Actress Ellen Barkin went through a divorce in 2006, but the legal battle is still raging on. A recent article in the Chicago Tribune reports that Barkin’s ex-husband, famous business tycoon Ronald Perelman, was recently ordered to pay $3.4 million to a production company that the two created.

Perelman, whose net worth is approximately $11 billion, will end up paying a total $4.3 million, including additional interest since the legal process has taken so long.

The total that Perelman has had to give to Barkin isn’t known, but it is frequently reported to be in the tens of millions of dollars. What is known is the hefty sum that Barkin has made off selling jewelry she received throughout the marriage from Perelman.

Barkin has auctioned off the jewelry for more than $20 million, which is on top of her divorce settlement. Barkin was quoted as saying that the jewelry were “not memories I want to wear out every day.”

The production company that the two started, Applehead Pictures, was formed in 2005 with the aid of Barkin’s brother George. Barkin’s attorneys were expectedly quite pleased with the recent decision, which upheld a lower court ruling finding Perelman liable for the money.

Barkin’s brother George is known for his former position as editor-in-chief and script writer for both National Lampoon and High Times.

Perelman attempted to argue that Barkin broke their separation agreement and he was thus not responsible for the money anymore. Perelman specifically argues that Barkin has failed to take steps to obtain a “get,” which is a Jewish divorce document.

Despite the valiant efforts of Perelman’s attorneys, Perelman does not appear to have the law behind him. The Appellate Division judge found that Perelman must pay because, “the Barkins’ alleged breaches would not operate to relieve Perelman of his independent obligations to the company.”

In general, as well as in the legal realm, the concept that “two wrongs don’t make a right,” is fairly accurate. It seems the court is rejecting Perelman’s defense to breach of contract because he is merely accusing Barkin of also breaching it.

Barkin has starred in numerous roles, starting with her first feature film in the 1982 movie “Diner.” After Barkin married Perelman, who is also the chairman for the Revlon makeup company, in 2000,  her career has been put on somewhat of a hold.

Shortly after her divorce from Perelman in 2006, she was on the screen again with a role in the widely popular “Ocean’s Thirteen,” co-starring with Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

There may have never been a golfer with more written out his off-the-links antics than Tiger Woods. It is amazing how much the famous golfer has drifted from his moral image of one year ago, before a late night minor car accident began to spiral his life to where it is now.

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune describes the nearly unpredictable fall from grace that Woods has undergone, and poses the interesting question: Can Woods regain his good name?

Tiger Woods was on top of the golfing world and considered one of the most dominating sports figures ever. Then a late night accident triggered a sequence of events which lead to his performance on the course, as well as his marriage, crumbling.

Shortly after the accident, reports surfaced that Woods had been unfaithful to his wife, Elin, many times. This lead to Woods taking a five-month break from golf and a trip to rehab. Despite Woods’ apparent attempts at change, a divorce was soon to follow.

After the divorce, Woods’ performance on the golf course dropped off. After the end of the season, and for the first time in 15 years on tour, Tiger Woods did not win a single tournament. He had highlights, and for most golfers it would have had a great year. But for the man who had such a dominance of the game, it was nothing short of a disappointment.

There is recent evidence that Tiger might be trying to regain some of the support he formally had. Woods kept his media conversations unusually silent around the incident. But recently Woods has gotten his name out there more.

He recently wrote an op-ed piece for Newsweek and even appeared on an ESPN radio’s “Mike and Mike Show.”

Probably the most noteworthy move was when Tiger joined the popular social networking site Twitter.

People in the golfing world have always been more accepting of Woods, viewing him as a golfer and not a role model. The buzz is already building about Woods’ return to the tour in 2011.

CBS golf announcer Jim Nantz is anxious about waiting, saying that, “the turn of the calendar will be the most refreshing thing to happen to Tiger’s game… for those who think Tiger is done or that he won’t pass Jack, you’re jumping off the bandwagon way too soon.”

Woods will almost undoubtedly bring about strong feelings from fans and interested observers next year. And until we see what Tiger is able to do to right the ship, commentators will continue to speculate. But the only way to determine what lays in the future for Woods is to wait and see.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.