Half of all marriages don't end happily ever after, but when celebritiy marriages go badly, they tend to captures headlines and huge settlements
While some couples make sure to involve a prenuptial agreement to protect their assets, some celebrities prefer to keep things simple and old-fashioned — and risky. A prenup can prevent nasty court battles when things turn for the worst. It's a dangerous game with millions of dollars at stake.
A few notorious divorce settlements have reached tens of million, and a few have even broken the billion dollar mark.
From Harrison Ford to Michael Jordan, here is the list of celebrities who had to pay the most hefty divorce settlements to their spouses to end their relationships.
1. Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison
Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison arrive at the White House in 1998 for a dinner.Neshan H. Naltchayan/AP Photo
Settlement cost:
Between $85 million and $118 million
What went down:
While this actor’s and screenwriter’s relationship lasted for 17 years, the pair separated in 2000 and divorced three years later due to speculations that Harrison Ford was unfaithful.
After a long and heated court battle, the couple eventually divorced and cited the reason as “irreconcilable differences” on their divorce papers.
Both requested joint custody of their two children, and Melissa ended up receiving a minimum of $85 million, which included a percentage of royalties from Harrison’s most well-known movies — including the Star Wars and the Indiana Jones series.
Mathison, the screenwriter whose credits include "E.T. the Extra Terrestrial," died in 2015, at age 65, after fighting neuroendocrine cancer.
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2. Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving
Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving in an April 1988 photo.AP Photo
Settlement cost:
$100 million
What went down:
After four years of marriage, actress Amy Irving and director Steven Spielberg decided to divorce in 1989. Irving claimed that she felt like she was a politician's wife and was expected to follow certain rules that didn’t comply with her ethos and personality.
Before Spielberg, Irving was living underneath her famous father’s shadow — Jules Irving. She indicated this back-to-back concoction of relationships led her to have an identity crisis, which brought to light the fact that she needed to figure out her own identity — sans Spielberg.
At the end of it all, the marriage ended amicably and Irving was awarded $100 million after the judge refused to accept a prenuptial agreement that was written on a cocktail napkin.
3.Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
Settlement cost:
$100 million
What went down:
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or were born after 2009), you’ve probably heard about this infamous divorce battle.
After crashing his Escalade into his Florida home and fighting with his wife in the same night, Tiger Woods admitted to having an affair with another woman during his six years of marriage with Elin Nordegren.
Soon after, though, more women —around 17 to be exact — came forward stating that they’ve been romantic with the famous golf player. The two eventually divorced in 2010 to which Nordegren was awarded $100 million.
4. Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey
Neil Diamond performs at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009 in Los Angeles.Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo
Settlement cost:
$150 million
What went down:
The legendary singer/songwriter was married to Marcia Murphey for 25 years before Murphey filed for divorce.
There were rumors that Neil Diamond was unfaithful towards the end of their relationship. However, Diamond and Murphey both decided to keep the details of their divorce a secret by citing the reason was due to irreconcilable differences.
Nonetheless, Diamond was cordial throughout the whole process and even stated, “She deserves half my fortune. I wish her all the happiness $150 million can bring.”
5. Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy
Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy with the NBA championship trophy after the Bulls' win over the Los Angeles Lakers in 1991.Reed Saxon/AP Photo
Settlement cost:
$168 million
What went down:
Juanita Vanoy and Michael Jordan got married in Las Vegas in 1989 during Jordan’s second season with the Chicago Bulls, but things turned sour in 2002 when Vanoy filed for divorce.
While the divorce itself seemed amical, the media claimed that the divorce occurred due to Jordan’s constant cheating and drug use.
However, they tried to make things work for the sake of their three children and didn’t finalize the divorce until 2006, where Vanoy was awarded $168 million, the custody of the children, and their Chicago estate.
6. Robert Johnson and Sheila Crump
Black Entertainment Television chairman and founder Robert Johnson in 1999.Diane Bondaref/AP Photo
Settlement cost:
$400 million
What went down:
After 33 years of marriage, Sheila Crump filed for divorce from Robert Johnson — the founder of BET — due to the fact that Johnson had a three-year affair during the span of their relationship.
However, while the three-year affair was the main cause of the separation, professional differences may have created a hole in their relationship as well. Crump informed her then-husband multiple times that she didn’t like how women were being depicted on the BET network, especially on shows young children were watching.
Johnson ignored her concerns claiming the network wasn’t “about education, it’s about entertainment.”
Two years before the divorce, Johnson sold BET to Viacom for $3 billion, which was why Crump was awarded the $400 million settlement.
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