Weddings and divorces

Weddings can be expensive for ordinary couples but for celeberities, a marriage celebration is raised to another level.  But sometimes not all unions end in a fairytale, some end up very nasty. Material girl  Madonna married director Guy  Ritchie in 2000, renting the 51-bedroom Skibo Castle in Scotland. Madonna wore a Stella McCartney (daughter of Beatle Paul McCartney) gown, accented by $250,000 diamond tiara. The wedding cost $1.5 million.  In 2008, Madonna and Ritchie split with the director getting between $76-$92 million which includes the value of their home in Western England and their London pub.  Madonna’s estimated worth then was $500 million.

Tiger Woods

Married Elin Nordegren at Sandy Lane Beach Resort in Barbados in 2004 renting the whole resort where rooms range from $ 700-$8,000 per night in order to ensure the seclusion.  The wedding expenses totaled $1.5 million with only 120 invited guests including Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley while entertainment was provided by Hootie and the Blowfish.  The couple divorced in 2010 with $750 million and custody of their two children going to Erin, a former model from Sweden. Insiders however said the amount was in the vicinity of $110 million only.

Michael Jordan

Probably the greatest basketball player of all time, met future wife Juanita on a blind date and married her five years  later. Their marriage lasted for 17 years.  Juanita first filed for divorce  in 2002 but withdrew the petition only to file again in 2006. It is alleged that Juanita had signed a post-nuptial agreement a year and a half after their marriage which entitled her to half his fortune. The final agreement however only gave her one-third of his total estate, approximately $168 million. 

Kobe Bryant

Transitioned straight to professional basketball after high school and was already a star at age 22 when he met  Vanessa Laine, then seventeen who was working  as background  dancer on the music video ”G’d Up” for the  band the  Eastsidaz. Kobe was also in the  recording studio to record an album that was never released. They dated for only six  months before they wed on April 18, 2001, sans pre-nup  and sans  Kobe’s family or teammates. Kobe’s family did not approve of the union. The couple hit the spotlight in 2003 when Kobe was charged with sexual assault.  Vanessa stood by Kobe throughout the proceedings. To get back in her good graces, Kobe gave her an 8-carat purple diamond ring estimated at $4 million dollars. He also surprised her with a recommitment ceremony in Laguna beach, California. Kobe died in a helicopter crash in 2020 and was recently enshrined in the Naismith Memorial  Basketball  Hall of Fame. Vanessa recieved the jacket and ring award.

Steven Seagal in Venezuela

Martial arts icon recently paid a visit to Venezuela’s leftist president Nicolas Maduro and gifted him with a Samurai sword. Seagal is a close friend of Russia’s Vladimir Putin who granted the Aikido master, Russian citizenship, personally handing a passport to the actor. While passing the  Katana, Seagal warned Maduro not to put his fingers  close to the sword.  Seagal 69, is the  first non-Asian to successfully open a martial arts academy in Japan.  He is the founder of  the Aikido Ten Shin Dojo in Los Angeles and commands the title of Shihan (Master of Masters).  His films include “Hard to  Kill” and “Under Seige”.  He also visited President Rody Duterte when he came to the Philippines.

Did you know?

SCOTTIE PIPPEN.The newly-designated team leader of the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan retired, sulked and refused to go back in the game after coach Phil Jackson called a time out with 1.8 seconds left in the 1994 NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks. Pippen resented that the play calls for Toni Kukoc to take the final shot. After Pippen was replaced and the play resumed, Kukoc hit a difficult buzzer-beater for the win.

NOTES:  Belated Happy Birthday to  Mayor Ed Labella and Advance Happy Birthday to Jessa Gabunales of Lee Jeans.