Celebrity Divorce Club: Who Pays the Most in Alimony? – Part I

Divorce in Hollywood is big business as paying appropriate alimony payments and costs for raising children from the marriage, causes extreme stress and disagreement between celeb couples. Divorce is bad enough but when millionaire celebs are involved, alimony payments become astronomical. Huge alimony pay-outs of divorced celebrities have led to increased prenuptial agreements, though famous couples truly in love have refused to sign such agreements. Too many celebs, faced with alimony issues, are paying alimony, as under:

Mel Gibson – $425 Million

Creator: Russell Einhorn | Credit: Getty Images

Actor Mel Gibson, the Braveheart star divorced Robyn Moore his wife of 31 years, in 2011 and ordered a staggering $425 million payout of half of his own net worth. There were also reports that Moore and Gibson met in Australia before he was famous. She gets a share of future earnings, too. Gibson also paid $750,000 to Oksana Grigorieva, his young girlfriend towards maintenance payments for their daughter after they split. A tangled Web indeed!

Mel B – 1.6 Million

Despite marriage to backup dancer Jimmy Gulzar for just 16 months, Mel paid Jimmy a settlement of $1.6 million, including a cash payment and property worth $1 million. When Mel B divorced second husband Stephen Belafonte, in 2017, her net worth doubled, and she paid $6.5 million. “Marry in haste, repent at the bank” is Mel B’s motto for non-marital bliss.

Paul McCartney – $38.5 Million

A musical genius with the successful Beatles, Paul McCartney lost when his second marriage with Heather Mills crashed. Paul refused a pre-nup and split from Mills after 6 years of marriage, while there were accusations of drug abuse and rumours swirling about, and of not getting along with Sir Paul’s children from his previous wife Linda. Heather secured $38.5 million plus $70,000 annually for their daughter, Beatrice, till she becomes 17.

Britney Spears – Kevin Federline:  Awarded $40,000 per Month

Creator: J. Merritt | Credit: FilmMagic

Singer Britney Spears’ squeaky-clean image, ended after marrying a childhood friend after drunken partying in Las Vegas and then married Kevin Federline, a back-up dancer, months later. The troubled couple spent three years, with two children together. When they split, Kevin secured $40,000 a month before Kevin took the plunge again in 2013 and married Victoria Prince, a former athlete.

Neil Diamond – $150 Million

Singer Neil Diamond enjoyed 26 years with second wife Marcia Murphey, a television producer, before splitting in 1996. They married in 1969 and she secured $150 million, after infidelity rumours surfaced. Diamond married 41-year old wife number three, Katie McNeil, in April 2012.

Phil Collins – $84 Million for 3 Wives

Obviously an old romantic at heart, thrice married, the Genesis singer paid $84 million on alimony payments! In 1979, his first marriage ended while the second marriage to Jill Tavelman was financially disastrous as Collins paid her $34 million. He married Orianne Cevey, Swiss-born translator in 2008, and in 2014, she was awarded alimony totalling $47.76 million.

Silvio Berlusconi – $1.6 Million every Month

Italian playboy Silvio Berlusconi is no Hollywood celebrity, but is infamous in Europe for his shady personal life, his political career and business successes. In 2014, his wife of 25 years, Veronica Lario, divorced Berlusconi after salacious reports emerged in the Press. Veronica was awarded alimony of $1.6 million a month though she wanted $3.4 million every month.