10 Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces of All Time
Not All Unions Last Forever
Relationships are fragile. Not all of us get to stay together "till death do us apart". Sometimes broken marriages not only leave one emotionally, but financially drained as well. Hollywood divorces often become a topic of discussion. The much-publicized Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s split being one of the examples. However, in terms of money, there have been divorces that were far more expensive, over hundreds of millions to be specific.
Here’s a look at the top 10 most expensive celebrity divorces in the world:
1. Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore: $850 million
Mel Gibson’s divorce from Robyn, his ex-wife of nearly 30 years and the mother of their seven children, came at a hefty price of $850 million, as per the LA Times. Moore was entitled to half of Gibson’s fortune as per their prenuptial agreement. Gibson’s estimated assets were worth a lot more as he reportedly earned about $600 million from “The Passion of the Christ” and had $100-plus million in real estate investments.
2. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum and Princess Haya bint al-Hussein: $728 million
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, split with Princess Haya in 2021 after a long divorce battle. As per a CNN report, al-Maktoum was ordered to pay about $728 million which would cover Princess Haya's security costs for the rest of her life and the costs for the couple's two children.
3. Michael Jordan and Juanita Jordan: $168 million
The basketball legend split from his wife of 17 years, Juanita, in 2006 in one of the most explosive divorce settlements ever. Juanita had filed for divorce in 2002 as well which didn’t go through. However, in 2006, they finalized their divorce ad Juanita receiving $168 million, as per PEOPLE.
4. Dr. Dre and Nicole Young: $100 million
Producer Andre "Dr. Dre" Young split from his ex-wife Nicole Young ending their 24-year-long marriage. He paid $100 million in their divorce settlement, in 2021 as per TMZ. As per the report Dr. Dre planned to pay the amount in two installments of $50 million as part of a property settlement agreement. Dr. Dre was worth about $820 million at the time of the split, and he ended up giving one-fifth of his fortune and roughly half of his liquid assets in the settlement.
5. Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren: $100 million
Tiger Woods, the world-famous golfer, split from wife Elin Nordegren after six years of marriage in 2010. The divorce came after details of Wood’s affairs were revealed. Some reports initially suggested Nordegren was to get over $700 million, but she reportedly settled for $100 million, along with the couple’s Windermere home and an arrangement for child support, as per Hello Magazine.
6. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West: $200,000 per month
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced their split in 2021, and there was immediate speculation over how the two would split their reported $2.1 billion fortune. Later in 2022, the final terms were revealed according to which none of them were entitled to spousal support, but they shared joint custody of their four children, North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. BBC reported that West was ordered to pay $200,000 per month in child support.
7. Guy Ritchie and Madonna: $63 million
Madonna paid her former husband Guy Ritchie around $63.3 million (£50 million) as part of their divorce settlement, according to BBC. As per Madonna’s spokesperson, the amount included the value of the couple's Ashcombe home in England. While their financial settlement was worked out in 2008, their custody battle dragged on for longer and it was ultimately settled out of court, as per PEOPLE.
8. Melissa Mathison and Harrison Ford: $85 Million
Melissa Mathison and Harrison Ford ended their marriage after 18 years by amicably filing for divorce in 2001. Since they didn’t have a prenuptial agreement, they had to go for a settlement as part of which Mathison eventually received $85 million. She had further negotiated that she would receive some of the Indiana Jones actor's future earnings from films that he had undertaken while the pair were together, as per Hello Magazine.
9. Kevin Costner and Cindy Silva: $80 million
Kevin Costner and his college sweetheart, Cindy Silva, ended their 18-year-long marriage in 1994. Since the two did not have a prenup, Silva reportedly received about $80 million in settlement fees which was towards her and the couple’s four children as per PEOPLE.
10. Scooter Braun and Yael Cohen: $80 million
Record executive Scooter Braun and Yael Cohen filed for divorce to end their seven years of marriage in 2021. The divorce was finally settled in 2022, according to which Braun was ordered to pay $20 million as spousal-support buyout. He was also ordered to pay $60,000 per month in child support for their three kids and Cohen retained their $30 million Brentwood family home, a 2021 Land Rover Defender, and pieces of valuable art all of which amounted to a total settlement amount of $80 million, as per PEOPLE.