Being a Hollywood couple means living a charmed life. Well, to the public
at least. For these celebs, wedding bells may have rung, but their expensive divorces stung.
The late Tina Turner is one of the greatest icons in music history. With her star power
and talent making her one of the most revered names in music, it's hard to imagine the singer
was left with next to nothing following her divorce from her ex-husband Ike Turner in
1978. The singer tied the knot with Ike in 1962, but their marriage was incredibly tumultuous.
The artist had one son with Ike but adopted his two children from a previous relationship;
meanwhile, Ike adopted Tina's son from her former romance with Raymond Craig. In her
2018 memoir My Love Story, Tina stated that her marriage was riddled with abuse. She wrote that:
"[The children] saw my black eyes and heard our endless fighting... I knew it would make
an impression on them, and it did. We were scarred in different ways by Ike's behavior."
Turner walked away from Ike with just two cars and her stage name.
"And then after about seven years of it, I decided
that I couldn't help the situation. That it wasn't, it was irreparable."
She wrote in her 1986 memoir I, Turner:
"The divorce, I got nothing. No money, no house. So I said: I'll just take my name."
Though the singer wound up in debt following the split,
it wasn't long before she became a household name. In 1984, her solo career hit a new high
with the release of her critically acclaimed album, Private Dancer. The single "Let's Stay
Together" was largely believed to be what launched Turner to comeback fame.
Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams went through quite a few
ups and downs while on the show. Her tumultuous marriage with ex-husband
Kordell Stewart was a highlight of the reality series. The former NFL player
and Williams tied the knot in 2011 but it ultimately ended in divorce in 2013.
But the reality star's marital woes weren't over. Williams ended up battling
her ex-husband in court over their assets in a divorce settlement. According to TMZ,
he requested the judge at the time deny Williams any spousal support, alleging:
"[She's] an able-bodied person, earning income and is capable of supporting herself."
TMZ reported that Williams walked away with little to her name after
the divorce. The Bravo star was left without alimony or health insurance.
She only got to keep a number of personal assets, including her engagement ring.
Tisha Campbell may have had a successful acting career, but she didn't exactly walk away from her
divorce a winner. Campbell is known for her roles in television series like Martin and My Wife and
Kids as well as in films like Little Shop of Horrors and House Party. She met her husband,
Duane Martin, in the '90s. Martin was a fellow actor and is best known for
starring in the television series All of Us, as well as in films including Scream
2 and Above the Rim. The couple wed in 1996 and welcomed two children together.
Just after it was reported that they had experienced serious financial woes,
the two actors filed for divorce in 2018 after over two decades of marriage. The couple filed
for bankruptcy in 2016 after reportedly being more than $15 million in debt.
Campbell's financial problems became worse following her divorce from Martin.
The actor told Entertainment Tonight that the ending of her marriage left her broke.
"I was going through a really tough time and I had maybe $7 to my name, and I was scared."
But even though Campbell walked away with nothing at the time of her divorce,
the actor said she was happier than she'd ever been, adding,
"Starting over is not always the easiest thing but
it's the necessary thing and it's a beautiful devastation."
Mike Tyson might know a thing or two about a knockout — except when it's his bank account
throwing the punches. The former boxer once had a fortune of around $300 million, but he squandered
a lot of it in the name of love and child support payments. Tyson has been married three times and
has seven children, but it all caught up to him in 2003 when he announced he had gone bankrupt.
On his site for his self-help program "12 Rounds with Tyson," he admitted to losing
a grip on his finances following his loss against Buster Douglas in 1990. He wrote:
"After that? My life started collapsing before my
very eyes. Bankruptcy. Addiction. Divorce. Prison. And my career was in the gutter."
Tyson's first wife, Robin Givens, filed for divorce in 1989. Though the exact
divorce settlement figure is unknown, outlets have suggested that Givens was awarded a $10
million dollar payment after their split. She denied ever receiving the payment.
When Tyson and his second wife Monica Turner divorced in 2003,
he agreed to pay her $6.5 million and forward the rights to their Connecticut mansion. The
former heavyweight champion made a financial comeback, however, with his starring roles in
The Hangover franchise, as well as his roles in How I Met Your Mother, and Law and Order: SVU.
While Sonja Morgan may be a fan favorite on The Real Housewives of New York City,
the reality star has weathered her fair share of ups and downs. Morgan faced a series of financial
setbacks after divorcing her ex-husband John Adams Morgan in 2006. She filed for bankruptcy in 2010,
listing $19.8 million in debt and $13.5 million in assets. According to documents obtained by
The Hollywood Reporter, the Real Housewives star claimed her husband, who is the great-grandson of
J.P. Morgan, refused to give her a $3 million payment she was owed, as well as $300,000 in
back alimony related to their divorce. After the bankruptcy filing, Sonja told the New York Post:
"I'm sure the world thinks, 'Sonja doesn't have to worry,
she's got that husband there for her.' But I'm on my own."
She also accused her ex-husband of refusing to allow her to sell or frequent the vacation
properties they shared. On top of citing her divorce as a reason for her financial problems,
she lost a $7 million dollar judgment over the failed movie Fast Flash to Bang Time,
which never filmed due to Sonja being unable to meet several conditions that were required.
Ultimately, Sonja bounced back and wasn't forced to sell her New York City apartment.
The reality star paid off her debts in 2015 and settled her bankruptcy case.
Terrell Owens may be considered to be one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history,
but that hasn't saved him from financial problems. According to Celebrity Net Worth,
the former professional football player lost nearly $80 million dollars of his former fortune
and is currently worth around $500,000. Owens told Insider that he fell victim to fame, and the
lifestyle around it. He stated that he wanted to fit in with his fellow teammates, saying:
"The guys with the Mercedes and all the flashy cars and the jewelry. I think
those are some of the most idiotic purchases I think players can do,
especially when they don't have that money in the bank account to really pay for that stuff."
According to TMZ, he also fell behind on child support to Kimberly Floyd and was
forced to do community service at a Goodwill store in Los Angeles to make up for the missed
payments. He married Rachel Snider in 2014 and the marriage had completely dissolved
within a month. TMZ reported that Snider, who worked for the postal service at the time,
alleged that Owens used her finances to secure a $2 million dollar home loan.
Brandi Glanville is known for being dramatic — it's practically part of the Bravo job
description, after all. But the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star's own financial
problems became the center point of drama following her divorce from actor Eddie Cibrian
in 2010. The pair divorced after Cibrian cheated on Glanville with his former co-star Leann Rimes.
Glanville admitted on her podcast, Brandi Glanville Unfiltered,
that she wasn't exactly set up for success going into her divorce proceedings with
Cibrian. Explaining that she wasn't happy with her attorney, she said:
"My ex-husband called all of the good attorneys [in Los Angeles] — just to
call and set up meetings — so that when I called, they were like, 'It's a conflict of interest.'"
Glanville opened up to the New York Post in 2012 about her lack
of financial independence following her and Cibrian's split. She admitted:
"I was a 36-year-old woman who couldn't lease a car and couldn't lease a house. For 13 years,
my name wasn't on one account. I am still building my credit."
Sources told TMZ in 2014 that the Real Housewives star couldn't afford alimony
payments that Cibrian requested from her after claiming he overpaid her in child support. The
reality star's lawyer Ron Rale allegedly sent a letter to her ex-husband refusing to pay him,
also claiming he could not ask for the money years after the initial overpayments.
Dennis Rodman is known as one of the greatest NBA defenders in the history of the sport. But
he made headlines for different reasons in 2012. The former professional athlete was
handed 104 hours of volunteer work due to his failure to pay fees which amounted to
around $800,000. According to the Los Angeles Times, Rodman's massive debt stemmed from back
fees in child support for his two kids shared with his third wife Michelle,
as well as $51,000 in spousal support. The couple married in 2003 and split
up less than a year later, but their divorce wasn't finalized until 2012. Peggy Williams,
who worked as Rodman's finance manager, admitted to previously loaning her client money so he could
make payments. She told The Washington Post that his alcoholism prevented him from working, saying:
"In all honesty, Dennis, although a very sweet person, is an alcoholic. Dennis cannot afford his
own monthly expenses. If the court awards attorney fees, it is setting Dennis up to be in contempt."
"I always tell people, especially girls, you know, and I say I don't know how to be a father."
At the height of his career, Rodman was receiving $27 million each season in the
NBA. But the now retired athlete is worth about $500,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth. And
his financial downfall wasn't just due to his messy divorce. Rodman hired a fraud financial
advisor in the late 2000s who laundered millions from professional athletes. Rodman's reckless
spending on his lavish lifestyle also didn't help alleviate the debt he racked up over the years.
Dennis Rodman wasn't the only retired NBA player making headlines for outstanding
child support fees. Kenny Anderson, who played point guard professionally for years,
ended up squandering his $63 million dollar fortune. The former athlete
filed for bankruptcy in 2005 and cited that multiple marriages and
several children with different partners led to his financial woes. Anderson told Forbes:
"I thought it would last and I didn't know how to say no. I had great attorneys that
advised me well throughout my career, but I never listened.".
TMZ reported that Anderson owed his ex-wife Tami Roman around $800,000 in child support
payments over their two daughters. The lawsuit between the two lasted for over nine years and
was finally settled in 2012. Anderson received just shy of what she was owed,
and the rest of the payments are to be funneled from the former NBA player's retirement fund.
After settling his debts with divorce, Anderson had a few more ups and downs.
The former professional athlete was fired from his job as a high school basketball
coach in 2013 after being arrested for a DUI. He ended up turning things around, however,
and went on to be a basketball coach for Frisk University.
Imagine it taking over two decades to pay off a divorce settlement. The late
actor Burt Reynolds knew the dilemma all too well. It took 22 years for the Smokey
and the Bandit star to pay off what he owed his ex-wife Loni Anderson. According to TMZ,
Reynolds finally paid off the outstanding debt in 2015.
Vanity Fair reported that the pair's five-year marriage led to Reynolds'
bankruptcy, foreclosure proceedings, and shame.
"She liked to spend money. Mine, you know."
They split up in 1993 and finalized their divorce soon after. According to TMZ,
Reynolds agreed to pay her nearly $250,000. While Reyonlds paid some of the money to Anderson,
she claimed he still owed her almost $100,000. Reynolds fell short of their agreement and
ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 1996. A costly divorce, several failed business ventures, and a
failure to pay back CBS for a nearly $4 million loan all contributed to his financial turmoil.
Reynolds died in 2018, leaving behind $5 million to his name. Despite his
tumultuous relationship with money, the actor told Vanity Fair in 2015:
"I would have spent more money and had a lot more fun. It's always possible to spend more money."