People have compared the end of a marriage to something like a death. There is a sadness for the life you thought you would lead. And in some cases, you mourn the person who has changed in the midst of a bad divorce. If you are wealthy, in addition to hurt feelings, unmet expectations, and property division, there is also the likelihood of losing some of your money. In our patriarchal society, men are often the money earners in heterosexual relationships. But women are increasingly earning more than their male partners. And when their unions end, they're left with the bill. Here are 7 prominent women who had to pay alimony or child support after their divorce.
Mary J. Blige
Singer Mary J. Blige has been very open and honest about the financial strain that her divorce from her ex-husband Martin “Kendu” Isaacs has placed on her. A judge ordered her to pay $30,000 a month in support, which was a far cry from the $130,000 Isaacs demanded along with support for his children from a previous relationship. After he lied, cheated on her, and spent so much of her money, Mary openly said that paying him support was “crazy.”
The details of Toni Braxton's divorce from her husband Keri Lewis in 2013 were not known at the time. But years later, Braxton revealed in a conversation with her friend Jada Pinkett-Smith on “Red Table Talk” that she had to pay child support to her ex-husband. And she wasn't happy about it. She said at the time that she thought, “Men are the new sluts.” She later expressed regret for speaking so openly.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry's two-year marriage to Olivier Martinez has been over for eight years. However, the two did not reach an agreement on their finances until August 2023. Berry will pay Martinez $8,000 in child support, even though they share joint custody of their 9-year-old son Maceo. Additionally, Berry will pay Martinez 4.3% of any earnings she receives over $2 million.
Photo credit: @candaceparker/Instagram
After eight years of marriage, Candace Parker's ex-husband, former NBA player Shelden Williams, filed for divorce from the WNBA player. In their divorce, Parker chose to pay Williams a lump sum of $400,000 so that she would not have to make monthly child support payments. The couple agreed to share custody of their daughter.
Sherri Shepherd
During her three-year marriage to Lamar Sally, host and comedian Sherri Shepherd decided to have a second child via surrogate. The couple divorced three months later. But the pregnancy was underway and the child was due to be born. Although Shepherd claimed she was deceived when signing the surrogacy papers and pointed out that the child had no genetic connection to her, a judge ruled that she was the legal mother. She was ordered to pay $4,100 a month in child support. The number will increase when the child, a boy, turns 13. This isn't the first time she's taken this route. She was also ordered to pay support to her first husband, Jeff Tarpley.
Mel B.
Spice Girl Melanie Brown was married to her husband Stephen Belafonte for ten years. The two shared a daughter together. Brown filed for divorce in 2020 amid allegations of domestic violence. Brown said she was actually afraid that Belafonte would take her life. Ultimately, a judge ordered Brown to pay Belafonte $40,000 a month in child support, in addition to $140,000 in legal fees.
Janet Jackson
While Janet was the one who emerged hundreds of millions of dollars richer through her third husband Wissam Al Mana, this was not the case in her second marriage to Réne Elizondo. The two were secretly married for nine years before Elizondo filed for divorce in 2000. They had a marriage contract, but Réne claimed he was forced to sign it under duress. As a result, he received $10 million plus legal fees from the singer.
The post “7 prominent women who had to pay alimony or child support” appeared first on 21Ninety.
Comments are closed.