LONDON — Madonna has settled her divorce with ex-husband Guy Ritchie by also parting with at least 50 million pounds ($76 million), the singer’s spokeswoman said Monday.
Liz Rosenberg told The Associated Press the settlement was in the range of 50 million to 60 million pounds ($76 million to $92 million) as part of their divorce agreement, a figure she said included the value of the couple’s country home, Ashcombe House in western England, which Ritchie will keep.
Rosenberg said the couple’s west London pub _ the Punchbowl _ would also remain with Ritchie.
A representative for the British filmmaker declined comment.
The couple were reportedly worth some $525 million, the vast majority of which belonged to Madonna. Ritchie had an estimated $35 million fortune.
Their multimillion pound (dollar) settlement is about twice the size paid out in Britain’s latest high-profile celebrity divorce, that of former Beatle Paul McCartney and model Heather Mills.
“I’d assume it’s one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce settlement,” Rosenberg said.
The biggest contested divorce settlement in English history was the 48 million pounds (about $90 million at the time) insurance tycoon John Charman was ordered to pay his ex-wife in 2006.
—->>> HOPE MADONNA DIDNT HAVE HER DOUGH WITH MADOFF !!! OTHERWISE SHE IS FUCKED !!!!!!!!!!
ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON — The show-business marriage that began in a Scottish castle came to an end in a drab London courtroom Friday as Madonna and Guy Ritchie were granted a preliminary decree of divorce.
Papers released by the court said Madonna petitioned for divorce on the basis of Ritchie’s “unreasonable behavior,” but did not elaborate.
Judge Phillip Waller ruled that he did not need to apply family law in the case _ meaning that he accepted an agreement reached by the couple over their assets and children.
Neither appeared at the brief court session, in which “Ciccone M L v Ritchie G S” was one of 17 cases given a preliminary decree. The divorce can become final after six weeks and a day,.
British news media reported, without identifying the sources of their information, that the couple had reached a settlement that would see the pop superstar keep the majority of her estimated 300 million pound ($445 million) fortune and share custody with Ritchie of their two children: Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3, who was adopted from Malawi in 2006.
Madonna has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from a previous relationship with personal trainer Carlos Leon.
Requests for comment from representatives for the couple were not returned.
An agreement on terms would avert an expensive courtroom battle like the one between former Beatle Paul McCartney and model Heather Mills. Mills has said the media coverage of the rancorous divorce had pushed her to the brink of suicide; McCartney compared the process to going through hell.
Madonna and Ritchie, director of “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” married in December 2000 at Skibo Castle in the Scottish Highlands.
Madonna and Ritchie announced last month they were divorcing. They own homes in London, Los Angeles and New York, and a 1,200-acre (480 hectare) retreat in England.
