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Stephanie Seymour and Peter Brant Muddle Through Messy Divorce

stephanie seymourVictoria's Secret model Stephanie Seymour and her billionaire husband, publishing mogul and art lover, Peter Brant are in the midst of an increasingly acrimonious divorce. The NY Post has all the dishy details of their recent custody hearing in Stamford, Connecticut. The pair are battling over custody of their three children. Brant has accused Seymour of being an unfit mother and Seymour was ordered to appear before the judge after missing a mandatory drug test in March, opting instead for a vacation in St. Barth with two of her children. Brant and Seymour had each agreed to submit to tests per the terms of their split.

Seymour says Brant has used a nanny in Seymour's Greenwich home to spy on her after the couple separated. The nanny quit working for Seymour last year only to pop up in Brant's employ later. A hearing on Seymour's alleged drinking and drug use is scheduled for August 6.

Seymour has been a model since she was 16, appearing in Sports Illustrated and in Guns N' Roses videos as well as being a Victoria's Secret angel and a muse for artists and working at Brant's Interview magazine. Brant's life recently became art in an installation, "Abstract Slavery" by Swiss artist Urs Fischer at the Brant Foundation Art Study Center. The piece includes a library and sitting room based on Brant's mansion and a a wax statue of Brant, lit like a candle, melts away in each room.

Debenhams Creates Divorce Registry

Filed under: Wealth


British department store Debenhams has a new kind of registry: Divorce.

In recent years as I've shopped for bachelorette party goodies, I've noticed a swell in tacky garb brazenly boasting "Newly Divorced" and "RIP Marriage," for themed parties of a different kind. The idea that divorce is something to celebrate is a controversial one. According to DivorceRate.org, the divorce rate in America for a first marriage is 41%. The statistics are worse for second marriages, with 60% ending in divorce, and a staggering 73% of third marriages ending as well.

It's hard to speak generally about divorce, as each one is so different, but whether it's amicable or not, it signals the end of an era. Reuters reports that Debenhams new registry is "for those wishing to help a loved one with the pain."

So. Salt and pepper shakers?

Debenhams' head of retail services Peter Moore gave this statement: "
A divorce means that one partner will be leaving the marital home and therefore be left without any essentials in their new house." The recommended gift list includes items like "cookware, cutlery, crockery, glasses, bed linen, towels, small electrical goods such as toasters and microwaves as well as non-iron shirts, large plasma screen TVs and computer games," according to Reuters. The registry has yet to appear online.

[via Reuters]

The Wynns, When Divorce Doesn't Mean Get Out Of My Company

Filed under: Wealth

Megarich couple on the outs could learn a lot from the Wynn divorce. Gambling mogul Steve Wynn and his ex-wife Elaine have split the shares in Wynn Resorts Ltd following what is their second divorce. She owns more than 11 million shares of the company, shares which were once communal property. This means that she and Steve Wynn each have around a nine percent share in the company. The Wynns already sold off some shares last summer. According to one article the move has made Aruze USA Inc. a subsidiary of a Japanese gaming company Wynn's largest shareholder with close to 20 percent of the shares.

Elaine Wynn indicated in an AP story that while she will still remain on the board and serve as a public face of the company she is shifting her focus to philanthropic efforts.

She is the chairwoman of national nonprofit Communities in Schools and she and Steve Wynn recently donated $1 million to nonprofit Three Square, to support the "BackPack for Kids" Program providing bags of food for needy children in the Clark County School District so they have something to eat over the weekend. The giant check bears both their names on the name of a foundation they started together.

While the marriages may not have worked out the Wynns still seem to have a good working relationship. Of course at one point the Blixseths were touted as having an amicable separation and we all know how that turned out. But Elaine Wynn has played a key role in determining the look and feel of Wynn resorts. She selected many of the retail shops and is partly responsible for the luxurious look and feel of the Wynn enterprises. Barring any unforeseen future squabbles, the company is likely stronger for continuing to keep her on the board and at least partly active in the organization.

Tiger Woods' Troubles Will Cost Him Billionaire Status

Filed under: Sports, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors


Back in 2008 we reported that Tiger Woods was set to become the world's first billionaire athlete, with earnings on target to cross the billion-dollar mark, which they did in October. In order for his net worth to follow suit however, he would need to continue the momentum for at least another year, given the taxes and management fees he has to pay, to be considered a bona fide billionaire. Now in the wake of his fateful car crash and ongoing mistress revelations, along with the looming prospect of one of the most expensive sports divorce settlements ever and now news of his lucrative advertising revenue stream drying up, it seems Woods may never reach that goal. The golfer's $110 million in annual income from endorsements and tournaments, as estimated by Forbes magazine, hinges on his standing with consumers, which is currently at an all-time low. Sorry, Tiger, looks like you'll have to be content as a mere multimillionaire several times over - at least until that divorce goes through. For God's sake please don't end up like Lenny Dykstra.

Break Up With Your Jewelry at DivorceYourJewels.com

Filed under: Handbags, Jewelry, Services, Art

Break Up With Your Jewelry at DivorceYourJewels.com
New York-based Divorce Your Jewels pays cash for your unwanted jewelry, no matter if it's a five-carat engagement ring, a wedding ring, a jewelry gift you no longer like or want, or jewelry that just sits in a drawer. What makes this service different from something like Cash4Gold is that you set up a personal appointment at your home or the company's office, and the company caters to the high-end clientele. Read more here.

Teeny type at the bottom of the home page indicates that the company has expanded its business to "discreet" departures of museum-quality art, valuable fashion items (e.g., Birkin bags and vintage clothing), or unworn clothes with tags. You also can buy from the company.

No word on whether this service extends beyond New York, but it's worth a call or e-mail: call 917-846-9999/8444 or e-mail Melissa "Missy" Schorr: melissa@divorceyourjewels.com.

Messy Divorce Leads To Listing Of Kiddington Hall

Filed under: Estates


A bad divorce has forced another gorgeous property on the market. Maurice Robson says that his acrimonious divorce has led to the listing of Kiddington Hall in Oxfordshire, England. The Grade-II listed mansion in the Cotswolds is on the market for £42 million. The home was built in 1673 but it has only been in Robson's family for around 60 years (Robson is 65).

The Daily Mail reports
that the home is on a 2,000-acre site with gardens designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, the 18th century architect. The potential purchaser also gets a small village in the deal. Nether Kiddington has 18 homes and a kindergarten. Robson inherited the property in 1982 from his father, Sir Lawrence Robson, a founder of the accountants Robson Rhodes & Co. And how's this for a real estate deal, Sir Lawrence bought the house for just under £115,000 in 1950. It borders several other grand estates.

Maurice Robson was married to his wife for 24 years and they have two teenage children. According to the article, she accuses her ex-husband of a certain level of divorce melodrama saying that the home would have been sold anyway. Robson has already sold a 19,000-acre deer-hunting estate in Scotland but also owns a 17th century castle in the Scottish Highlands. It used to be when a man felt particularly aggrieved by his divorce settlement he might discreetly complain to a few friends over a good whisky. These days in some ways it almost seems like a battle scar to declare that the wife has taken off with everything.

The question is whether or not there is a buyer with deep enough pockets to take on Kiddington Hall. This isn't the ideal time to hoist this type of impressive listing onto the market even though it is reportedly an excellent property. The usual crowd of Russian and Middle Eastern billionaires will likely be trotted through the property over the next few months but that price would give even the most corpulent of fat cats pause.

John Cleese's Big Divorce Settlement

Filed under: Wealth

john cleeseMonty Python star John Cleese has reached a divorce settlement with his wife and the numbers aren't pretty. Cleese was married to psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger in 1992. Now he must pay her a total settlement worth $19.7 million. The terms of the divorce give her an apartment in New York, a $3.3 million London home and part ownership of a California beach house. Cleese will be worth less than his former wife. His total net worth will be around $16.5 million. To his credit, Cleese seems to be able to laugh about the situation telling London's Daily Telegraph that "I will know in future if I go out with a lady they will not be after me for my money." Cleese, who is 70, hasn't stopped working. He is said to currently be writing a one-man show called My Alyce Faye Divorce Tour. Cleese's settlement looks mild compared to some others. The Telegraph rounds up the top ten including Rupert and Anna Murdoch, Michael and Juanita Jordan, and Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey.

Could Berlusconi's Love Of The Ladies Cost Him Billions?

Filed under: Wealth


It's been no secret that Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has a wandering eye. But his wife, Veronica Lario, who is 20 years his junior, finally seems to have had enough. Over the weekend, she announced that she wants a divorce apparently angered by Berlusconi's attendance at an 18-year-old girl's birthday party. The pair have lived separate lives for many years. In fact to find a picture of them in public archives you have to go back to 2004.

This is far from the first time that Veronica Lario has vented her frustrations about her husband's behavior. In 2007, she was so angry about Berlusconi's overtures to MP Mara Carfagna that she wrote a letter to the newspaper La Repubblica.

Berlusconi for his part is blustering about, saying that he is not sure if he can forgive his wife this time and the nearly 30-year relationship may be over. The couple met in 1980 and married in 1990 and have three children. Should they divorce a $6.5 billion fortune is at stake. Berlusconi owns Italy's three biggest private TV networks and a host of other businesses. He has five children total. His son and daughter from his first marriage are involved in two of his businesses and his children with Lario, who are all in their early 20s, own stakes in his holding company Fininvest.

Berlusconi's divorce could be one of the most expensive in history, a list that currently includes Michael Jordan and Paul McCartney and is topped by Rupert Murdoch. Maybe he and Mel Gibson need to get together and commiserate.

Wynn Divorce Could Be Costly For Company

steve and elaine wynnThe king and queen of Las Vegas are divorcing. Billionaire Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn and wife Elaine filed for divorce last week. Wynn is the charismatic chief executive of Wynn Resorts which is behind the luxurious Wynn and Encore hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. Elaine Wynn is a director on the company's board and was recently nominated for another three year term on the board.

This is a second divorce for the Wynns who were first married in 1963 but divorced in 1986 and then remarried five years later. Elaine Wynn has had an influential role in the organization especially in helping decide which stores would be in the Wynn Resorts' retail spaces. Rumor has it that Steve Wynn is involved with another woman, British socialite Andrea Danenza Hissom.

Steve and Elaine Wynn each own more than 24 million shares in Wynn Resorts. Those shares have slumped in the past few months but are still worth around $460 million. The divorce could be one of the costliest in the U.S. and a great deal depends on just how amicable it is. If Wynn needs to buy his wife out that could have a serious impact on a company that is already affected by the tourism slump in Las Vegas.

The Fabulous Real Estate of Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney may have to pay $48.6 million in a divorce settlement to Heather Mills but he's in no danger of going broke anytime soon. The divorce settlement reveals the extensive of McCartney's massive fortune, which is over $750 million. McCartney has invested well in both art and real estate. The Daily Mail reports that McCartney's real estate holdings include a townhouse in St John's Wood, London, a Manhattan apartment, a Long Island, New York estate, a Beverly Hills home, a 1,500 acre estate, a country retreat in the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland and other homes sprinkled throughout the English countryside. The bulk of his wealth comes from his business assets including shares in Beatles songs and his investments and he has a cool £15 million in the bank.

Hemancipation, A Concierge Service For Divorcing Dudes

Filed under: Services

A company in Beverly Hills, California has launched a new service for men. Hemancipation is an interior design and concierge service that specifically caters to wealthy men who are in the midst of a divorce. The company offers newly single men the services of a realtor to find a new home, an interior designer to decorate the home, an image consultant to help you prepare for the single life and a concierge to handle shopping and travel arrangements. Each client is assigned a lifestyle consultant who creates a customized plan based on the customer's individual needs. I wonder if in the past wealthy men just had their assistants help with this sort of thing.

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