The Gyllenhall parents are apparently suffering some financial difficulties, as revealed in court documents regarding their divorce. Since they’re getting divorced they probably have other issues also, although I guess they won’t be fighting over the kids.
Jake Gyllenhaal and his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, may be famous actors with equally A-list squeezes, but it looks like their parents haven’t been reaping the benefits of their children’s success.
According to divorce documents obtained by TMZ, Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Foner are in deep financial trouble. The couple, who separated last January, apparantly acquired some serious debt during the course of their marriage, including mortgage payments, home equity lines of credit against their two homes, several credit cards and “various outstanding loans.”
Naomi, a screenwriter, says she had to take out a loan during the writer’s strike because she had no money coming in.
Gyllenhaal allegedly told Foner of their finances, “I have been clear that if worse comes to worse, I will let all of this collapse into ruin, just as I believe letting the markets crash and burn are the right approach.”
Uh huh. How about just asking your kids for help?
Jake and Maggie could probably help their parents our financially, and that is probably the right thing to do for the people who raised you, clothed you and fed you for 18 years or so, but I can sort of see the other side of this. Once you begin to help someone financially it can be a slippery slope of endless handouts, and going beyond that person, but also to others who might be looking to your generosity. Also, if they assisted in paying off the mortgage on that home, would that then be some kind of statement supporting whichever parent was living there at the time?
The other issue is that perhaps they weren’t aware of the financial strife their parents were in.
Hopefully their divorce and financial issues can pass without further drama.
Naomi Foner and Stephen Gyllenhaal are shown in the header at a screening of Brokeback Mountain on 11/29/05. Jake Gyllenhaal is shown with his mom below on 6/14/07. Credit: WENN
They should help the parents. Put some money in the parents’ bank accounts every month, enough for a decent apartment and living expenses, that’s it. Maybe $5 grand a month. I’m sure the kids could afford that, especially if they split it.
Perhaps Maggie and Jake did recently find out about all of this – and this was part of the reason that Jake pulled back from marrying Reese. It wasn’t just the divorce but also that Jake wanted to see a way to helping them out financially?
Jake is probably wealthy, but I doubt he’s super-rich and wants to be sensible with money and not blow it on a wedding at a time when he’s not sure if there’ll be work for him in the near future?
Absolute speculation on my part of course.
Are these two not just ordinary private individuals? Why are the details of their financial situation in the public domain? Or is it access-all-areas when there’s a celeb in the family? I really don’t care how they sort this out or who sorts it out, just do it and stop making it everyone’s business.
wtf? There’s a question here?
It’s called FAMILY.
I believe, and I could be wrong that the Gyllenhall parents are well paid.
children of … of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and film producer and screenwriter Naomi Foner
this is not a case of middle America economy and while I’m sure the children won’t let the parents go hungry it’s not really their job to start ponying up for the bills.
Yeah, I agree with everyone else… it’s your parents… if the kids can help, then they should. I realize it’s not their responsibility, but c’mon, it’s not a distant relative, it’s mom and dad.
I am beginning to agree with Hilary Clinton and her philosophies about the “it takes a village”. Not only does it take a village to raise a child, it takes a village to support our families. I see so many families who are having their grown children (and family) move in with them to split the cost of living – and I don’t see anything wrong with it. Support your parents and your children….you might find that Mairead’s (or was it Syko’s?) 😉 karma will pay in dividends.
**Edit, didn’t see Lem’s post til after my comment posted… so I have to say I agree with everyone except for Lem 🙂
@ RAN, Definitely Syko’s karma – I don’t have kids and she has waaaaaay more patience than me 😆
😆 Mairead
I couldn’t remember who put the definition of karma on the pages so I took a stab in the dark 😉
I’m SO with Lem.
I absolutely do NOT think the Gyllenhos should help out their parents. “Mortgage payments, home equity lines of credit against their two homes, several credit cards and “various outstanding loans”” tells me they were irresponsible with their funds and do not deserve to be bailed out.
My grandfather is in the process of being foreclosed upon, and my dad didn’t help out. Sound cold? A little. But what if I explained to you that my Aunt lives with my Gpa and has never paid a dime of rent? And the reason my Gpa even had a second mortgage on his home was to pay for things for my Aunt? Now they expect to either have my dad bail them out financially, or let them move in with him. My dad says Gpa can move in, but not his sister — and he’s not giving them any money.
Jake and Maggie can let their mom and dad live with them until they get back on their feet. The parents can go into bankruptcy so they can restructure all that debt and PAY THOSE CREDIT CARDS BACK… ON THEIR OWN.
These are rich folks in the film industry, there’s no excuse for them to have so much debt other than extreme excess. Why were TWO homes even necesary?
Oh right—-the rich kids shouldn’t bail out the irresponsible parents. No, No, No, just let the taxpayers pony up.
LOL – Ahhhh now I getcha. I thought you meant the “helping out family” would earn good karma, rather than the definition of karma itself. 😳
I think that Kaiser, Syko and I definitely have given the definition of karma a few times, each! 😆 Repeated by others when we got too tired/bored/cranky to say that “karma is not the same thing as ‘what goes around comes around'”. Bless ’em 😀
What this is, is a messy, mean divorce. So many couples mismanage money be they rich or poor. I am sure that the kids will help, but they need to stay out of this fray until the parents iron some things out.
I’m sure if “the kids” were to look in between their couch cushions, they would find enough chump change to help their parents out a little with their mortgages and loans.
Spend within your means & pay your own debts folks, no matter how wealthy your kids are.
hey ran Hillary’s takes a village statement is an african proverb.
as for these people’s divorce issues i do not understand why it’s being made public and i do not understand why people are writing as if the siblings have refused to help them. who the hell knows what they are doing..
it really is none of your business.
Kids helping parents? It should go the other way around! Kids should help parents if parents are sick, NOT if they are irresponsible.
This parents were clearly wealthy with good jobs. Like many Americans, they decided to live beyond their means aided and abetted by the gvernement and the banks. Now the chicken have come home to roost.
The children should help out, but they should have a clear plan on how much to give and when to stop. Otherwise relatives can drag you down with them.
Elisha, I fully understand your father’s stand. That is what I call tough love.
Give me a break. The multi-millionaire children who benefited from nepotism should be allowed to ignore their parents’ financial state? The parents did for the children (would they be the well-known celebs that they are if not for the doors opened by their parents), now the children can do for the parents.
Depends WHY the parents went broke. E.g. if they had bad gambling habits/crazy spending then providing handouts would just be enabling them.