Divorce is a significant reality that many marriages go through. When it happens, couples have to deal with the settlement portion. There may also be custody battles for children. However, when you’re a wealthy celebrity, it can become muddled and drawn out quickly. Here are some of the most expensive divorce settlements in the world.
Narvel Blackstock and Reba McEntire – $47.5 Million
Reba and Narvel announced that they were getting divorced in 2015, and fans were shocked. While they separated, they are still on good terms with each other and support one another. We can only assume that the assets were equally divided.
Narvel Blackstock and Reba McEntire – $47.5 Million
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – $400 Million
Brad and Angelina were probably the most talked about celebrity couple divorce of all time. They shared custody of the children and officially got divorced in 2019. The settlement is about $400 million in total!
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – $400 Million
Cindy Silva and Kevin Costner – $80 Million
After 16 married years and having two children, Cindy and Kevin officially separated. Rumors spread that he was unfaithful, and Costner ended up paying $80 million to Silva. Later, he admitted to fathering a child with Bridget Rooney.
Cindy Silva and Kevin Costner – $80 Million
Jocelyn and Alec Wildenstein – $2.5 Billion
Alec Wildenstein is a French billionaire businessman who was forced to pay Jocelyn roughly $2.5 billion upon their divorce. She’s the woman who had countless cosmetic procedures, which cost about $2 billion in total.
Jocelyn and Alec Wildenstein – $2.5 Billion
Diandra and Michael Douglas – $45 Million
Michael and Diandra married in 1977 and had one son together. However, after 18 years, Diandra decided it was time for a divorce. She ended up getting half of his net worth at that time, which equaled roughly $45 million!
Diandra and Michael Douglas – $45 Million
Sheila and Robert Johnson – $400 Million
Robert Johnson is the co-founder of BET, a TV channel. He separated from Sheila after 33 years of marriage in 2002. She received about $400 million in the divorce settlement because he had sold BET to Viacom in 2000 and earned $3 billion for the sale.
Sheila and Robert Johnson – $400 Million
Slavica and Bernie Ecclestone – $1 Billion
When Bernie and Slavica separated, she received a divorce settlement of about $1 billion. She was wise enough to make investments with the cash and turned that amount into $1.6 billion, which is a nice nest egg.
Slavica and Bernie Ecclestone – $1 Billion
Anna Maria Torv and Rupert Murdoch – $1. 2 Billion
Rupert and Anna had been married 32 years before they got divorced in 1999. At the time, Murdoch had a net worth of about $8 billion. Torv ended up receiving roughly $1.2 billion as her settlement.
Anna Maria Torv and Rupert Murdoch – $1. 2 Billion
Seal and Heidi Klum – $70 Million
Heidi Klum is a German supermodel and finally revealed that her husband’s temper was out of control. She feared for her children’s lives. Though she had a prenuptial agreement in place, she still paid him $70 million, but she was happier alone.
Seal and Heidi Klum – $70 Million
Robyn Moore and Mel Gibson – $425 Million
Mel was having a rough year in 2006. After the DUI arrest, his wife decided to file for divorce after 26 years of marriage. The couple had no prenuptial agreement, so she received half of his fortune, which equaled roughly $425 million!
Robyn Moore and Mel Gibson – $425 Million
Jamie and Frank McCourt – $130 Million
Frank is known for owning Dodgers Stadium and Fox Entertainment Group. When he and Jamie chose to divorce in 2011, he ended up having to pay her about $130 million, which was a lot at the time!
Jamie and Frank McCourt – $130 Million
Ellen Barkin and Ron Perelman – $20 Million
Ron married Ellen Barkin, which was his fourth wife, in June 2000. Only six years later, they got divorced, and it cost him a lot of money. She got about $20 million after she sold the jewelry Perelman had given her.
Ellen Barkin and Ron Perelman – $20 Million
Laura Andrassy and Greg Norman – $103 Million
Greg Norman is a popular golf star, but he and his wife called it quits after 25 years of marriage. In 2008, he chose to leave her for Chris Evert, a tennis star. She ended up getting $103 million for his bad decision.
Laura Andrassy and Greg Norman – $103 Million
Joanna Holland and Johnny Carson – $20 Million
Johnny Carson had a total of four marriages during his life, but he divorced Joanna during the peak of his career. He earned roughly $15 million each year, so he could definitely pay out the costly $20 million divorce settlement.
Joanna Holland and Johnny Carson – $20 Million
Soraya Khashoggi and Adnan Khashoggi – $874 Million
Adnan is a Saudi Arabian billionaire and had been married to Soraya for many years. They finally chose to split up. Since he was one of the wealthiest men worldwide at the time, he had to pay her $874 million in the settlement.
Soraya Khashoggi and Adnan Khashoggi – $874 Million
Livia Giuggioli and Colin Firth – $12.5 Million
Colin and Livia were married for about 22 years, but things turned sour. She admitted to an affair with Marco Brancaccia, an Italian journalist and childhood friend. Still, she got about $12.5 million, which was half of his net worth then.
Livia Giuggioli and Colin Firth – $12.5 Million
Camille and Kelsey Grammer – $30 Million
Kelsey and Camille married in 1997 and had two children together. However, 14 years later, they called it quits. She ended up getting a divorce settlement of about $30 million and is now on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, making a name for herself.
Camille and Kelsey Grammer – $30 Million
Beverly and John Charman – $95 Million
John married his childhood sweetheart when he was broke. Throughout their 29-year marriage, he became a wealthy London man. Beverly ended up becoming a homemaker, so she got $95 million when they divorced.
Beverly and John Charman – $95 Million
Florence Tsang-Chiu-Wing and Samathur Li-Kan – $154 Million
Samathur is a powerful billionaire in Hong Kong, and he earned money by becoming a real estate mogul. He and his wife got divorced in 2008 because she wouldn’t have an abortion. The Hong Kong judge demanded he pay her $154 million.
Florence Tsang-Chiu-Wing and Samathur Li-Kan – $154 Million
Irina and Roman Maladina – $300 Million
Roman is a Russian billionaire who had been married from 1991 to 2007 to Irina. At the time, he was worth about $8 billion, so she was awarded a divorce settlement of about $300 million in the form of lavish Moscow and London homes and cash.
Irina and Roman Maladina – $300 Million
Aryn Drake-Lee and Jesse Williams – $4 Million
Jesse William is a popular Grey’s Anatomy star, and Aryn is a real estate broker. They confirmed their divorce and said it was amicable. While no one ever disclosed an official amount, the settlement was estimated at $4 million.
Aryn Drake-Lee and Jesse Williams – $4 Million
Casey Coates and Ted Dansen – $30 Million
After a meeting in 1976, Ted and Casey seemed like the perfect pair. However, he and Whoopi Goldberg had an affair that ended his marriage of 15 years. The divorce settlement made headlines at the time because he paid her $30 million!
Casey Coates and Ted Dansen – $30 Million
Melissa Mathison and Harrison Ford – $118 Million
Harrison and Melissa had been a classic Hollywood couple, sharing children together. However, in 2001, they chose to end the 17-year marriage. With no prenuptial agreement in place, Mathison ended up getting $118 million as her settlement.
Melissa Mathison and Harrison Ford – $118 Million
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp – $6.8 Million
Johnny and Amber’s marriage ended very bitterly, with both sides accusing the other of abuse. Amber got $6 million in her settlement, which she supposedly donated to charities. However, the legal fees between them both probably set her back $800,000.
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp – $6.8 Million
Wendi Deng and Rupert Murdoch – $1.8 Million
Rupert had only been divorced for about 17 days before he married Wendi Deng. However, the News Corporation CEO chose to divorce her in 2013, which ended up costing him about $1.8 million for the settlement.
Wendi Deng and Rupert Murdoch – $1.8 Million
Linda Hamilton and James Cameron – $50 Million
James Cameron is known for directing hit films, such as Avatar and Titanic. Though the latter movie was a huge success, Cameron was having an affair during that time. A few days after winning an Oscar for it, he and Linda announced the divorce, and she came out with $50 million.
Linda Hamilton and James Cameron – $50 Million
Kim Bassinger and Alec Baldwin – $3 Million
Alec and Kim had been married nine years before they started the bitter divorce process. She blocked visitation rights, so he couldn’t see his daughter. Finally, the divorce was finalized, and she got about $3 million in the end.
Kim Bassinger and Alec Baldwin – $3 Million
Elaine and Steve Wynn – $741 Million
Steve and Elaine divorced once and then chose to remarry to each other. However, that second time didn’t go well, either. During that divorce in 2010, he ended up having to pay her a total of $741 million.
Elaine and Steve Wynn – $741 Million
Heather Mills and Paul McCartney – $48.6 Million
Paul McCartney had been part of The Beatles and married Heather in a lavish Ireland wedding that cost roughly $3.2 million. However, the marriage didn’t last long, and the divorce settlement cost him about $48.6 million!
Heather Mills and Paul McCartney – $48.6 Million
Natalia Potanina and Vladimir Potanin – $7 Billion
Vladimir was a Russian billionaire worth about $14 billion at the time. After 30 years of marriage, he and Natalia got divorced in 2013. It was highly complicated and drawn out, but she ended up getting $7 billion.
Natalia Potanina and Vladimir Potanin – $7 Billion
Maya and Michael Polsky – $184 Million
Michael is a businessman who is known for his involvement with SkyGen. He and his wife decided to get divorced in 2013. This ended up costing him roughly $184 million, which is a bit shocking!
Maya and Michael Polsky – $184 Million
Marlene and Charles Fipke – $200 Million
Charles made tons of money after he found diamonds in the Canadian Northwest Territories. He and his ex-wife chose to get divorced, and she left with a divorce settlement of $200 million. This was one of the most expensive in Canada.
Marlene and Charles Fipke – $200 Million
Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani – $25 Million
Gwen and Gavin seemed like that rare Hollywood marriage that would withstand the test of time, even after her affair. However, they decided to get divorced after 13 years of marriage and 20 years together. The settlement was about $25 million, and she’s now with Blake Shelton!
Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani – $25 Million
Amy Irving and Steven Spielberg – $100 Million
Steven and Amy had only been married for three and a half years before getting a divorce. While she got a $100 million settlement, that seems like a small amount since he’s worth about $5 billion!
Amy Irving and Steven Spielberg – $100 Million
Mike Comrie and Hilary Duff – $2.5 Million
Hilary is unique because she’s a child star from the 2000s that never had any scandals. After marrying Mike, their marriage ended. In fact, the divorce was tough because of the son they shared, and they settled at $2.5 million.
Mike Comrie and Hilary Duff – $2.5 Million
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore – $90 Million
Demi and Bruce were married 11 years before the divorce in 2000. Bruce claimed that he’d failed as a husband and father. Therefore, she ended up getting $90 million and started a relationship with Ashton Kutcher, who was younger than her.
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore – $90 Million
Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger – $475 Million
Maria found out that her husband of 25 years had an affair with the housekeeper, having a son by him. The couple didn’t have a prenuptial agreement, so she ended up walking away with a divorce settlement of $475 million!
Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger – $475 Million
Sue Ann Arnall and Harold Hamm – $974.8 Million
Harold made a huge fortune in the gas and oil industry. After being married to Sue Ann for 24 years, they divorced in 2012. She ended up walking away with a divorce settlement of $974.8 million!
Sue Ann Arnall and Harold Hamm – $974.8 Million
Michelle Branch and Teddy Landau – $300,000
Michelle is a songwriter and Grammy-winning singer. She married Teddy, who was her bassist at the time, and the marriage lasted about 11 years. However, he ended up with $300,000 when they divorced.
Michelle Branch and Teddy Landau – $300,000
Tawanna and Allen Iverson – $32 Million
Allen is a basketball star and was married to Tawanna for about 24 years. She couldn’t take the $150 million in debt he had and sued him for the $32 million that was promised in the prenuptial agreement. Though he claimed he couldn’t afford food, he was still ordered to pay.
Tawanna and Allen Iverson – $32 Million
