California readers may be familiar with the comedy troupe, Monty Python. One of their founding members is the actor and comedian, John Cleese. The famed actor has appeared in many movies over the past several decades. Now, he is in the news for another reason: his divorce.
The well-known actor was divorced from his former wife in 2008. The two were married for 16 years before ending their marriage through the divorce process. At issue now is the amount of alimony that the actor must pay to his ex-wife and the challenges that he faces trying to make the payments.
According to a recent report, the actor was ordered to pay nearly $1 million each year to his ex-wife for a period of 7 years. Now, reports indicate that he may be having a difficult time making the payments. This has become even more apparent due to his recent money-making activities, including a comedy tour entitled the ‘Alimony Tour’ and the sale of sentimental memorabilia on an on-line auction website.
Like folks in California who go through the divorce process, the former spouses in this case were issued an order for payment of alimony at the end of their divorce. In such cases, the court likely took into account facts such as the income of the spouses and the length of a marriage before deciding how much and how long alimony would be required. The payments are mandatory and when a person finds it difficult to pay, they, like Cleese, may seek to find ways to earn funds to comply with the required alimony payments.
Source: Christian Post, “John Cleese Selling ‘Monty Python’ Gear to Pay Ex-Wife Alimony: Owes $1 Million a Year,” Brittney R. Villalva, Jan. 24, 2013