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Fame can make celebrities' divorces more trying

BY MELANIE LEFKOWITZ | melanie.lefkowitz@newsday.com

July 3, 2008

Fame, money, attention - some things come easier to those who make their livings in the public eye. Not divorce, in which the well-known face the same tribulations as everyone else, plus some extra.

Since New York is one of a handful of states lacking no-fault divorce - in which couples can dissolve their union without specifying why the marriage failed - spouses usually must detail each other's wrongdoings. In a high-profile case such as Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook's, the threat of embarrassing revelations becomes an additional and very potent weapon.

"Certainly there is an area of legalized extortion that's available in high-profile cases," said Manhattan lawyer Norman Sheresky, who represents Cook.

New York is also the only state to recognize "celebrity goodwill" - the consideration of someone's fame, in addition to income, as an asset to be divided - which can muddy divorce procedures with the confusing task of putting a dollar value on celebrity.

Courts in Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens and Westchester do not recognize celebrity goodwill, though courts in Manhattan do. Even without it, settlements based on boldface spouses' current earnings and current fame can be tricky.

"They're only as good as their last movie, their last TV program. You don't know if they're not going to work for another six months," said divorce lawyer Steven Meisner, of Garden City, who represented "Sopranos" actor John Ventimiglia (who played chef Artie Bucco).

And then there are the more fundamental differences between beautiful people and regular ones. Lawyers who frequently work with famous clients say many celebrities feel more entitled to perks and more outraged by, say, long waits for a judge.

"It's much harder to work with a celebrity," said Raoul Felder, a Manhattan lawyer who has handled so many celebrity divorces, including Rudy Giuliani vs. Donna Hanover, Liza Minnelli vs. David Gest, and Mike Tyson vs. Robin Givens, that he has become a celebrity himself.

"They're surrounded by sycophants who are saying, 'Yeah, baby, wonderful idea' - agents, personal managers, accountants, financial advisers - and most of the time what happens is they're all saying 'Wonderful idea' and it may be the most nonsensical idea. Which makes it very difficult as a lawyer."