After months of speculation and more than one denied rumor of an imminent divorce, Madonna’s rep has confirmed that the 50 year-old pop star is splitting from her husband of nearly eight years, director Guy Ritchie, 40.
As for why the two are splitting, various stories have come out about Madonna’s devotion to the Kabbalah cult at the cost of her marriage and a maybe-affair with Yankee’s player Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s wife filed for divorce after news of his relationship with Madonna hit the press.
Both Madonna and Guy were said to have consulted divorce attorneys this summer, with Madonna paying a visit to one of the lawyers on Paul McCartney’s divorce team, and Guy visiting a more low-key firm. It is thought that Madonna may seek to keep the divorce details private.
Madonna is said to be worth over $400 million, and her husband, who hasn’t had a hit film since hooking up with her, is worth considerably less. They have no prenup.
Madonna has talked about the difficultly of being in a longterm committed relationship. She once said “Your soulmate is the person that pushes all your buttons.” Sometimes the person who pushes your buttons is just your ex husband after all.
Guy said in an interview in late August that he’s not a follower of Kabbalah and implied that it was smarter to remain detached from fervent religious beliefs. He said “I like to think I’m an objective guy. I have sympathies with many philosophies, and I think it’d be a mistake to be a follower of anything, really… I just think any intelligent human being has to remain, if you can, objective. I like the idea that everyone’s free to think what it is they think as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
Guy also said in that same interview that another adoption may “possibly” be in the works for his family. He has biological son Rocco, 8, with Madonna, and adopted son David Banda, 4. Madonna also has daughter Lourdes, 12, from a previous relationship. It looks like another child won’t be joining their family any time soon.
It was so obvious it was coming! I dont know why they didnt bother to confirm it months ago when it all started!
Considering the man hasn’t looked happy in a photo once in the past year or so, I can’t say I’m too surprised. Being married to Madonna– especially at this stage of her life and career– must be one soul-sucking experience.
wow, we can finally stop speculating their eventual divorce, and move right into– how the crap does Madonna not have a prenup, (even if they don’t necessarily hold-up in the UK)? I hope Guy gets at least half. Lord knows he deserves it, in addition to Rocco (they’re adorable together).
Ah, the party’s over.
And by “party” I mean “marriage to a man-armed, fake-cheeked, control-freak psycho” 😡
Awww, if these two crazy kids can’t make it in this topsy turvy world what chance do any of us have ?
So was the adoption of their son a last ditch effort to save the marriage? That never works. I think it is really selfish of them to have adopted that baby when they had to have known that their marraige was over. Didn’t the babies family object to the adoption int he first place? Well known fact rich people can do whatever they want and nobody can stop them.
There’s a short announcement in the NY Times, but I can’t seem to put the link here –
“A statement e-mailed to The Associated Press from Liz Rosenberg said that the couple had agreed to divorce, and requested the media maintain respect their privacy.
The statement, co-signed by Ritchie’s representative, said the couple had not agreed to a settlement.”
How ever will I sleep tonight?
while a part of me hopes they both have enough self control to get through the divorce with dignity for the sake of the kids, the gossip loving part of me is dying to know if, as I suspect, the abuse rumours are true. Gossip mongers all over the world are salivating
What abuse rumours? Seen this mentioned by someone earlier. Abuse by whom of whom?! Can someone clue me in please?
ugh i cant imagine what its like being married to madge. she gives me a wierd feeling down in my belly… 😮
guy probably couldnt take the fact that madges peen is bigger than his.
Geronimo….there have been rumours about for years that Guy not only thumps Madonna but is dismissive of her achievements, denigrating her to his mates etc — a victim of abuse
RUMOURS ONLY THOUGH
I tend to believe it could be true – it explains a lot about Madonna if it is true and don’t forget Sean Penn was no angel either – he battered her as well, remember?
I just don’t know if I could ever believe that anyone could whoop Madonna’s ass, have you seen her arms? No way. I’m more inclined to believe she whooped his ass on occasion.
Xia – really though? Never come across anything about this at all. I have no difficulty believing that Guy wouldn’t put up with a lot of her crap and that he might be a bit disparaging about her in an eye-rolling, take-the-piss kind of way, but find it very hard to believe that he might get physical. Intriguing…..thanks for the info.
blech…..bruises heal, psychological scars often takes years……and don’t forget Madonna is tiny (5″2′) her arms look big on HER body but it’s a small body
She did have that black eye a few months back – but at the time I figured it was another plastic surgery procedure.
Honestly, after what she went through with Sean, I don’t think Madonna would put up with that from any man, ever again. It seemed pretty clear who wore the pants in this marriage, and it wasn’t Guy. I keep remembering the way Madonna kept butting into interviews with Guy when he was at his own movie premiere. She was absolutely obnoxious that night.
Shock and awe, now maybe Guy can marry a real woman .
For some reason this makes me sad. It will pass quickly I’m sure.
Ok, I’m better. I don’t understand how such a shrewd business woman who seems to value money and power over anything else in her life wouldn’t insist on a prenup? Guy seems like a decent person though, maybe she’s counting on that.
This sucks for the kids, the parents will probably live in different continents.
vdantev: Is there a sign-up sheet somewhere for the job?
Disagree completely re who wore the pants. Countless stories of Madge playing second fiddle to Guy’s own interests. No way was he ever her poodle. I think their relationship is portrayed very differently in America than it is here.
It’s all a bit sad, for them, for the kids. And I doubt the details of their separation are going to be made public, can’t see Guy Ritchie going with that, just not how he rolls.
good points xiao and geronimo. She just looks and sounds so damn menacing in pictures and in the press, I guess.
Hmm. The black eye, “falling off a horse” and breaking her wrist, the recent ankle injury. Could be something to this.
If Guy’s as old-school Brit as they say his is, then he’s certainly not above going upside the Missus every now and again to put her in her place.
Why does she end up with these men whose masculinity is so easily threatened by her? It may initially turn on the parties involved but then familiarity starts breeding contempt.
Also, I think he had real problems with the David Banda adoption as well. Just from some remarks he’s made in interviews and whatnot. Regardless of allegations of abuse, I don’t think they’re on the same page at all and maybe never have been. He could have been just an accessory in Madonna’s ‘Anglo’ phase…her grasp at credibility and acceptance by ‘society’.
madonna, what a great birthday gift for lourdes 😯 – who is 12 today-
so selfish
MSat………I was suspicious of the ‘plastic surgery’ black eye immediately. If I remember rightly, it wasn’t only her eyes, she had bruised hands or forearms at one stage. Some women are drawn to abusive men and it can take a couple of these relationships before you see the light and I completely agree with Geronimo that Guy is the dominant of the two in their marriage. Her ball busting image is strictly for public consumption
@Baho – old school Brit = handy with fists? Really not sure where you’re coming from here….
Old school Brit is far more likely to be giving their valet one as opposed to beating up on their wife.
Either way, I still think Guy’s smokin’! And how long do you think it would take for you to want to strangle the Vadge!!! (I kid, domestic violence is not okay, but that doesn’t give any woman a free pass,… more to the point, is the Vadge even a woman anymore, her body looks horrible, not a man, not a woman, just a muscle of meat)
I remember a while back a poster here speculated that Guy’s public “sugar is bad” rant was intended more as a mockery of her health obsession than an earnest warning. If so, it was hilarious.
I’m going to assume for now that the abuse stuff is bullsh*t. Granted I’m hardly privy to their private goings-on, but it’s hard to believe a self-obsessed tyrant like Madge would allow some dude to knock her around. And as geronimo pointed out on another thread, he comes across as a pretty decent guy.
Hi Geronimo,
I meant the average working-class bloke who thinks it’s his right to spend more time with his mates than his family down at the pub and doesn’t want to hear boo f*ck all from the wife.
There’s people like that everywhere but the Andy Capp cartoon came from somewhere and the stereotype exists for a reason. People like Sean Connery who said sometimes women need a slap now and again to keep them in line.
We have a close family friend who is now retired from working ‘in service’ for decades in several very well known households in Britain. I can tell you that the upper class would most definitely slap a wife any day over a valet since a personal valet is much more valuable…and likely have more of a relationship with the lord than the wife would! Completely backassward, I know.
Not that anyone should be slapping anyone else of course! 🙂
I’m sorry for them and hope this divorce goes quickly and smoothly.
BTW: I was never “into Madonna” until my sister begged me to go to a Madonna concert with her when her date blew her off. That concert (and the next two tours that followed) made me a die-hard Madonna fan. Her concerts touched me in a deep emotional and cathartic way. Sorry to be cliche – but she’s actually very deep.
I would like to publicly state my sorrow and regret for the end of the blissful union, and would also like to suggest that I am available to comfort Mr. Ritchie should he be overcome with grief or deprivation of any sort.
Actually this almost makes me happy because now that family can keep their little girl instead of letting Madonna steal her.
I’ve always thought Madonna married Guy Ritchie precisely BECAUSE of his average working-class schtick, and the fact that he wasn’t completely bowled over by her fame and fortune. I think that, when she met him, she was searching for a “real” relationship, and a family life, with someone who didn’t care who she was on stage.
If that’s the case, I’m guessing the ego-maniac in our beloved Madge got tired of Guy’s lack of awe and went after someone who DOES think “she’s all that.” Alex probably fits the bill perfectly. He was married to a “normal” chick and had what he probably considered a rather staid family life, and then along comes Madonna with her bigger-than-life personality and her religion and her strength… Poor man didn’t stand a chance…
I may be in denial but I believe up to a year or so ago they had a good, albeit fiery, marriage. Opposites attract. Just think all the things she loved about him and all the things he loved about her weren’t enough, in the end, to overcome their differences. He’s laid back, likes a pint down the pub with his mates, she’s…well, she’s the way she is, and I think they just reached a point where they were making each other so unhappy that it just wasn’t feasible to carry on. I’m choosing not to believe the abuse rumours because they don’t sit logically with what I know and have seen and read aboyt Guy. Ritchie’s no Penn, he just isn’t. Penn and Madonna were very alike, both ego-led and battling for the spotlight.
I wish them a quick, quiet divorce with joint, willing, generous-minded custody of the kids.
I’ve never been Madonna’s biggest fan so I haven’t really been keeping track of her life but the abuse rumor interests me. It may explain why she started working out so obsessively. Not only to be stronger but don’t people who feel like they have no control in their personal life become control freaks in their work life and anywhere else they can? She was always a bit of a control freak though. Guy always seemed like a good person to me but again…I don’t really know a lot about these two. I’ll just wait and see what happens 😛
Just finished reading the book by her brother and this marriage was doomed by both of their arrogant and it is my way or the highway personas. Allegedly she tried very hard to do it his way for as long as possible. The only ones I feel sorry for are the children. I hope their nannies are good to them.
The Vadge is loose.
Just saying that a lot of people who are totally dominant in their outside lives are then utterly submissive in their sexual relationships. This can also complicate things when it comes to “abuse”, since they play a rough game in bed and want to be tied down, hurt, etc., but when it crosses a line it can be hard for the person to realize the pain is no longer consensual and they’re now the victim of unwanted abuse. Not to mention if you get in a relationship with someone who is physically very dominant over you in bed, it can be hard for them to turn that off and not be physical during fights. It’s very complex sexual dynamics, and pretty impossible to speculate on.
Interesting, they tried hard to project a certain image about their marriage. I remember the Vogue issue that ran a several page spread presenting Madge as a British housewife in the country, feeding chickens in an expensive dress, reading to the kids in their exquisite bedrooms and so on.
I agree 100% with Geronimo
Does this mean she’s finally going to drop that ridiculous phony Brit accent??
Someone gotta hot dog to toss down that hallway?
Me too Bodhi
And Syko, you never let me down! 😆
did anyone actually think this would last. I give him credit for hanging in as long as he did.
Interestingly I heard there was no pre-nup is that true, or has that been confirmed? if it is true…..ouch.
I don’t believe for a second that guy ever hit madge. She’s always been very patronising of anything he says or does. And I also don’t think he’ll take anything from her, even though with no pre-nup, he is entitled to half her fortune. I think this is simply a case of the relationship not working.
But I do agree that the adoption of baby David was a bad thing if they knew there was a chance of their marriage ending. I do hope they both can remain civil to each other, for their childrens sakes.