Despite a debilitating illness that could leave the actor without much time to live, Dennis Hopper is working to finalize his divorce to his wife of almost 14 years.

According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, the 73-year-old Hopper is dying of prostate cancer. One of his children is calling his struggle with the illness as “one hell of a battle.”

In the meantime, he is trying his hardest to divorce his wife, Victoria Duffy, before it is too late for him to do so.

Continuing Demands

The New York Post, who broke the story, cites a “longtime family confidant” who claims Hopper is upset about his wife’s financial demands.

Despite the glamorous gifts and lifestyle that he has bestowed upon his wife, the source says, Hopper feels that she continues to demand more money and luxury items. Hopper had previously given his wife a ranch, expensive works of art and a luxurious wardrobe.

“Dennis told me, ‘I’ve worked so hard to give Victoria everything she wanted,’” the source said, “‘but it only fueled her appetite for more and more luxury.’”

Prenuptial

The Post article even goes so far as to suggest that he wants to finalize the divorce before he dies. He is currently in an LA hospital with his children, and with his ex-wife. Duffy is not by his side, at the request of the actor. She is instead at the couple’s home in Venice.

According to sources, Duffy is upset that her portion of Hopper’s estate will only be 25 percent, as outlined in their prenuptial agreement. She had expected a larger proportion of the estate. She was also upset that she was not named executor of Hopper’s will.

While the relationship had long been rocky, some cite the final blow as a strange event in which Duffy never showed up to the set of a TV show that Hopper was filming, even though she was expected. She was out-of-touch for the next two weeks, with their 6-year-old daughter in tow. The Post’s source claimed that nobody knew where Duffy was.

In the current disagreement about Hopper’s estate, Duffy has recently claimed that Hopper is unable to make a reasoned decision based on the large amount of medication that he is taking. His representatives say that this is not the case, saying that the heralded actor just wanted peace and quiet to deal with his illness.

In a statement, Hopper was quoted as saying: “I wish Victoria the best, but only want to spend these difficult days surrounded by my children and close friends.”

Hopper and Duffy have been married for about 14 years, and they have been together for eighteen years. They have a 6-year-old daughter together. Hopper has grown children, as well.

Hopper is on his third marriage, and his fair share of marital fireworks. He broke his first wife’s nose in the aftermath of a drug bender, and then went through an eight-day marriage with Mamas and the Papas star Michelle Phillips in 1970.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 3:40 pm and is filed under Celebrity Divorce. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.