Schwarzenegger ticks the right box to pay spousal support

Herald online

27 Jul, 2011 01:00 AM6 mins to read

What a difference a little checkbox makes: Arnold Schwarzenegger has refiled his response to estranged wife Maria Shriver's divorce petition, withdrawing a request that a judge terminate her right to spousal support.

Shriver filed for divorce from the Terminator star in Los Angeles Superior Court on July 1, citing irreconcilable differences.

Court docs reveal that Shriver is seeking shared custody of their minor children, Patrick, 17, and Christopher, 13. She is also seeking spousal support, and kindly requests that Arnie cranks open his wallet and pay her attorney fees to boot.

No arguments on that score from the peanut gallery.

But in an eyebrow-raising turn of events, naughty Arnie last week pulled the ultimate 'bah, humbug!' and requested that no spousal support be awarded to his wife.

Turns out the actor's lawyer, Bob Kaufman, checked the box on the divorce docs asking the judge to deny Shriver's request for alimony.

Several reports say the pair did not enter into a prenuptial agreement, so under California law they're entitled to a 50/50 split of all earnings and property accumulated during their marriage. They're estimated to be worth around $400 million.

But Arnie's now had a change of heart. That business with the checkbox? All a big misunderstanding.

According to scandal sheet TMZ, although the actor-turned-politician-turned-actor signed his original response to Shriver's divorce petition, he didn't read it before it was lodged.

Sources tell the website that Arnie wasn't aware that his lawyer had put the brakes on Shriver's request for alimony.

The former California Governor has since filed new documents, and he's no longer challenging Shriver's request for spousal support. He'll also cover her legal fees.

Schwarzenegger's decision to revise the docs was voluntary, and not a knee-jerk reaction to pressure from Shriver's camp, reports the New York Daily News.

"When he realised what happened, he wanted to fix it right away. He did this on his own. She did not ask him to," a source said. "He made the fix when it was brought to his attention."

Meanwhile, the former couple's 13-year-old son Christopher, who was injured during a serious surfing accident earlier this month, has been released from hospital.

Christopher, the youngest of the couple's four children, suffered multiple broken bones and a collapsed lung following his boogie boarding accident in Malibu on July 17.

Arnie offered an update on his son's condition via Twitter. "Thanks for all your support for Christopher," he wrote. "It means a lot to me & to him. He's doing much better & we'll have him back at full speed soon."

Shriver also took to Twitter, saying: "Blessed to be able to take Christopher out of the hospital last night. What a feeling of relief to know he's going to be fine."

Jesse James and Kat Von D split!

Jesse James and Kat Von D have called off their engagement and separated.

James (aka Vanilla Gorilla) the former hubby of Sandra Bullock, and LA Ink star Von D announced their engagement in January, and were all set to skip down the aisle later this year.

Von D took to Twitter to break the news, writing: "I am no longer w Jesse, and out of respect for him, his family and myself, thats all the info I'd like to share. Thanks for respecting that."

The pair began dating in August 2010, following James' divorce from Bullock.

So what put the kibosh on the romance? Distance, it seems, doesn't make the heart grow fonder.

Confirming the split, James tells People, "I'm so sad because I really love her. The distance between us was just too much."

Rumours of trouble in paradise surfaced last month, which was swiftly denied by James. "Everything is on track," he said in a statement. "I am absolutely more in love today than I was a year ago. She's the one for me. That [wedding] day can't come soon enough!"

Carey Mulligan engaged?

Is Carey Mulligan racing to the altar with folk star beau Marcus Mumford?

According to several reports, the Mumford & Sons frontman got down on bended knee and proposed to Mulligan over a weekend getaway at a swanky hotel in Somerset over the weekend.

The couple have been dating since February. Carey previously dated Transformers star Shia LaBeouf, while Mumford split from long-time love, singer Laura Marling, last year.

The Sun quotes a snitch as saying: "Carey looked like the cat who had got the cream. She was wearing a beautiful ring and didn't seem to mind who saw it.

"They were stuck to each other like glue. She was doing most of the talking and he was hanging on her every word."

Reps for the pair have refused to comment on the engagement reports.

No more Sex, please

Rumours of a Sex and the City prequel, based on author Candace Bushnell's two novels, The Carrie Diaries and Summer And The City, have resurfaced.

Talk of a third big screen outing - this time detailing the early lives of Carrie and the gals, and starring a bevy of new Hollywood talent - kicked off after SATC2.

Well, Britain's Daily Mail is stirring things up again.

According to the Mail, rumour has it that Gossip Girl star and Leonardo DiCaprio's gal Blake Lively is being lined up for the role of Samantha Jones. Selena Gomez as Charlotte York, Emma Roberts as Miranda Hobbes and Elizabeth Olsen as Carrie Bradshaw.

Total tosh.

Gossip Cop reports that reps for both Lively and Roberts say there is "no truth" to the report.

Brad Pitt gets the wax treatment

Brad Pitt, 47, and pal George Clooney, 50, have both been given the wax treatment courtesy of Musée Grév in Paris.

But unlike their Madame Tussauds doubles, these waxy incarnations show the hunky Hollywood stars in their ageing glory - complete with wrinkles and bags under their eyes.

Take a peek at Pitt's waxy incarnation here.

As for poor Clooney, well, he may need to take a deep breath before he claps his eyes on this.

The sculptures were erected by artist Stéphane Barret, who based his work on video footage and pictures of the stars. That explains a lot.

Pitt was a no-show for the big Parisian reveal - he's currently filming in the UK.

Check out these other celebrity wax figure hits and misses.

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