May and June used to be big wedding months. English Football star Wayne Rooney and his girlfriend spent $5 million dollars on an Italian wedding. But in the narcissism capital of America, Hollywood errr… Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (a city that prides itself on pouty Botox fattened lips, Viagra and silicon/saline implants), it is not surprising to learn that those big Hollywood weddings last not until death do part. Bill Murray and Jennifer Butler Murray ended their marriage of 11-years, where she alleges adultery, abuse and his addiction to marijuana and alcohol. She also alleges frequent abandonment by the former “Saturday Night Live” star. Bill Murray’s attorney, John McDougall, wouldn’t comment on the allegations, but said the entertainer “is deeply saddened by the breakup of his marriage.”
Of course Slate magazine was on top of the story with their “HotDocs” feature obtaining a copy of that absolutely necessary California ritualistic document, the prenuptial agreement. Slate reported: days before the 1997 wedding ceremony, Bill and his wife Jennifer entered into a 26-page antenuptial agreement. “Jennifer… is aware Bill is a person of very substantial means and income,” the document said (Page 2). The agreement stipulated that Murray would “continue to retain all right title and interest … to all separate property he may now own or hereafter acquire” (Page 3). As a wedding present, Bill agreed to buy his bride a modest house (”not exceeding one million dollars”) of her own (”title… taken in Jennifer’s sole name” – Page 5). In the “event of marital discord,” Jennifer would relinquish her rights to alimony (Page 4) and instead receive within 60 days of the marriage’s dissolution a lump-sum “marital award” of $7 million (Page 5).
Such legal precautions, the couple believed, would “enhance and encourage a harmonious marital relationship” and avoid any “conflict or controversy in the future.” But the course of true love never did run smooth. Last week, Jennifer sued to dissolve the union in Charleston, S.C., family court. Jennifer cited Bill’s “adultery, addiction to marijuana and alcohol, abusive behavior, physical abuse, sexual addictions and frequent abandonment.” She has also asked the court to determine whether the pre-nup is valid. Not exactly a double-down bet, but hey she could score a few extra millions.
George Clooney has been voted Hollywood’s Sexiest Man by People magazine. I would add smartest. At 47, he has never married and that week also saw his break-up from girlfriend Sarah Larson. The pair had been together for a year, making their first public appearance at the Venice Film Festival when Larson, 29, accompanied Clooney, 47, to the party celebrating his movie “Michael Clayton.” In September, the two were involved in a motorcycle accident in New Jersey. And early this year, Larson was the first girlfriend to attend the Oscars as Clooney’s date. Early this month, she made People magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful issue, where she was called “The Newbie.” Now colour her gone at no expense to Mr. Clooney.
Is this a great town or what? I once worked for an LA entertainment law firm where three of the principal partners were in their 70s with wives in their 30s and children under five. But enough about me, what do you think of me? How much can I get out of life for me and me alone? As one 30-year old comedian joked from LA’s The Comedy Store to hilarious knowing laughter, hey, I’m in the entertainment industry, my future ex-wife hasn’t even been born yet.
So the question remains, why is this news and why do we care so much? More people voted for American Idol and Britain’s Got Talent than in either country’s general election. Why are we so celebrity obsesses and where does it end? Even my old hometown Malibu is drafting an anti-paparazzi ordinance with the help of former Bill Clinton prosecutor, Ken Starr, now President of Pepperdine University.
In an interview with Lara Logan, the CBS News foreign correspondent covering the Iraq War, John Stewart was asked how she gets important stories about the war pushed onto the air when the press is elbowing each other out of the way whilst covering Brittney’s custody battle? Her reply was, “…or Paris Hilton…”
Then she asked, “exactly how many dead US soldiers have you seen on the television news in Iraq?”
Umm, yeah.
Oops gotta run, there’s a helicopter covering a white Ford Bronco leading a caravan of police cars on a slow speed chase through LA. No OJ! Don’t do it! You invented Court TV! Of course we’ll watch your Vegas trial!
