The most staggeringly expensive celeb divorces ever – from Jeff Bezo’s $38BILLION split to bitter dog custody rows
WHEN it comes to love, fame and fortune have a lot of perks - from extravagant dates on private jets to sprawling hilltop homes.
But when there's trouble in paradise, it can come at a huge cost - as some unlucky-in-love celebrities know all too well, after forking out millions and even BILLIONS in mega divorce payouts.
Rapper Dr Dre is the latest star to pay the price: his estranged wife Nicole Young is reportedly asking for monthly payments of $2million (£1.5m) from him after filing for divorce.
And it's not just money at stake for warring celebs: some end up embroiled in custody rows over children and dogs, while others are exposed as cheats or forced to hand over their mansions.
Divorce coach Sara Davison tells Sun Online: "Divorce for the rich and famous can be daunting and complicated as they divide their fortunes but many now have prenups and financial agreements tied up by their agents.
";Interestingly, for some high-net-worth individuals, they have seen lockdown as an opportune time to file for a divorce while their net worth is valued lower due to Covid and the economic uncertainty the pandemic has presented.
"On the flipside, many view it as the worst time to start divorce proceedings given it means a much lower settlement figure."
Regardless of when stars choose to file for divorce, Sara says the emotional impact on them is no different than for anyone else.
"At the end of the day, celebrities feel the heartache and pain just as the rest of us do," she adds.
"We may only see the glossy images of them coping well or moving on quickly, but behind the scenes, the pain of a breakup is very real and keeps them awake at night too."
Here, we reveal some of showbiz's biggest ever divorce payouts:
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos
Length of marriage: 25 years
Settlement: $38bn
They were one of the richest couples in history.
But that didn't stop billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, 56, and his novelist wife MacKenzie, 50, calling it quits early last year.
The couple, who met before Amazon was even created and had been married nearly 26 years, didn't reveal the reason for their divorce.
However, it resulted in a staggering $38billion settlement - with MacKenzie retaining a small stake in the immensely successful tech firm.
Since then, the mum of four hasn't done too badly: in fact, she's just become the world's wealthiest woman after Amazon shares spiked during the Covid pandemic.
Her net worth is now around $68billion (£51bn), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Her ex-husband has long held the title of the world's richest man.
Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein
Length of marriage: 21 years
Settlement: $3.8bn ($2.5bn payout plus $100m a year)
She's the Swiss-born US socialite known across the world as "catwoman".
Jocelyn Wildenstein pumped millions of dollars into cosmetic surgery procedures to please her cat-loving, art-dealing husband, Alec Wildenstein.
But after she allegedly caught Alec, also a racehorse owner, in bed with another woman, the pair split in one of history's most high-profile divorces.
Wildenstein received an eye-popping $2.5billion in her divorce settlement, as well as a payout of $100million a year for the next 13 years.
However, during the 1999 proceedings, the judge reportedly told her she couldn't use any of the payments to fund further cosmetic surgery.
Alec died aged 67 in 2008, while Jocelyn declared bankruptcy in 2018.
Bernie Ecclestone and Slavica Radić
Length of marriage: 23 years
Settlement: $1.2bn
When ex-Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone divorced Croatian model Slavica Radić in 2009, it was considered the most expensive in history.
Though details of the divorce are scarce, it is widely reported that the settlement between 5ft 5in Bernie and 6ft 2in Slavica was a cool $1.2billion.
However, there remains mystery over who is paying whom.
The pair split on the grounds of Bernie's "unreasonable behaviour".
Yet in 2014, it was reported that Slavica had forked out half a billion dollars - some $540million - in payments to Bernie since their divorce.
The payments amounted to around $100million a year.
It's not clear whether they continue.
This summer, Bernie became a dad for the fourth time aged 89, after his third wife Fabiana Flosi, 44, gave birth to baby boy Ace.
LOCKDOWN SHOCK FOR CELEB COUPLES
LOCKDOWN has come as a shock to many celeb couples, says leading divorce and break-up coach Sara Davison.
"I work with a number of high-profile clients including actors, sportsmen and politicians – and I can tell you lockdown has been quite a shock to the system having been forced into unusually close confinement for long periods of time," she tells us.
"It’s no wonder so many high-profile relationships have hit the rocks."
She adds of recent months: "We have seen a surge in enquiries about divorce across the board – if the relationship was solid to start with it should withstand this tough test.
";If it was built on shaky foundations then this test may well prove one too many.”
Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore
Length of marriage: 26 years
Settlement: $425m
They enjoyed a 26-year marriage and raised seven kids together.
But in 2006, Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore - who had met when Mel was an unknown actor and Robyn was a dental nurse - called it quits.
Three years later, Robyn filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences".
And in 2011, the divorce was finalised, with the couple's $425million settlement reportedly totalling half of Mad Max star Mel's net worth at the time.
Adele and Simon Konecki
Length of marriage: 11 months
Settlement: Rumoured £140m
Superstar Adele has largely kept her private life out of the spotlight.
So last year, fans were shocked to find out the superstar had split from her charity boss husband, Simon Konecki, 46, after 11 months of marriage.
At the time, the star’s spokesman confirmed: “Adele and her partner have separated. They are committed to raising their son together lovingly."
Adele, 32, and Simon, who share seven-year-old Angelo, were thought to have wed in 2016, but they'd tied the knot in 2018.
Now, the pair are going through a £140million divorce - though in April, it emerged a judge has ruled details of the divorce will be kept secret.
The former couple had not signed a pre-nup deal when they got married.
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
Length of marriage: Six years
Settlement: $110m
It was one of showbiz's most famous divorces and sport's biggest scandals.
Once squeaky-clean, American golf legend Tiger Woods had his reputation tarnished in 2009 by a series of allegations of infidelity.
It all started when Tiger crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and ploughed into a neighbour's tree when pulling out of his driveway.
His wife Elin Nordegren had reportedly chased him out of the house, wielding a golf club, after catching him texting one of his mistresses.
The pair, who share two kids, officially divorced in 2010, with former model and nanny Elin walking away with a whopping $110m settlement.
At the time of the scandal, Tiger, now 44, admitted: "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated.
Elin and divorced after he was accused of cheating with at least 120 women in 2009.
The pair were married six years and are parents to Sam, 12, and Charlie, 11.
Masters champion Woods, now 44, admitted at the time: "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated.
"What I did was not acceptable . . . I have a lot to atone for."
Madonna and Guy Ritchie
Length of marriage: Eight years
Settlement: Between $76m and $92m
Queen of Pop Madonna and film director Guy Ritchie tied the knot just days before Christmas 2000 after being introduced by musician Sting.
Yet within eight years of their stunning castle ceremony, the spark had fizzled out and the pair, who share two kids, filed for divorce.
In an astonishing settlement, Madonna paid Guy, now married to model Jacqui Ainsley, a reported sum of between $76million and $92million.
The Like A Prayer hitmaker also gave him her £12 million country mansion in Wiltshire - and they entered a compromise over custody of their kids.
However, in later years, they'd wage a custody war over son Rocco.
In 2015, Guy tied the knot with Jacqui in the mansion his ex-wife gave him.
Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong
Length of marriage: 11 years
Settlement: £31m
Ant McPartlin and Strictly make-up artist Lisa Armstrong married in a star-studded ceremony in 2006, more than ten years after they started dating.
But after an 11-year marriage, TV presenter Ant made the decision to end it.
The couple's high-profile relationship had been under pressure following his addiction to painkillers after knee surgery.
What followed was a £31million divorce that reportedly saw Ant agree to give Lisa over half of his £50million fortune in a huge deal.
Lisa was also said to be keeping the couple’s £5million former marital home in West London. But they agreed to share permanent custody of their beloved Labrador, Hurley.
Ant - one half of Ant & Dec - has since moved on with his personal assistant Anne-Marie Corbett, while Lisa has recently found love again with a new fella.
Paul McCartney and Heather Mills
Length of marriage: Four years
Settlement: £24.3m
Beatles star Paul McCartney and model and activist Heather Mills met at a charity event in 1999, before tying the knot in June 2002.
A year later, they welcomed daughter Beatrice. But in 2006, after just four years of marriage, the couple split in an incredibly bitter divorce.
Speaking at the time, they said: "Having tried exceptionally hard to make our relationship work given the daily pressures surrounding us, it is with sadness that we have decided to go our separate ways."
Heather represented herself in court and asked for £125m.
However, she ended up receiving a much lower £24.3million from Paul - plus payments of £35,000 a year for costs for their daughter, now 16.
The divorce was finalised in 2008.
Jennifer Lopez and Cris Judd
Length of marriage: Nine months
Settlement: £10m
Most read in Celebrity
Superstar Jennifer Lopez enjoyed a whirlwind romance with actor and choreographer Cris Judd after they met on the set of her Love Don't Cost a Thing music video in 2000, where Cris was a backup dancer.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
They tied the knot the following September, with J.Lo glowing in her lacy white dress. But just nine months later, the couple separated.
Their divorce, finalised in 2003, is said to have cost Jennifer around £10million - ironically proving that, in some cases, love can cost a thing.