There’s a commonly held stereotype that celebrity marriages don’t last long. Kim Kardashian and now Sinead O’Connor have both proved that in the past couple of months alone. But at least one celebrity marriage lasted a relatively long time and will only meet its end come January.
Some might be surprised to learn that superstar Mel Gibson has been married to his wife Robyn for about 30 years. But their long-term marriage began to officially unravel in 2006, when the wife filed for divorce from the celeb actor. That divorce will be official as of early January.
Despite the glaring media limelight that Gibson has been caught up in during the past few years, he has had great successes in his career that cannot be disputed. His appearances in movies, as well as his directing of movies, have earned him a significant pile of assets. Reuters also indicates that Gibson has solid investments in real estate.
As it does with just about any celebrity divorce, matters of property division and other finances become a focus of public interest. Mel and his ex have opted to keep the majority of their divorce details private, but sources do report that the couple never had a prenuptial agreement.
It would be safe to assume that the wife will get out with about half of the marital property, along with healthy alimony payments. This is easy to believe because recent history suggests that, despite their divorce, the couple has a good relationship. She testified on his behalf when his now ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva alleged that Gibson was physically abusive.
The couple has also reportedly agreed to share custody of their only minor child, 12 years old.
Gibson has built a reputation for himself lately that he is an unstable, emotional person. The reported details of this divorce prove that maybe the public has been wrong about him. Or, maybe even when a passionate person like Gibson keeps his children at the center of a family law dispute, the process doesn’t have to get messy.
Source
Reuters: “Mel Gibson’s marriage to Robyn Gibson is officially over.” Kurt Orzeck, Dec. 23, 2011