more luxurious, ostentatious a wedding, the more expensive, costly and violent a divorce. Since divorce is not allowed in the country, celebrities have to go through the long and arduous process of annulment like Willie Revillame, etc.
Showbiz is famous for speedy, nippy weddings, quick divorces and bitter legal tussles. And in Hollywood, weddings as well as divorces are big business. Movie stars spend millions to make memorable and fascinating weddings. But a grand, opulent wedding is not an assurance that a marriage would last. There are no guarantees and no warrantees. When music diva Mariah Carey wed Sony executive Tommy Motola in 1993, many thought, it would last a lifetime. The wedding which was copied after the Prince Charles-Lady Diana wedding, ended five years after. Mariah wore a 27-foot train on her wedding gown. During Brad Pitt’s wedding to Jennifer Aniston in 2000, the couple had to spend $100,000 to secure their celebrity friends who attended the occasion. Brad is now with Angelina Jolie.
In Hollywood, it is common knowledge that when celebrity couples divorce, pay outs are given. And if you are a superstar, married to a truck driver, it is likely that you will have to shell out more cash to your truck driver spouse. Here is a list of the most expensive celebrity divorces from forbes.com:
1. Michael & Juanita Jordan. (Settlement pending: Possibly more than $150-M.)
The legendary basketball star married Juanita Vanoy, a Chicago bank officer, in 1989. Over the course of the marriage, Jordan earned more than $350-M. Should Juanita press for half of his assets, she could get more than $150-M in the settlement, making the Jordan divorce the most expensive in entertainment history.
2. Neil Diamond & Marcia Murphey (Estimated settlement: $150-M)
The singer married Murphey, a TV production assistant, in 1969, before he released his first gold record, Touching You, Touching Me. After 25 years of marriage, Murphey filed for divorce in 1994, citing irreconcilable differences. She walked away with half of Diamond’s fortune — she’s “worth every penny,” he later said.
3. Steven Spielberg & Amy Irving (Estimated settlement: $100-M)
The couple met when Irving auditioned for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). They married in 1985 then divorced after nearly four years of marriage. Irving contested their prenuptial agreement (reportedly scribbled on a napkin) because she did not have legal representation and was awarded $100-M, roughly half of Spielberg’s fortune at the time. Today, he is worth $3-B.
4. Harrison Ford & Melissa Mathison (Estimated settlement: $85-M)
The couple met in 1977 and wed in 1983. Six years later, Ford became one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors when he banked $7-M for Presumed Innocent. By 1995, he was making $20-M a film. The couple divorced in 2004. In addition to her divorce settlement, Mathison negotiated a piece of Ford’s future earnings from films he made while married, including DVD sales of the Indiana Jones trilogy and The Fugitive.
5. Kevin Costner & Cindy Silva (Estimated settlement: $80-M)
The pair, who met at California State University, wed in 1978. During their 16-year marriage, Costner became one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, scoring seven Oscars for Dances with Wolves and starring in iconic films like Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. Costner pocketed $50-M in 1991 alone. Because Silva was married to Costner during his peak earning years, she was awarded $80-M, a substantial piece of his net worth.
6. Paul McCartney & Heather Mills (Settlement pending: Possibly more than $60-M) In 2002, the former Beatle wed Mills, a model-activist 30 years his junior. McCartney reportedly shunned Mills’ offer of a prenuptial agreement. By 2006, the pair, who have one child together, split acrimoniously. Rumors of a settlement suggest Mills may get in excess of $60-M — McCartney’s worth is an estimated $700-M.
7. James Cameron & Linda Hamilton (Estimated settlement: $50-M)
The Titanic director married the Terminator actress in July 1997. Eighteen months later, they divorced. Cameron received some $100-M from Paramount for Titanic (which grossed $1.8-B). Hamilton received half of that, an estimated $50-M, in the divorce settlement.
8. Lionel & Diane Richie (Estimated settlement: $20-M)
Richie, then 36 and married, met the 18-year-old backup dancer at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Richie, divorced from his first wife in 1993, married Diane by 1996. Among her claims: A monthly clothing allowance of $15,000; $50,000 a month for manicures, massages and other personal services; and a plastic surgery budget of $20,000 a year.
Some celebrities come up with pre-nuptial agreements to protect themselves. But even a prenup is not an assurance that you will come out of the marriage with your wallet and heart intact.