Madonna has paid former husband Guy Ritchie around £50m as part of their divorce settlement. The pop star's US spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told The Associated Press (AP) the figure included the value of the couple's Ashcombe home in England.
She said the financial part of the settlement had been worked out but custody of the couple's children had yet to be finalised. "I'd assume it's one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce," she said. The payout is much larger than the £24.3m Heather Mills received from Sir Paul McCartney earlier this year.
Ms Rosenberg told AP that Ritchie had been given £50-£60m ($76m-$92m). In an e-mail to BBC News, she said she was confirming an earlier report, which said he would get $60m-$70m (£39-£46m). She declined to give further details and was unavailable to clarify the discrepancy. When the divorce was made official last month, Ritchie told the Daily Mirror the split was "never, ever about money".
The couple, who wed at Skibo Castle in Scotland in December 2000, were granted their divorce at the High Court in London. A sworn statement released by the court showed the pop star petitioned for divorce on the grounds of the film director's unreasonable behaviour. Madonna also said in the statement that they had not been living at the same address for the six months before the date of the petition.
At the time, the couple had reportedly agreed to share custody of their two boys, Rocco, eight, and three-year-old adopted David Banda, while it was reported that Madonna's daughter from an earlier relationship, 12-year-old Lourdes, would stay with her. The singer is currently on her Sticky and Sweet world tour, and is due to perform in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday.
