Getting married can be totally grand and expensive, but calling it quits after some time will actually cost you more. With the number of high-profile settlement deals happening in Hollywood, we can bet that some of you are curious about how much money actually goes into these separations.
The favorite couples that we know and love may have started off with the greatest love story, which led to a fancy wedding. As the story continues to develop after walking down the aisle, they actually end up parting ways. The degree of intrigue we feel when celebrities break up cannot be denied, but along the way, our hearts also break for them. This creates a ripple effect that impacts not only their lives but also that of their fans’. On top of that, money plays a huge role, so our level of interest heightens.
With that said, let’s take a trip down memory lane and see how our favorite idols are doing after they left their great loves. More interestingly, let’s look at exactly how much they made (or lost) from their splits.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
After Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis went their separate ways back in mid-2012, Captain Jack Sparrow found love anew with the Pineapple Express star Amber Heard. They met on the set of the comedy-drama film The Rum Diary and kept in constant touch with each other. Eventually, the two tied the knot in a privately held ceremony in Los Angeles in 2015.
It seemed like the perfect love story initially, but a happy ending wasn’t meant to be. Heard decided to call her lawyers and end things between her and Depp in 2016. Furthermore, she even got herself a restraining order against the actor. After a long and highly publicized battle, Johnny Depp paid a hefty $7 million to his former spouse. As it turns out, Heard donated the whole settlement amount to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and ACLU.
Mike Tyson and Robin Givens
During the ’80s, Mike Tyson took the boxing world by storm with his devastating punches that knocked the wits out of his opponents. He overpowered bigger rivals with his strong techniques and powerful blows that earned him the nickname “The Baddest Man on the Planet.” We’re sure that any potential opponent who saw him fight in the ring secured a health insurance package right away.
However, things started going south for him both in and out of the ring as the decade’s end neared. One of the media’s hottest topics about Tyson aside from his career was his relationship with model and actress Robin Givens. When they parted ways, the whole world was abuzz. The news came out that Givens got a total of $10 million from Tyson, but she, later on, denied the claim.
Colin Firth and Livia Giuggioli
Award-winning English actor Colin Firth is considered one of the top personalities in the entertainment scene, with movies grossing over $3 billion globally. He even made it to Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2011. Because of this, fans often wonder about the motivations behind all of his accomplishments. Firth’s answer? His wife and kids.
Firth and his spouse crossed paths on the set of the miniseries Nostromo. The pair was decided to marry a year later. Much to their credit, they kept most of their personal lives private. While all love stories start in the best possible way, they sometimes come to an unexpected end. The two celebrities’ relationship soon went down south and did not recover. From their arrangements, a sum of $12.5 million had to be paid.
John Cleese and Alyce Faye Eichelberger
The Monty Python mainstay, John Cleese, and the psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger had a pretty rough-split in 2008. However, the public only learned about it a year later. This raised many speculations about the relationship between the two, especially during the latter part of their marriage.
The two tied the knot in 1992. and Almost one and a half decades later, they ended up with a nasty breakup. $13 million worth of assets had to be paid for the damages done. The sum includes their real estate investments in the form of their New York apartment, their London home, and half of their Santa Barbara estate. On top of all of these, Eichelberger also enjoyed $984,000 as part of their settlement. This was given to her annually for seven straight years.
Jennifer Lopez and Cris Judd
Jennifer Lopez had a pretty successful run in her career over the years, but she couldn’t get the same level of success in her personal life. One notable instance for this would be her relationship with her former husband, the actor and television personality, Cris Judd.
They got married in 2001 and stayed together until mid-2002. They wrapped up the process with their attorneys in 2003 and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. Interestingly enough, reports suggest that J.Lo forked out around $14 million for the settlement between both parties. Ironically, these two first met in 2000 after he was hired by J.Lo’s camp to direct the music video of her famous song Love Don’t Cost a Thing.
Lance Armstrong and Kristin Richard
The world-famous cyclist Lance Armstrong received a lot of praise throughout his professional career as a highly-touted athlete in the world of cycling. On the flip side, he also got his fair share of lows, especially when he got called out for allegedly using performance-enhancing substances.
However, one of the biggest things that his fans stayed attuned to aside from his athletic life was his love life. When his marriage with Kristin Richard ended in 2003, many hearts were broken. After five years of marriage, three children together, and some health problems on Armstrong’s part, the two decided to go their separate ways. Their lawyers worked with them, and they came up with a hefty sum of $14 million to settle.
Jeff Gordon and Brooke Sealey
Jeff Gordon is a well-known name in the world of racing. Gas-pumping action around the tanks, burning rubber on the tracks—name it; he probably experienced it all. Over the course of his career, he managed to cash in a couple of gold chips and a truck-load of sponsorships that made him richer.
The 1993 Daytona 500 was probably the most memorable event of his career. He took home the gold twice for the qualifying race and also met Brooke Sealey, one of the models for that cup. They got together a couple of times in secret, and eventually, the two tied the knot in 1994. However, the couple did not see eye to eye to a great degree. In the end, Sealey took home $15.3 million from the broken union.
Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli
The television host and former NFL defensive end that played for the New York Giants received a hefty paycheck during his heyday as an athlete. He never worried about his credit score and pretty much lived the good life.
During the middle part of his career, he met Jean Muggli, and they began dating. The two eventually wed in 1999 and lived a happy life together with their twin daughters. However, things didn’t go according to plan, leading them to go on their separate ways in 2006. Around a year later, the court ordered Strahan to settle with the amount of $15.3 million when they parted ways. Currently, reports suggest that the two remain close friends for the sake of their kids.
Matt Lauer and Annette Roque
Back in the day, Matt Lauer was one of the top names in the world of news and current affairs. He was part of many programs, including NBC’s Today Show. In recent years, he experienced some of the roughest times, not only in his professional career but also in his private life as well. Lauer might even need a good lawyer just to help him handle the situation he is facing.
It was also around the same time that his wife, Annette Roque, ended their relationship. As a part of their settlement deal, Roque’s party would get around $20 million from Lauer’s estate. We guess it’s safe to say that we saw it coming because it was not the first time she tried to end things with him.
Lionel Richie and Diane Alexander
The famous music artist Lionel Richie had his fair share of success and personal issues, especially in his past marriages. His first marriage with his college sweetheart, Brenda Harvey, lasted around 18 years before they separated. A couple of years later, in 1995, he tied the knot with Diane Alexander. They were blessed with two kids before they called it quits in 2004.
However, before they went their separate ways, Alexander received $25 million as a settlement between the two parties. She received enough money to help raise their children without her having to resort to personal loans. If anything, this just hints at how much money Richie has made throughout his career – as well as how good of a father he is!