Prenuptial agreements are common practice among celebrities as well as the lesser-known of the
wealthy set — even though some believe they show a lack of faith in the relationship. But while most
of Tinseltown's elite may be signing on the dotted line, these are the couples who chose to skip
the paperwork and dive in head first, for love. Actor Seth Rogen was at the height of his career
after starring in hit comedies like "Superbad," "Pineapple Express," and "Funny People."
Working in plenty of successful movies and also behind the scenes as a writer,
producer and director, Rogen's net worth is estimated to be roughly $80 million. While any
actor would seemingly want to protect that wealth with a prenup, Rogen had no intention of signing
one after proposing to longtime girlfriend, actor and screenwriter, Lauren Miller, in 2010.
At the time, Rogen told Howard Stern that a prenup just wasn't in his sights. But Stern,
on the other hand, pleaded with the actor to get one,
referencing the messy divorce between Kelsey Grammer and his former wife Camille,
who walked away with a whopping $30 million, according to TMZ. After admitting to Stern
that even his business manager had urged him to get a prenup, Rogen explained,
"Marriage can be expensive and if I lose millions then it'll be the best millions I've spent."
"What's the secret to making it work in Hollywood for you guys?"
"Buffalo wings and television. I guess that's the key to a perfect marriage."
The couple tied the knot in 2011, and in October 2020, the pair celebrated their 9th anniversary.
Rogen shared a sweet photo of the two playing video games on their wedding day, writing,
"I can't believe I've been lucky enough to find the perfect partner to go through life with."
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made it official in 2018, it seemed like a
sure thing that The Duke of Sussex would get a prenup, considering that he is British royalty,
after all. But not only did Prince Harry pass on a prenup that would essentially safeguard his
assets and roughly $42 million fortune, but People reported that prenuptial agreements aren't exactly
common for couples in the U.K. at all. Royal author Ingrid Seward shared with the outlet,
"Historically, members of the royal family have not had them.
They are more popular in the United States — it's just not a British thing."
In fact, the BBC reported that prenups aren't even, quote, "enforceable in U.K.
courts," however, a judge may still consider them. A royal expert further explained to
Town & Country that there can be no true prenup because the Queen technically owns everything.
Of course, Markle also had her own estimated $5 million prior to marrying Prince Harry. Still,
Harry has reportedly vowed to make his marriage last, according to the Daily Mail.
Actors Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell tied the knot in 2013, and when they first started dating,
Shepard admitted to Conan that he actually intended on signing a prenup because he
was making more money than Bell — but that he never got around to drafting one. He explained,
"When we first started dating, I had more money than her, and I owned the house that I lived in,
and she said to me at one point, 'Would you like a prenup?' I said, 'No,
I don't want a prenup.' But I really wanted a prenup."
"The joke is now on her…Because she's become much more successful than me."
Before the couple got engaged in 2009, Bell told PopSugar that the two had broken up after a few
months of dating in 2007. However, they rekindled their romance and eventually wed. Since the very
start of their relationship, Bell has been supportive of Shepard's sobriety, which he
has openly shared with fans. In 2020, he confessed to relapsing, via his "Armchair Expert" podcast,
but thankfully, Bell revealed on "Ellen" later that year that he was back on track.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's
National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi may be one of the most
popular cast members to come out of MTV's "Jersey Shore," snagging numerous talk show appearances,
over 14 million fans on Instagram, and even appearing on the 17th season of "Dancing
With the Stars." According to Celebrity Net Worth, Polizzi was making just over $2,000
per episode when the MTV show first aired but bumped up to $30,000 an episode for Season 2,
and by the final season, took home $150,000 per episode. Forbes also reported that her earnings
only grew when she starred in "Snooki & JWoww" and launched two clothing lines.
"I always said I wanted to meet a tan guido
and I wanna have tan babies and it literally happened just like that."
While shooting to fame overnight would have anyone scrambling to protect their earnings, Polizzi
decided to skip out on the prenup when she married Jionni LaValle in 2014, according to TMZ. The
reality star was serious about not going forward with a prenup, even though she was given advice
about making one happen. As of 2021, the two stars are happily married and are raising their three
children in their New Jersey waterfront home. Fans had suspected trouble in paradise
when Snooki was seen not wearing her wedding ring, but she clarified on Instagram Stories,
"I'm a mother of three. I don't need to be wearing
the ring around the house or [to] run and go get Starbucks. It's just not my thing."
Rapper Waka Flocka Flame had no intentions of getting a prenup when he married reality star,
Tammy Rivera. During an interview with Dish Nation, the rapper disagreed with
co-host Gary Hayes about couples having to get prenups at all. He explained,
"For me, love doesn't stand on the pedestal as money,
and money could never stand on the same pedestal as love. If you love a person,
it shouldn't be money. It shouldn't be sick, it shouldn't be fat, it [should] be no color,
no shape, nothing. Now for me, if I marry you and I'm this rich guy,
[you're] rich, too. But, I'm supposed to be the man that makes your spirit rich."
"We friends before anything. We lovers later."
The rapper even admitted in 2019 to Ebony that he stopped talking to friends who didn't support
his decision to forgo the prenup. According to XXL, Waka and Rivera eloped in 2014 and
held their official wedding in 2019 where they celebrated with family and friends.
In May 2021, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates announced their separation.
Divorce documents obtained by TMZ cited that the marriage was, quote, "irretrievably
broken." But focus quickly shifted to how Bill's estimated $126 billion fortune would be split up.
According to TMZ, there was no prenup in place when the two got married in 1994, but there was
a separation agreement. According to People, the contract will divide the former couple's, quote,
"real property, personal property, and debts and liabilities." The court documents also note that
no spousal or child support was needed, asking the courts to honor their separation contract.
Meanwhile, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is worth over $40 billion,
will not change as both are co-chairs. But what we're wondering is: who will get the "Xanadu 2.0"
mansion in Washington, and who will get the $43 million home in California? Only time will tell.
Justin Bieber was just 24, and Hailey Bieber only 21, when they secretly wed at a New York City
courthouse in September 2018. A year later, the couple threw a lavish wedding in South Carolina.
Being such a young megastar like Justin with a net worth of roughly $285 million, a prenup
sounds like a no-brainer. However, TMZ reported that the couple never secured a prenup, even
though they had attempted to start the process. Apparently, the pair had asked their lawyers to
create one the same day they were getting hitched, and there was no way it could have happened.
So, the young couple tied the knot without one. During a joint interview for Vogue,
the Biebers spoke candidly about their relationship, with Hailey admitting,
"We're two young people who are learning as we go. I'm not going to sit here and lie and say
it's all a magical fantasy. It's always going to be hard. It's a choice. You don't feel it every
single day. But there's something beautiful about it anyway — about wanting to fight for something,
commit to building with someone. […] We're really young, and that's a scary aspect."
Still, as of 2021, the Biebers are going strong.
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi wed in 2008 and have continued to be thick
as thieves. The pair has been through a lot together; de Rossi publicly came out as gay,
they've fought off plenty of divorce rumors, and in 2020, they endured the
scandal surrounding Ellen's talk show, which the host announced would be coming to an end in 2022.
"She's my first wife."
"And only."
"Well, so far."
"So far."
"Yeah." "Yeah."
According to OK, the couple does not have a prenup and, after 12 years of marriage, they appear to be
in it for the long run. The stars covered People's inaugural "Love Issue," with DeGeneres explaining,
"We think the same things, say the same things at the same time,
finish each other's sandwiches — no, sentences. We're in a rhythm that's easy."
Fans met Megan Thomas and Sean Lourdes on the Lifetime reality show "Marrying Millions."
Lourdes came from a rich family, while Thomas grew up working-class. The show followed the
couple as they were getting ready to head to the altar — but fans watched as Lourdes' father
questioned his son's relationship and suggested he even get a prenup. Thomas explained to Parade,
"I don't want to sign. It's like setting yourself up for failure. You're already
thinking about divorce and you're not even married yet. I don't want a prenup,
and you can see that throughout the show. I don't want it because
it's already putting negative energy into the universe, and we're positive people."
Chatting with People about the decision, Lourdes shared,
"I don't want a prenup, but my dad's got a heavy influence over me. I think [Megan] is
just a little concerned she would be branded a gold digger, which she is not that at all."
"Why would he think that, y'know? Why would he think that I'm after his money?"
The stars ultimately got hitched in an intimate wedding in California.
When country singer Tyler Farr proposed to his girlfriend Hannah Freeman, he knew it was
going to be a forever thing. The artist told People that he didn't want a prenup, adding,
"I had several friends suggest that. In the music business, that's a standard. But I said,
if I need a prenup, I don't need to be getting married. I'm getting married one time and that's
it. The only way this is going to end is if she leaves me — and if she leaves me, I deserved it."
The singer and Freeman got married in 2016, while Brad Paisley sang his song "Today" for
their first dance. Farr's bridal party was also full of country stars, including Lee Brice,
Colt Ford, and Jason Aldean. Freeman admitted to People,
"I cried at pretty much every part of the wedding. That was the first time
probably 98 percent of people in that room have ever seen me cry. They
probably had their doubts that I could form teardrops! But they were pretty visible!"
Before Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi tragically died in a helicopter crash
on January 26, 2020, the NBA star and his wife Vanessa had a rollercoaster marriage that almost
ended in divorce in 2011. The couple wed in 2001, but Vanessa later filed for divorce,
citing "irreconcilable differences," with sources like TMZ claiming Kobe had been unfaithful.
TMZ reported that the NBA player did not sign a prenup before marrying Vanessa,
which meant that she was entitled to half of his earnings. At the time, Bryant's net worth
was estimated to be $150 million, which meant Vanessa would have walked away with $75 million,
as well as being entitled to all three of their mansions in Newport
Beach. But just 13 months after filing the papers, the couple reconciled.
"What we try to do is just, y'know, just be who we are, love each other,
love our family and just keep one foot in front of the other. Keep moving."
At the time of his death, Forbes reported that Bryant had a net worth
of $600 million. According to IBT, since the couple had no set prenup,
Vanessa's net worth was believed to have also been $600 million.
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