Celebrity divorce battles may seem meaner and messier than the divorces of average couples. But that perception may come from more intense media scrutiny, or possibly from the powerful need to protect celebrities’ livelihoods and reputations, according to top celebrity divorce attorneys across the country.
It may seem that celebrities have a more difficult time during divorce because the media brings more aspects of the disputes to the public’s attention, said
Laura Wasser of Wasser, Cooperman and Carter in Los Angeles. She has represented
Britney Spears, Stevie Wonder,
Angelina Jolie,
Nick Lachey,
Kiefer Sutherland and
Spike Jonze. At one point, Wasser asked to be removed as Britney Spears attorney during her custody dispute with
Kevin Federline. However, Wasser does not comment on specific clients’ cases.
Generally, she said, celebrities may spend more money on their divorces just because they can. But their emotions are running just as high as for any couple. “That cuts both ways. We can perceive that they are fighting harder,” Wasser said. “But then, people in a high-wealth case might be fighting harder.”
PUBLIC PERCEPTION IN CELEBRITY DIVORCE But celebrities definitely behave differently as their divorces progress because they don’t want their actions, past or present, to become tabloid fodder, Wasser said. This is not an issue facing the average divorcing couple. “If you are just Joe Average, the only one who is going to read it is going to be the judge,” Wasser said.
And because celebrities’ reputations are tied so closely to the success of their careers, divorces become a high-stakes game, Wasser said. They may threaten to reveal information about the spouse to damage his or her reputation. They may scramble to keep private information that may be damaging. “Celebrities probably behave differently because they don’t want things played out and made public,” Wasser said.
The battles over reputations and revealing information as a threat in the negotiations is not as salacious as it used to be, Wasser said. And the public’s views on celebrities’ reputations may be more grounded. “We, as the public, realize that these people are not gods, they are not superhuman, they go through their bad times like everyone else,” Wasser said.
As a result of the need to protect their names and reputations, celebrities will fight harder than the average couple, said
John C. Mayoue, of Warner, Mayoue, Bates and Nolen, P.C. in Atlanta. Mayoue has represented Marianne Gingrich in her divorce from former House
Speaker Newt Gingrich;
Jane Fonda; and baseball star
David Justice.
“The most valuable asset, generally, is their good name and they will do all they can to protect and promote it,” Mayoue said. Add to that the fact that they can spend more money to achieve the results that they want, and celebrity divorces seem to increase in intensity, he said. “Certainly money will solve a lot of problems, and celebrities will pay more if it means getting a desired result, quickly and without adverse publicity,” Mayoue said.
CELEBRITIES GET INTENSE SCRUTINY Celebrities deal with divorce emotionally like most people do, but they have additional, special circumstances to resolve, said Attorney Robert Kaufman, of Kaufman, Young, Spiegel, Robinson and Kenerson in Los Angeles, who has represented
Reese Witherspoon and
Jennifer Anniston in their divorces. Kauffman is quick to add that it is his policy never to speak to the press about the facts and circumstances of pending cases.
First of all, Kaufman said, celebrities have to deal with what he describes as unwarranted media scrutiny that arises during their break-ups, separations and divorces, about which the noncelebrity has little concern. That places a great deal of pressure on the celebrities as well as their lawyers, he said.
Some divorcing celebrities may try to sway public opinion by spinning their sides of marital disputes in the media, in Internet blogs,
YouTube and the like. “They have ability to use press agents to spin their stories,” Kaufman said. “Sometimes that results in a media blitz that, unfortunately, affects the public’s perception of their case.”
That intense media scrutiny can be especially difficult on their children of celebrities. Kaufman said the children’s peers are often all too aware of what is happening as parents split up, especially if the split is blaring from the front of magazine covers and television programs. “The media blitz can become harmful to the children of that divorcing couple because they are celebrities and the school playground can become a savage place,” Kaufman said.
If he had to choose the hardest fought area of celebrities’ divorces, it would be battles over their children, Kaufman said. Celebrities have great concerns about the public’s perception of their images and reputations, Kaufman said, and that is no more acute than when it comes to perceptions of parenting skills. Kaufman said trying to negotiate custody and visitation are often one of the more difficult in the divorce process.
Both parents need to be flexible about sharing time with their children, and must be considerate of each other’s work schedules when one parent is on location or on tour and the other is not, he said. “If both parties are celebrities, it is even worse because of the time demands of filming on location,” Kaufman said.
From his perspective, Kaufman said, there are different types of celebrities, and that translates to different divorce experiences. His client list includes high-profile celebrities in front of the camera, but also, celebrities that are know for their work behind the camera, such as writers, directors and producers.
“When all is said and done however, celebrities and non celebrities alike all have to deal with the angst of divorce and its effect on their children and finances, but with celebrities there is often an extra layer of angst,” Kaufman said.
