Hollywood stars are notoriously quick to divorce. And when they do, a lot is at stake because of their wealth and status. Prenups can help protect the stars from a total disaster, but do some go too far? From weight gain clauses to exorbitant sums, these are some of the craziest celebrity prenups and divorce settlements!
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Although Katie Holmes is a successful actress by any standard, the deal she made with ex-husband Tom Cruise definitely ensures her financial stability for years to come. A news article revealed that for every year the couple was married, Katie would receive $3 million for up to five years of marriage. And after 10 years the pair would split everything up.
Since the couple shares a daughter, Suri, child support was also ensured - $400,000 a year. And as if that's not enough, Katie reportedly received an additional $15 million divorce settlement sum.
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline
Britney Spears tied the knot with her back-up dancer, Kevin Federline, in a secret ceremony, and the world was shocked. But before marrying him, Spears made sure that her assets were legally protected.
Apparently, the two signed a 60-page (!) document which formalized that Kevin would receive only a million from her $65 million fortune. Britney would also pay Kevin $25,000 a month in child support for each of the two children they co-parent. But the juiciest detail is that Kevin is officially forbidden from writing a tell-all book on their nuptial life.
Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris
Crystal Harris was a runaway bride only five days before the wedding. It's no surprise, then, that the second time around, Hugh decided to protect his assets in case his new, young bride planned on usurping his wealth.
Their prenup stipulated that in case the two got divorced, Crystal would receive absolutely nothing from the Playboy magnate. That seems wise, considering she sold her first engagement ring for over $80,000, making us all suspect her motives.
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones
In their 19 years of marriage, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas have had their ups and downs. Yet they stay by each other's side and are reportedly stronger than ever.
Just in case things go wrong, though, they have a prenup stipulating that Catherine will get $2.8 million for every year she was married to him and an extra $5 million bonus if she ever caught Douglas cheating. Considering this hefty sum, it's no wonder they're still together!
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have been married since 2006, but their prenup became null and void only a few months after their marriage. They agreed that Keith would receive $640,000 for each year of marriage, under the condition that Keith would not use drugs.
Only four months after tying the knot, however, Keith entered rehab for drug abuse and the prenup was effectively canceled. The couple are still happily together and have said that Keith's struggle and recovery process has actually brought them closer together.
Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving
When Steven Spielberg and his ex-wife Amy Irving were discussing marriage at a bar, they wrote out their prenup agreement on a cocktail napkin rather than going through a lawyer.
Needless to say, when Spielberg filed for divorce in 1989, they discovered the napkin was not legally binding. And so Steven left his wife for Kate Capshaw, he had to shell out half of his fortune - $100 million dollars.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel
One of Hollywood's sweetest couples, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, apparently went through a rough patch while hashing out the details of their prenup agreement.
Eventually, they agreed that if Justin was to cheat on Jessica, he'd have to pay $500,000. A cheating clause isn't uncommon in celebrity prenups. Luckily, it seems that the couple will not invoke the agreement any time soon, as they seem happily in love.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé
The music industry's undeniable royal couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, have a prenup agreement promising some hefty sums. They're both worth a fortune, so signing an agreement was beneficial to both parties.
According to the contract, Beyonce will receive one million dollars for every year that they were married, with an extra $5 million for each child they have together. Even though the couple are constantly in the tabloids for infidelity and divorce rumors, they're sticking together and parenting 3 beautiful children.
Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo
Though Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo never married in the end, there were reports of some crazy prenup discussions while they were dating and thinking of getting engaged.
One of the potential clauses revealed that if Jessica would gain weight and reach over 135 pounds, Romo would receive $500,000. Harsh! That's probably why they never took that next step in their relationship. And if you ask us, Simpson is totally better off without him.
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
When Khloe Kardashian brokered her prenuptial agreement with Lamar Odom, she proved her savvy negotiation skills. The pair indeed got divorced after Lamar was found unconscious in a Las Vegas brothel, and Khloe got quite the compensation.
The agreement they signed stipulated she could keep the house, cars, $1 million engagement ring and an extra half a million dollars for every year she was married to Lamar. And that's not all, she remains the beneficiary on Lamar's $10 million life insurance policy.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
Don't believe the constant tabloid rumors - Kim and Kanye are more in love than ever. But in the unlikely event that they do divorce, they have quite a special prenup. Interestingly, Kanye specifically included a clause saying that Kris is not allowed to make any business decisions for the pair.
It was also declared that Kim could keep her engagement ring (which unfortunately was stolen in the infamous Paris heist), could keep any gifts Kanye has given her and an additional $1 million for each year of marriage.
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher
After six years of marriage, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher split in ugly divorce proceedings. Their marriage was rocky, to say the least, and Kutcher was accused of cheating multiple times. Meanwhile, Moore's substance abuse problems and obsession with youth put a strain on the marriage.
Moore reportedly instructed her lawyers to "punish him financially", but her lawyers had to break it to her that she was limited to their original agreement. Thank god for prenups, huh?
Ice-T and Coco
Ice-T and Coco have been married since 2002 and seem happy as ever. They welcomed their first child in 2005. But just in case, they made sure to sign a prenup.
In it, Ice-T demanded that if they were to divorce, Coco would have to give him back the breast and buttock implants he paid for. Strange move!
Mariah Carey and James Packer
Mariah Carey is everyone's favorite diva, so it makes sense her demands in preparation for her marriage to James Packer were unbelievably over the top.
While Packer initially offered $1 million for every year of marriage, she eventually got offered $6 million. He also agreed to let she and her children use his private planes. But this wasn't impressive enough for the pop queen and their engagement was called off.
Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee
Hip-hop mogul and entrepreneur Russell Simmons had a dramatic prenuptial agreement with fashion designer and model Kimora Lee. He committed to paying $20,000 a month until the girls turn 19.
Kimora also insisted that the girls could only visit their father accompanied by security personnel and a nanny. But there's more, as Simmons promised to buy his two daughters a new $60,000 car every 3 years.
Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds
Eddie Murphy was head-over-heels in love with his then-girlfriend Tracey Edmonds when the two flew down to Bora Bora for a secret marriage ceremony.
The marriage was later found to be technically invalid, and they intended to make it official back in the US. But when Edmonds requested half of Eddie's fortune in the prenup discussions, he called it off and they never made it official.
Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto
When Michael Jordan was preparing for his happily-ever-after with Cuban model Yvette he knew he had to protect his billion dollar assets. This is because, in his last divorce, he lost $168 million dollars in total.
So this time around, he agreed to give Yvette $1 million for every year of marriage and after 10 years, she would receive an additional $5 million sums. Quite a modest parting package compared to his previous one.
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson
In Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson's relationship, Simpson is the one with the big bucks. The singer and actress has a billion-dollar brand. And so, she reportedly agreed to give Johnson $500,000 upfront followed by $200,000 on each anniversary.
And if the couple makes it to five years, he will get a $500,000 bonus. And at 10 years, he'd receive $1 million. As if that's not enough, hubby received his own high-limit Visa Black Card and an American Express Platinum card.
Rosie O’Donnell and Michelle Rounds
Sometimes prenups can actually ruin a relationship. Rosie O'Donnell and her partner Michelle Rounds had some intense negotiation rounds. They were in fact married just hours after it was finalized in 2012, after eight months of legal discussions.
Rosie reportedly added a clause that if Michelle were to cheat, she would get nothing. In 2015 the couple filed for divorce, and Michelle filed legal documents in an effort to invalidate the prenup.
Gabriella Union and Dwayne Wade
Actress Gabriella Union and pro-basketball player Dwayne Wade have quite a rare arrangement compared to their fellow celeb couples. They have openly discussed their prenup and explained that when you have your own money, taking each other's doesn't come into question.
“The reality is, I’ve never seen Dwyane balance a checkbook, so I got to protect my stuff,” shared Gabriella, and she pushed for a prenup that would reflect the fact she was not marrying him for money. Good for them.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries
This infamous marriage lasted merely 72 days! So what was the financial aftermath of the Kim Kardashian - Kris Humphries split?
The couple decided to keep their money separate in their prenup, so no damage there. But the agreement did specify that Kris was not allowed to discuss Kim in the media after their divorce.
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Here's another celeb couple who had to actually postpone their wedding due to ongoing prenup negotiations. Although there were rumors flying around that Jen didn't want a prenup as she was marrying for love, she eventually decided to sign one in order to protect her assets.
After shunning a cheating clause, Jen agreed to a prenup that would keep their assets completely separate, ensuring neither would gain anything from a split.
Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden
During Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden's prenup negotiations, a source revealed that “Benji’s pride is hurt. Haggling back and forth over money only highlights how much more successful Cam is.”
The source continued, “He’s worried that signing a prenup will shift the dynamic in their relationship.” The couple went through a rough patch while discussing an agreement, but luckily they pushed through and made it down the aisle!
Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli
When Michael Strahan divorced his wife Jean Muggli in 2007, he had to stick to their prenup to his dismay.
According to the prenup, his ex-wife was entitled to 50 percent of their joint marital assets and 20 percent of his income each year they were married. Jean Strahan walked away with no less than $15.3 million.
Katy Perry and Russell Brand
At first glance, Katy Perry and British comedian Russell Brand seemed like the perfect match. The two tied the knot in 2010 in an elaborate ceremony in India after a whirlwind romance. Brand filed for divorce only 14 months after that. This is where the drama began.
Since they did not sign a prenup, rumors were going around that Brand would take her $55 million fortune. Instead, he surprised us all by making no claims to Katy's finances and even signing over the couple's $6.5 million home to the pop princess.
Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe
Reese and Ryan fell in love when they were both two young stars at the beginning of their careers. In 1999, they took the next step and tied the knot. Reese's career success quickly skyrocketed, after winning an Academy Award and earning millions.
Ryan's career wasn't as successful, leading to a lot of tension within the marriage and the eventual 2005 divorce. Since they didn't sign a prenup, Ryan walked away with half of Reese's earnings.
Kelsey Grammar and Camille Donatacci
Kelsey Grammar is no poor man. During the 'Frasier' era, he was making $1.6 million an episode and was effectively the highest paid actor on TV. His then-wife Camille Donatacci went after his $120 million fortune as soon as the divorce was filed.
She ended up receiving an impressive $30 million sum. But Kelsey had the last laugh as he went on and got remarried only 2 weeks after their divorce was official.
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
When Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey got married in 2002, they starred in their own reality show 'Newlyweds', which ran for three successful seasons. But their wedded bliss didn't last, and they got divorced after only three years of marriage.
Apparently, Jessica offered her ex $1.5 million in their settlement, but Nick rejected and ended up getting a "significantly" larger amount.
Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills
The Beatles star and overall music legend Sir Paul McCartney ignored everyone around him who advised him to get a prenup, saying that he was marrying for love. Unfortunately for him, after just five years of marriage, the couple called it quits.
They had a bitter custody battle that destroyed Mills' reputation. The couple reportedly settled on $36 million for Mills. As for their daughters, McCartney would pay for their nanny and their $70,000 a-year education.
Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards
This celebrity prenup included a substantial cheating clause, and for good reason. When Charlie Sheen indeed cheated on then-wife, Denise Richard, she received an extra $4 million thanks to that clause.
But the messy divorce took a toll on Denise when Charlie kicked her and their children out of the house he paid for.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
When Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were heading down the aisle, Ben decided against a prenup due to his bad previous experiences with the legalities of it all.
After almost 10 years of nuptial life, Jennifer and Ben filed for divorce in 2015 and since they had no prenup, divided their shared assets, which amounted to $150 million fortune, evenly. Though Jen did receive spousal support on top of that, their split was pretty fair.
Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi
Ellen Degeneres and Australian celeb Portia de Rossi married in 2008. It's clear to see that Ellen's massive success overshadows that of Portia, as Ellen's reported worth is around $63 million.
The couple are plagued by constant tabloid split rumors, but in real life, they are more in love than ever. And that's lucky, considering the two do not have a prenup and have called prenups "unromantic".
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard went through a particularly painful divorce battle filled with allegations of abuse, domestic violence, alcohol, and drug abuse. Finally, in 2017, the two were officially divorced after only 2 years of marriage.
Since they didn't sign a prenup, many thought Amber would claim millions from her ex. But in the settlement, Depp was ordered to pay Heard a $7 million sum, which she then said would be donated fully to charity.
Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore
Some celeb marriages magically last long term, as did Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore's, clocking over 30 years together. But in 2011 they shocked everyone by filing for divorce.
Robyn walked away with a huge $435 million since the couple never signed a prenup. In addition to that, Robyn is also the beneficiary of half of Mel's residual earnings for the rest of his life, making her the clear winner of the divorce.
Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky
Elizabeth Taylor had not one but seven (!) failed marriages. Her final husband, Larry Fortensky, was the one who won the most money. Their prenup stated that he would receive $1 million for every year they stayed together and an additional lump sum if they were still married after 5 years.
They did last over five years and so he received the seven-figures plus. And since they remained close after their divorce, Taylor left him an extra $800,000 in her will.
Rosanne Barr and Tom Arnold
Roseanne Barre met fellow comedian Tom Arnold when he opened for her in a stand-up comedy act. They fell in love over 5 years later, when Barr brought Arnold onto her sitcom.
They got married in 1990 and when Roseanne's lawyer suggested they sign a prenup, she fired him! Only four years later, she definitely regretted her decision as the two filed for divorce. Thus, Arnold got away with $50 million from Barr.
The Dream and Christina Milian
'Dip It Low' singer Christina Milian married producer The Dream in 2009 after Christina got pregnant. They had a fairytale wedding and invited many of their celeb friends but unfortunately, they hit marital troubles and filed for divorce in 2010.
And get this - they got divorced just nine days before Christina gave birth to their baby girl. Since they didn't sign a prenup, Milian received $4 million and an additional $5,000 a month in child support. Not too shabby.
Sandra Bullock and Jesse James
In 2005, actress Sandra Bullock got hitched to TV star Jesse James after meeting him on a tour of the set of Monster Garage which was arranged for her godson. A mere five year later, a publicized scandal broke out when multiple women confessed they had relationships with James.
This led Sandra to cancel her movie's promotional tour in Europe due to “unforeseen personal reasons”. Bullock filed for divorce and James dramatically declared he would reject spousal support. Yet he wasn’t entitled to any spousal support in the state of Texas anyway, as their marriage lasted just five years.
Carmelo Anthony and Alani "Lala" Vazquez
Pro-basketball player Carmelo Anthony and wife Lala Vazquez recently announced their divorce after 7 years of marriage. Carmelo's massive fortune seems mostly protected by their iron-clad prenuptial agreement. But some other factors might have an effect on the final settlement fees since they do have a child together.
That means Lala could receive up to $60,000 a month in child support. But there are also rumors going around that Carmelo was cheating, and if they turn out to be true, Lala could win even more money in the end.
Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana
We were all shocked to find out about Janet Jackson's divorce from Wissam her billionaire husband of five years, back in 2017. While Jackson is worth around $175 million in her own right, she could still stand to gain around $200 million from Wissam.
According to the prenup they signed, the longer they stayed together, the better the settlement would be. Since the couple have stayed in a union for over five years and share a child together, it looks like Janet has become a much richer woman after the divorce.
Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller
Charlie Sheen never learns, does he? He ended up shelling just as much money in his second divorce as his first one. He was ordered to pay his ex, Brooke Mueller, $300,000 a year in addition to a lump sum of $500,000 to be given within 180 days of their marriage.
But he did manage to keep his assets separate which protected the wealth he earned through his successful television career.
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
The prenup agreed upon by Tiger and Elin stated that she would receive $20 million for each 10 year period that they were married. But when Tiger's affairs came to light and were all over the news, Elin demanded a rewrite of the prenup.
In an attempt to smooth the waters, Tiger offered her $200 million to stay with him, but she left. The common assumption is that Woods ended up paying her around $750 million so that she would keep quiet about the inside details of their marriage.
David Foster and Yolanda Hadid
Real Housewives star and former model Yolanda Hadid has had her share of hefty divorce settlements. After her second marriage to Grammy-winning music producer David Foster fell apart, she received a significant portion of money from the sale of their shared Malibu mansion along with a prior agreed payout.
While she probably could have won much more money if they had signed a prenup, she stated that she "married for love, not for money."
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon
The details of Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's prenuptial agreement were made public. And people noticed that the celeb pair is not worth as much as they claim.
A peculiar clause stated that the twins were not allowed to call Mariah’s or Nick’s future partner mom or dad. The agreement stipulated that Nick must place $5,000 a month in trust for their twins. Cannon also won the rights to their 2012 Ferrari.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie and Madonna divorced back in 2008, and sources made surprising claims. Apparently, even though Ritchie is technically entitled to half Madonna's $380 million fortune after their seven-year marriage, he did not receive a dime.
But Ritchie is wealthy in his own right and worth around $38 million due to his successful career as a producer and director. While the divorce proceedings started out well, the battle became aggressive with regard to their eldest child Rocco.
Chris Rock and Malaak Compton
Chris Rock filed for divorce against Malaak Compton in 2015 but his timing was painfully off! He thought he had taken every precaution to protect his assets in preparation for the divorce, but Chris' prenup had just recently expired after 20 years.
Naturally, Compton-Rock is enjoying the situation and seeking out a large portion of money from her ex-husband. Chris' worth is estimated at around $70 million and she could potentially be entitled to half. Ouch.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
After over 10 years together and just 2 years of marriage, Brangelina announced their split in 2016 and the world was shocked. The Hollywood power couple had 12 properties together and a net worth of $400 million.
But while that could be divided up easily, the custody of their six children is much more complex. Brad was fighting for joint physical custody, while Angelina wanted him to only have legal custody. As soon as Pitt was hit with child abuse allegations everyone realized they were headed for a brutal divorce.
George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin
Longtime bachelor George Clooney decided to finally settle down with lawyer Amal Alamuddin. But first, he had to guarantee there was a solid prenup in place to guard his $200 million fortune.
The prenup specifically states that if they were to divorce after less than a year, then she would get "only" $1 million. But if they stick together and have children, that figure would go up. And speaking of children, the couple did just welcome twins in June 2017.
Donald Trump and Ivana Zelníčková
The current President of the United States had his share of divorce issues. His ex-wife Ivana Zelníčková unsuccessfully challenged their prenuptial agreement in 1990, leading the two to sign a divorce pact which limited their settlement to $25 million.
In the end, Trump paid her $14 million in cash, $350,000 in annual alimony and $300,000 per year in child support. But the legal trouble continued in 1992 when Donald sued Ivana for breaking a gag clause in their agreement after she disclosed facts about him in a book.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
The first daughter, Ivanka Trump, probably took her father's advice on the importance of a prenup. When successful businessman Jared proposed to Ivanka, they each had a large fortune in their own right.
And so they decided to sign a pretty straightforward agreement that would keep their fortunes separate in the event of a divorce.