Cleese Not Laughing About $20M Divorce

Insiders say the two feuded over starting a family

(NEWSER) - Let the speculation begin over what killed Katy Perry and Russell Brand's marriage . Brand insiders tell the Daily Mail that it was all about family: He wanted her to leave work behind to focus on raising kids, but she wasn't ready. "This wasn’t one of those occasions when Russell was mucking about; he wanted to settle down and have a family," says the source. But "I don’t think that’s what Katy wants." More»

Pop singer worried about upsetting religious parents

(NEWSER) - Looks like religion actually did play a role in the Katy Perry-Russell Brand divorce filing yesterday—but more in the timing of it. Details are trickling out on the long-rumored celebrity breakup:

• Perry wanted Brand to file the divorce papers so as not to upset her religious parents, sources tell TMZ . Perry was raised with the belief that divorce is a no-no.

...to his ex, as part of divorce

(NEWSER) - In what's believed to be the largest Hollywood divorce settlement in history, Mel Gibson is having to cough up $425 million—half of his estimated fortune—to ex-wife Robyn Denise Moore. The two, married 31 years and parents to seven children, didn't have a prenuptial agreement, so Moore is entitled to half his wealth under California law. Moore, a former dental nurse, is also entitled to half of any future residuals from films Gibson, 55, worked on while the two were married, reports People . The settlement was finalized by a judge last week. Gibson earned $600 million alone from his The Passion of the Christ. He also made money from real estate, including a Fiji island he bought for $15 million. More»

Counseling has failed, celeb couple heads for splitsville

(NEWSER) - Demi Moore has gotten a divorce lawyer and is ending her marriage to Ashton Kutcher, according to the latest in the Daily Mail . Rumors have been swirling for weeks that their relationship is on the rocks, since Ashton was allegedly caught cheating with a 23-year-old just before his sixth wedding anniversary. "Moore has been totally humiliated," says an unnamed insider. "On Friday, therefore, she consulted a lawyer about getting a divorce." More»

He lost his share of settlement in Ponzi scheme

(NEWSER) - Bernie Madoff is messing up divorce settlements now, too. A husband wants his wife to give him back millions of dollars because he lost his share of their combined wealth in Madoff's Ponzi scheme, reports the New York Times . Steven Simkin and Laura Blank split up in 2006 and divvied up $13.2 million in assets. She took hers in cash, while he kept his under the care of Madoff. When Madoff's scheme went poof, Simkin filed papers to revise their settlement. His wife refused, and the matter has now reached New York state's highest court. More»