Cleese Not Amused by Divorce Settlement

By PopEater Staff Posted Aug 18th 2009 07:12AM

British comedian John Cleese has taken a serious hit in his recent divorce, though his ex-wife, American psychotherapist Faye Eichelberger, might be laughing all the way to the bank. Cleese, who has no children from this 16-year marriage, has been ordered to pay roughly $13 million in cash and assets, including a NY apartment, a $3 million home in west London, and half a beach house in Santa Barbara. Ms. Eichelberger will also receive about $986,000 a year for seven years, the Telegraph UK reports.

'Monty Python' star Cleese, 70, is less than pleased about the arrangement, which will ultimately leave his ex-wife the richer of the two. "What I find so unfair is that if we both died today, her children would get much more than mine," he said. "At least I will know in future if I go out with a lady they will not be after me for my money."

Eichelberger sought considerably more. In her divorce testimony, she claimed Cleese was a "world-renowned celebrity" and she was accustomed to "being entertained by royalty and dignitaries in castles". She claimed half the Monty Python star's earnings since their 1992 wedding, half his nine properties, and $1.45 million yearly for living expenses.

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Director Michael Winner, a close friend of Cleese, said, "It is an extraordinary world which means John is left with much less than his former wife even though he is the star who did all the work. The settlement defies human belief. John is extremely cross about it and I don't blame him. The settlement comes after two years of harrowing legal argument."

Funnyman Cleese couldn't resist a joke, adding, "I got off lightly. Think what I'd have had to pay Alyce if she had contributed anything to the relationship."

The actor said, "In my 70th year, I will still be spending two months a year doing work that is of no interest to me and which is probably slightly spiritually depleting in order to feed the beast."'

Tags: john cleese, JohnCleese

Comments

(261)

Tuesday 18 August

By Glenda

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I'm with you, John. Those kind of women make us all look like golddiggers. Luckily, we are not all like that. I believe in 'fair is fair', not "take him for all he is worth (to punish him)".

By What Cra

But she believed it was a 'fawlty' marraige.

By bailoutsos

she was accustomed to "being entertained by royalty and dignitaries in castles" ---- Only because she was married to him, otherwise she would have never been allowed to set foot in those castles.

By Viktor Capella

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

There is no way I could ever believe what you claim, all women are guilty unless you are a misogynist.

By ABS

She claims she deserves the money b/c she needs to maintain the lifestyle that John was nice enough to introduce her to. No children!? How on earth did this judge rationalize this settlement?! As a female, I'm disgusted to see another woman rape a hard working man for WAY more than she deserves. This is definitely a strike for the fairer sex....

By Laurel

I agree, I don't think that she should get that much money because you don't have children with her but u were together 16 yrs. She doesn't need that much money or the homes.

By spatterson2326

Geez, how does this women figure she is entitled to so much?? Especially income from his monty python days!! She didn't even know him when he made that series/movies!! Gold digging witch, pay her the amount of savings and income she would have made while they were married if she had gotten off her ass and worked for it! This is the type of women that makes us all look bad!

Wednesday 19 August

By Katie

Unfortunately we will not be privvy to all of the details of their marriage, but it amazes me that just because Cleese said she didn't contribute anything to the marriage that it is assumed she didn't. Also, they were married 16 years. That's a long time when most mercenary women would have popped out a child and headed for divorce court in less than 5 years (ala the ex-Mrs. McCartney). We also have no idea what Cleese did to cause the divorce anymore than we know what his wife did. They divorced, the judge reviewed what went on, and made his decision accordingly. She can claim she's used to the high life all she wants - that's not where the ruling came from. There's more to it that Cleese isn't letting on. He's also into serial marriage. This is his 5th wife. I think he has issues in marriage and he paid this time. Oh Well.

By Jon Saylor

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

There are a lot of really good women out there, you sound like one of them, God Bless...
Funny how he still keeps his sens eof humor, Jon

By Dudley Haas

This is why I love the USA so much. Our laws are by far the fairest and the best. For example, a poor woman marries a rich man for his money. She divorces him and she's rich and then he's poor. It's what we call "spreading the wealth" and once we get medicine socialized, I'm hoping to get the goof ball sized B-9 mole on my 4-head chopped off, and my wrinkled faced wife's prune face lifted. Yep, my bald head is a symbol of our freedoms. I bowled a 297 with it last night in league play!!!Thank God I'm American.

Sunday 23 August

By ltaishoff

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This was a settlement, not a judgment after a trial. You have to agree to a settlement; you take a settlement rather than go to trial. If he's unhappy with the deal, why did he agree? Obviously because his lawyers told him he'd get killed on a trial. So now he bellyaches. He should talk to his lawyers, and they will tell him again why he had to take the settlement.

He needs to buy toxic assets worth $13 MILLION from a bank for about $5 MILLION and give those to her.

By TIMMAY

It is unfortunate that men of such high prestige and class must tolerate such appaling standards in regards to relationships. It just shows even in the grandest of castles, there is always a trash can. I'm sure he's fired all of his attorneys and might even be having a friend of a friend of a cousin's ex co-worker secretly planning something with a guy probably known on the streets as "Muscle".... Fugheddaboudit.

By poko

cheaper to keep her.

By MJR

just proves , if having kids is questionable or not in your future , it is better to co-habitat at best and "NOT" marry.......or make sure you get that pre-nup agreement.....i'd say live and love , why get married especially if you have money and exposure

By alg2165

Poor Basil. (literaly)

By Lisa

Should have kept her and became a swinger.

By Mike

Can someone please explain this to me. Why is it that in so many divorce cases, the women claim that they were use to a certain lifestyle, and that they are entitiled to continue living like that.
But the man who's life has changed, due to the fact that 99% of the time he looses the home, the kids, and has to adjust to a new lifestyle with less money and more expenses, hence, he has to move into a new home, but it is okay for him to adjust to getting less in life, but the wife is entitled to the same lifestyle. Really unfair system.Laws should be changed.

By Tazina

Any wealthy celebrity would be a fool to marry these days without an iron clad prenup arrangement. In fact why get married at all if the end result is similar to the beating Mr. Cleese is now being forced to endure. The best idea is two separate residences and skip the piece of paper.