Stephanie Seymour vs. Peter Brant: Supermodel vs. Billionaire Divorce Starts Ugly

03 Jun

Filed Under Celebrity Justice, Divorce, Stephanie Seymour | 1 Comment

Victoria’s Secret supermodel Stephanie Seymour should trade in her lingerie for a full set of body armor. She needs it to defend herself from soon-to-be ex-husband, billionaire Peter Brant. Seymour is suing the polo player for divorce in a bucolic Connecticut courthouse which is no stranger to high net worth splits, and he has already come out swinging. Although the former Sports Illustrated cover girl started the court proceedings, Brant started the battle. And the writing is on the court house wall– Brant won’t be fighting fair.
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ANALYSIS: Brinkley Risks Embarassment to Gain Settlement

23 Jun

Filed Under Divorce, Christie Brinkley | Leave a Comment

Hell hath no fury like Christie Brinkley in divorce court.

Payback is a bitch. Round One goes to former supermodel Christie Brinkley after a New York divorce court granted her Motion for an open courtroom divorce trial. Her soon-to-be-ex husband, Peter Cook, who was desperate for a private divorce, can expect to be publicly humiliated if reports are true that Christie is planning on introducing evidence of his alleged affair with an 18-year-old assistant, as well as his alleged attraction to internet porn and to combing the web for swingers.

It is a great tactical move on Christie’s part. If Cook knows his reputation will be further soiled in the press (he was already slaughtered and humiliated two years ago when news of the split was first made public), he might choose to back down, abandon a trial, and seek a settlement. Or he could be intimidated into modifying his quest for those extra millions if the cost to his personal reputation becomes too high. (He owns an architectural office in the Hamptons and no doubt will need clients to continue hiring him to support his lavish lifestyle.) And finally, for every dagger that Christie throws, and as Cook’s name gets dragged through media mud as he attempts to defend it, he may become too worn down to continue to fight a strong fight.

Cook’s lawyer wasted no time in criticizing Christie as a bad mother for seemingly wanting her children exposed to the couple’s dirty laundry when she blocked Cook’s request for a closed courtroom. But that’s just “lawyer spin” on behalf of his client. Most divorce courtrooms are considered public, where spouses’ friends, neighbors– and in this case the media– can watch the drama unfold, one embarrassing detail at a time. While judges will close off child custody matters to the public, the divorce trial itself, where couples battle over assets and alimony, is a public affair. And in New York, one of the few states still operating under “fault divorce” law, even more intimate secrets are aired, because a couple must prove who was at fault for the break up and why. The Brinkley/Cook divorce is certainly expected to get messy.

So the world will get to watch Christie Brinkley have her day in court… and for poor Peter Cook– every dog must have his day too.

Stacy Schneider, Esq. is the author of He Had It Coming: How to Outsmart Your Husband and Win Your Divorce.

Reality of Celebrity Divorce: It’s Complicated. Denise Richards Seeks to Star Kids in Reality Show

22 May

Filed Under Reality TV, Divorce, Denise Richards, Charlie Sheen | 1 Comment

Denise Richards is making her kids reality television stars and her fuming ex-husband Charlie Sheen is powerless to stop her. Daughters, Lola, 2, and Sam, 3, are headed for Hollywood, as Denise is making the rounds on the nation’s talk show circuit this week promoting a new reality show about her home life called Denise Richards: It’s Complicated. But what this star is also highlighting is her ruthless decision to showcase her two toddlers on television in an attempt to jumpstart her career.

Denise won a court order allowing her to proceed with filming her life with the children (she has physical custody) as a reality television show for E!, which premiers next week. Charlie had objected, claiming the public exposure is a bad idea that will harm the kids, but a court disagreed. The reason Sheen lost his court battle was because he previously signed a waiver allowing the girls to be filmed. When the show itself became a reality, he apparently changed his mind. But the judge ruled a deal was a deal, and that Charlie had legitimately signed off on the project.

Why would Charlie have signed if he were against his daughters appearing on the show? In my opinion, he probably made a tactical error as his custody battle was ensuing. He may have initially given his consent with the hope of gaining leverage in a “give a little, get a little” move, thinking the reality show would never come to fruition. But Denise eventually successfully inked a deal to air her daily life (as if we are all that interested), and Charlie may have then realized he made an awful mistake.

Richie Sambora Arrest Threatens Child Custody Privileges

09 Apr

Filed Under DWI, Divorce, Richie Sambora, Healther Locklear | Leave a Comment

You can lose more than the car keys driving drunk.

Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora’s March 25th DUI arrest may not only cost him jail time, it may cost him his child. Because of Sambora’s alleged criminal conduct, his custody rights–specifically his visitation privileges– over his 10-year-old child with ex-wife Heather Locklear are now in jeopardy.

Police stopped the musician when the car he was driving was reportedly weaving on the roadway. When Sambora stepped out his car, he reeked of alcohol. Even worse, Ava and another child were with him at the time, riding in the backseat.

As a result, his May 7th arraignment in California Superior Court could include at least two counts of risk of injury to a minor or other child endangerment charges along with a DUI charge. If that is the case, the door opens further for Locklear to pursue new legal action in the Family Court. If that happens, this once amicable co-parenting arrangement will turn ugly.

Depending on the nature and quantity of all the charges leveled (in addition to the fact of the arrest itself), Locklear will have new grounds to seek a modification of previously existing custody orders. And she can use Sambora’s alleged lack of sobriety against him. (Sambora has admitted to past alcohol abuse.)

Sambora and Lockwood have been apart since 2006. Currently, the ex-couple share joint custody, giving them equal decision-making power, but Locklear has physical custody. Ava lives with her mother and Sambora has visitation rights. The actress is in a strong position to argue that her ex-husband’s conduct is too risky or that he is too unstable to spend time with their child unsupervised.

But Sambora has a custody card in his pocket too. He could counterpunch based on Locklear’s recent alleged mental health scare two weeks prior to his own incident with police. A doctor called 911 to Locklear’s house after reporting the actress was possibly suicidal. Locklear denied any problems. But if she does exhibit any signs of significant instability that affect her parenting abilities, Sambora can raise those issues in court in a bid to influence custody issues.

We’ve all witnessed just how destructive a Hollywood custody battle can get– Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards come most immediately to mind. Let’s hope these two work out their personal problems and keep up the civilized relationship as co-parents. Their daughter has been through enough this year.

Political Wives, Why Stand By Your Man (at the Press Conference)?

12 Mar

Filed Under Eliot Spitzer, Divorce | 2 Comments

We just watched the latest political wife stand by her man at a national press conference as he announces his infidelity, betrayal of marriage vows and violation of public trust. When Silda Spitzer positioned herself next to her husband, Governor Eliot Spitzer, at the podium with her defeated, somber expression, sympathetic glances at her disappointing spouse, and staged body language implying “we are still one,” it made me wince. The message was, as usual, “You wronged me, humiliated me, destroyed my family and my life, but I want all your constituents to know that your family will not abandon you.” The event was contrived, as they always are, and every time we have the misfortune of witnessing reckless, selfish politician announce their requisite mea culpas with their wives at their side, the women seem to suffer twice as much. First they endure the devastation of the initial private family revelation behind closed doors. Then the second round of bruising humiliation, this one for the entire world to see.

The last press conference I vividly remember feeling mortified over was attended by Dina Matos McGreevey. She stood by her husband, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey, when he announced to the world that he was a “Gay American” who had an inappropriate relationship while in office. Watching Dina’s frozen smile and deer in the headlights expression, you could not help but feel her pain. But having the wife at the conference doesn’t help the politician. It just makes him look more like a dog for making her suffer again. For Silda and Dina and all the other wives who endured a scripted spectacle, now hear this: There’s a better way to weather this storm— Don’t show up!
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