Most religious people look to their pastors for moral guidance, so when religious leaders file for divorce, some ask the question “why?”

If a man or woman of the cloth cannot make their marriage work, how are others supposed to? Successful televangelist Benny Hinn now must face his followers—and his soon to be ex-wife.

Although Hinn preaches the word of God and shares his healing powers with the masses , Hinn was unable to mend his marriage of 30 years.

But Hinn is not your typical pastor. His ministry, based out of Grapevine, Texas, is one of the most financially successful in the world. He has been scrutinized by many people for his lavish lifestyle while preaching religious virtues of modesty and humility.

According to an ABC News article, Hinn’s wife Suzanne filed for divorce in the Orange County Superior Court on February 1. She cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the separation.

The couple had actually separated on January 26th, according to the divorce court papers. Since then, Hinn has been living in an apartment in Dana Point, Calif.

On Hinn’s website, his ministry released a statement saying that “Pastor Benny Hinn and his immediate family were shocked and saddened to learn of this news without any previous notice.”

It continued to say that Hinn attempted to mend his relationship with his wife, but the couple could not work out their issues, and that Suzanne served him the divorce papers without any prior notice.

But according to Susanne Hinn, she filed for divorce because their differences and problems could not be worked out any other way. They were having issues for a couple months prior to the filing.

She also said that she and her husband attempted to work out their issues. They visited with pastors and other faith healers, but they were unable to work things out.

The couple was married in 1979 and they have four children together. Hinn has not released any further statements about the divorce proceedings.

No court date has been set to determine how to split their assets.

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

There has been no shortage of celebrity divorce news lately, with all of the emotional fireworks that the public has come to expect. In one instance, a divorce was undone, and in another, some personal details came out into the light. Sports stars, movie stars and familiar tabloid faces are among those whom divorce has impacted.

Singer and actress Chynna Phillips, a member of the musical group Wilson Phillips, made headlines with a change of heart that has gone public. Phillips she filed for divorce from her husband, actor and brother-to-the-stars Billy Baldwin. Her lawyers filed on her behalf on the same day that she got out of rehabilitation for anxiety issues.

Two days later, however, Phillips changed her mind. She had her legal team withdraw the divorce, with the hopes that she could save her 15-year marriage with Baldwin.

Phillips and Baldwin, recently the star of the TV show Dirty Sexy Money, have three children together. The couple’s manager, Lizzie Grubman, told the New York Post, Every married couple has its up and downs, but they are two people who have been together for 18 years and are deeply in love. They will work through their personal issues and they are committed to staying together.

From a heartwarming reconciliation, to a much more messy affair, it should perhaps not be a surprise that Charlie Sheen’s personal life is once again making headlines. Sheen’s wife, Brooke Mueller, has decided to file for divorce. Making the situation all the more racy are new details that Mueller may have had a bisexual affair with a mystery woman.

The unidentified woman has said that she will expose Mueller’s past, as well as revealing details about her marriage to Sheen. According to the Examiner, Mueller feared that Sheen would expose her past, and that she had not filed for divorce for that reason.

The couple is no stranger to tabloid drama. On Christmas Day last year, Sheen was arrested for assault after an alleged incident of domestic violence against Brooke. According to sources, Sheen became enraged when Mueller told him that she wanted a divorce. Now, according to sources, Mueller has reached her breaking point, and has finally filed for divorce.

Moving to the world of sports, the wife of home run king and scandal-plagued baseball player Barry Bonds has filed for divorce from her husband of 12 years. The Associated Press has reported Liz Watson’s Los Angeles divorce filing. The two have already reached a financial agreement, and in the filing Watson cited irreconcilable differences.

The couple, who were married in 1998, have an 11-year-old daughter together, and Watson is seeking joint custody. Details of the financial agreement were not released in the initial divorce filing.

Bonds has been a lightning rod in the baseball world, for his connections to people who have faced allegations of distributing steroids. Bonds has not played baseball in the major leagues since 2007, after breaking the all-time home run mark.

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Barry Bonds, the former San Francisco Giants star, has had a rough couple of years. He was investigated for his steroid use, he retired from baseball and now his most recent wife filed for divorce—her second time filing papers to end their marriage.

Bonds and Liz Watson married in 1998. In June 2009 Watson had filed a petition for a legal separation from her husband, citing irreconcilable differences.

Shortly after, she withdrew her request. No details were given as to why she no longer wanted the separation.

It appeared that the couple was in the clear until now. Watson followed her first instinct and this time she filed for divorce.

Watson filed in the Los Angeles court system on Thursday, February 17 stating irreconcilable differences once again.

Both Bonds and Watson at this point appear to be cordial and willing to handle the proceedings amicably.

According to the Associate Press, the court documents show that the couple has already come to a divorce settlement on how they will split their assets. But no specifics were released.

Per the divorce papers, Watson is seeking joint and physical custody of their 11 year old daughter, Aisha Lynn.

According to the New York Daily News, it was rumored that Bonds allegedly had an affair with a woman named Kimberly Bell from 1994 to 2003, and allegedly bought her a house in Arizona. But Watson did not mention this as a reason for the divorce.

Bond’s marriage to Watson was his second marriage. Before Watson, Bonds was married to Susan Branco. Their marriage dissolved in 1994.

Bonds and Branco allegedly fought over a prenuptial agreement that Branco had signed right before the marriage, which denied Branco a portion of Bonds’ money and assets.

Branco claimed she did not understand the agreement because she was a Swedish immigrant and did not fully understand the language. California divorce courts ruled in Bonds’ favor after a six-year court battle.

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

As soon as news of the divorce became public, the split between Los Angeles Dodgers owners Jamie and Frank McCourt promised to be complicated and contentious, with Dodgers fans feeling nervous about the focus that these team owners would be able to keep on the team.

Since the beginning of the divorce proceedings, ownership of the Dodgers has been the most significant contentious point between the former power couple. Frank McCourt has claimed to be the sole owner of the team, while Jamie McCourt argues that they each have an equal share in it.

Well, these predictions are coming true, as the McCourt divorce and the battle over ownership of the baseball franchise have risen to new levels of heated argument and accusation.

In the divorce case’s latest twist, Jamie McCourt has now accused Frank of attempting to understate his worth by hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Jamie McCourt’s assertion was contained in a state court filing recently submitted by her attorney. The claim about Frank came in response to his previous claim that he has been in what the story calls “a tight cash position and unable to provide the level of financial support” that Jamie McCourt has been seeking in the divorce arrangement.

According to the court filing, Jamie claimed that in September of 2008 Frank’s personal financial statement showed his net worth to be $834.9 million. Last June, she claims, a follow-up personal financial statement show that his net worth had declined to $163.4 million. According to Jamie’s side of the story, this second statement with the lower figure was put together following the couple’s separation, and that its figures were “fabricated” via “blatant balance sheet manipulations.” The idea being, in her mind, that it would show him to be worth far less than he was.

Jamie McCourt’s filing also made the claim that the “net equity value” of Frank’s various ventures was more that $2 billion, according to a LA Times story.

Another piece of evidence that Jamie and her lawyers presented to support her accusation of fudged numbers was a private placement memorandum from May of 2009 in which Frank seemed to propose selling a share in the Dodgers “as part of the creation of a global sports enterprise.”

This global sports enterprise would supposedly own the Dodgers as well as Chinese and English sports franchises. The memo offered a 7 percent stake in the enterprise for $150 million, and it showed that it was presented to a Chinese industrial and financial conglomerate called Citic Group.

There were additional claims in Jamie McCourt’s court filing, which included details claiming the couple received $2.3 million in payouts per month from their various enterprises, and that this was largely tax free based on the manner by which Frank McCourt lived “off cash from lines of credit and loan proceeds, which wouldn’t immediately be taxable.”

One of Frank McCourt’s attorneys called Jamie’s filing “astonishing” and “a scorched-earth spin campaign designed to harm the reputation and livelihood of others.”

Whatever the truth, sports fans are guaranteed a competition in the owner’s box that is every bit as heated as what takes place down on the field.

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Televangelist Benny Hinn is a larger than life figure as he roams around on stage in front of thousands of admirers, preaching his particular brand of religion far and wide via television audiences.

Recently, however, according to the LA Times, Hinn faced one person who was not as enamored with his performance: his wife Suzanne. At the beginning of February, Suzanne filed for divorce from her husband of more than 30 years in Orange County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. The two had separated in late January, and were living in different residences.

According to a statement from Benny Hinn Ministeries, the celebrity preacher was caught completely unaware by his wife’s divorce filing:

Pastor Benny Hinn and his immediate family were shocked and saddened to learn of this news without any previous notice. Although Pastor Hinn has faithfully endeavored to bring healing to their relationship, those efforts failed and were met with the petition for divorce that was filed without notice.

Benny Hinn is a proponent of the branch of Christian gospel called prosperity gospel. Prosperity gospel teaches that those Christians whose religious priorities are straight will be rewarded with earthly wealth and health. He is also a purveyor of what he depicts to be spiritual healings, involving the traditional laying of the hands upon his congregation’s foreheads and chanting healing words of faith.

Hinn has become a broadcasting juggernaut for Christian television. His sermons are viewed by millions of people across the world every day, and he travels internationally to preach across the globe. To travel on these so-called “Miracle Crusades” across the land, he employs a private plane, called the Dove One.

It’s unclear what the exact financial situation is regarding Hinn’s ministry or personal fortunes. Suzanne Hinn’s divorce filing did not feature any financial information. He has been criticized in the past for his lavish lifestyle, facing criticism from watchdog groups and other Christians.

Even Senator Charles Grassley from Iowa is investigating Hinn along with other televangelists to determine if he has complied with tax laws for non-profits.

Suzanne Hinn’s attorney did not comment on the divorce filing, according to the firm’s policy of withholding comment unless the client approves it.
The LA Times spoke with J. Lee Grady, a contributing editor to the Pentecostal news magazine Charisma. Grady claimed that the Hinn divorce filing is the latest in a series of high-profile divorces and “moral failures” among Pentecostal leaders.

Another fairly recent and highly visible case of such moral failures was that of Ted Haggard, the evangelical preacher who admitted to sexual liaisons with a male prostitute and drug use.

Grady also felt that Hinn’s congregation and audience would feel the emotional impact of the divorce. “It will be devastating to the people who have supported Benny Hinn’s evangelistic work around the world,” said Grady. “Obviously because their ministry has been very public, they will need to issue a statement to their supporters to explain how this happened.”

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

There may be no crying in baseball, but there are plenty of fights that occur both on and off the field.

Take the owners of the LA Dodgers, Frank and Jamie McCourt. The couple filed for divorce in October 2009 and they continue to battle out their complicated issues in the courts.

After 30 years of marriage, Jamie McCourt filed for divorce from her husband in which she cited irreconcilable differences. Since then the power couple has fought over ownership of the Dodgers and other assets.

According to an article in the LA Times, Frank McCourt fired his wife after the Dodgers lost the 2009 playoffs against the Philadelphia Phillies. Jamie was CEO at the time and Frank fired her due to poor performance.

Jamie McCourt said that she and her husband agreed she would remain CEO until the end of the season. In turn she agreed wait to and file the divorce after the season was over.

But things went sour fast.

Frank McCourt claimed that his wife had cheated on him with their personal driver and whisked him away on a vacation at the Dodger’s expense. Now the couple’s main dispute is over spousal support, an issue that appears to be getting harder and harder to settle.

In the initial divorce papers, Jamie McCourt requested temporary spousal support in the amount of $488,000 per month. But she recently increased the amount for alimony to $988,845 per month. Jamie said that her estranged husband lied about his finances to the divorce court and that he had a lot more money than he claimed.

Jamie and her divorce attorney, Dennis Wasser, alleged that Frank used “blatant sheet manipulations” in his 2009 financial statement that he provided to the divorce courts in June.

The financial statement estimated his net work at $163 million. But in a financial statement written nine months earlier, his net worth was valued at $835 million.

Wasser said that “what has occurred here is some extensive planning for divorce court in terms of attempting to diminish on paper the value of the Dodgers.”

Both Jamie and her attorney feel as though she should receive a larger amount for spousal alimony to continue the way of life she has become so accustomed too.

But they also believe that Frank will have enough to money to continue his lifestyle as well. The judge will decide if Jamie deserves more alimony at the hearing on March 29th.

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Kate Walsh, famous actress on TV shows such as “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” recently finalized her long divorce battle with her husband of 14 months Alex Young.

The two married in September 2007, enjoying their marital bliss for a little over a year, until they separated in November 2008.

The New York Daily News reported that Young filed for divorce from the star citing “irreconcilable differences,” but no other details were given. The two agreed to keep most of the details regarding their divorce confidential.

In the beginning, the divorce proceedings appeared to run smooth. It looked hopeful that this Hollywood couple was going to split amicably. When they broke the news of their divorce to the public, they released a statement saying that they would remain friends even after the divorce was final.

But even though they started out with good intentions, true colors showed when the couple had to split their assets, decide who gets what and determine if any alimony would be paid. The big issue occurred when Walsh decided she did not want to pay Young, a top-ranking executive at 20th Century Fox, any alimony.

Young then requested to know the value of Walsh’s contract with ABC in hopes that it would help him obtain spousal support. But the judge overseeing the divorce proceedings denied Young’s request for alimony.

But Walsh and Young eventually came to a settlement to finalize their divorce. Young will receive a cash settlement of $627,000 and half of the residuals for work performed by Walsh during their marriage. Residuals are payments made to Walsh for replays of her television shows. And Walsh gets to keep the house, some bank accounts and a piano.

In a bizarre twist, the two will split the remaining assets by simply flipping a coin. According to a USA Today article, the settlement agreement stated that, “one half of the community property furniture and artwork to be divided by alternating picks after the flip of a coin to determine who will pick first.”

At least they avoided any child custody issues as the couple has no children together.

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Steve and Elaine Wynn, two stalwarts of the Las Vegas circles of power, officially finalized their second divorce from each other in early January, according to BusinessWeek, marking the end of eighteen years of wedlock.

Steve Wynn, the chief executive of casino operator Wynn Resorts Ltd., is worth several billion dollars, sufficient to qualify him for Fortune’s list of the 400 wealthiest Americans.

The Wynns were married the first time in 1963, after they met in college. They divorced in 1983, only to remarry five years later.

News of their latest separation has swirled around the Las Vegas community for months. The rumors started when Steve Wynn was spotted around town with a younger British woman. They continued as filings from their company prepared for the separation, and they finished when a Las Vegas family court judge finalized the divorce decree.

Court documents did not disclose the specific terms of the divorce, but indicate that the splitting of their property would follow a November settlement. The documents state that the reason for the divorce was that the two have personalities and dispositions so deep as to be irreconcilable, which render it impossible … to continue a normal marital relationship with each other.

According to Forbes, a series of Wynn’s company filings shed some light on the complexity of the divorce settlement before it was final. The specific terms have not yet been announced to the public. One SEC filing shows that Elaine, who has been a director at Wynn Resorts since 2002, received more than 11 million shares of stock as a part of the settlement. At their current price of around $70 apiece, those shares are worth almost $800 million.

The Wynns also sold $114 million in stock sales last August, and Forbes reports that Elaine would receive some, if not all of that figure. Forbes, which publishes lists of billionaires in the country, notes that the sum of these amounts would put her close to a billion dollars in net worth.

Elaine Wynn told the media that she will be shifting her focus away from casino and resort management and towards philanthropic work as an advocate for education causes.

She also stated that her relationship with her ex-husband was still good. “Steve and I have been partners for over 40 years,” she told the Associated Press. “I don’t think there will ever be a time when he’s not my partner in some fashion or other.”

Some credit Wynn with the expansion of the Las Vegas strip in the 1990s. He became known for his museum-quality art collection, and for lending an air of elegance to the Las Vegas resort experience. The company manages resorts and casinos in Las Vegas and Macau.

Wynn made headlines for a different reason in 2006. The storied art collector was discussing his painting Le Rêve, by Pablo Picasso, with a group of celebrity friends. At that point, he and a friend, the hedge-fund mogul and fellow collector Stephen Cohen, had agreed that Wynn would sell Cohen the painting for $139 million. As Wynn described the masterpiece to his visitors, he took a step backwards, swung his elbow, and punched a hole in it. The deal was off, and Wynn repaired the painting and kept it for himself.

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Now that the era of Jon and Kate’s divorce is over, we jump into the celebrity divorces of 2010. From Beyonce’s parents to Dennis Hopper, the stars are calling it quits.

Tina Knowles, mother of and costume designer for superstar Beyonce, recently filed for divorce from her husband Matthew Knowles. She filed the divorce papers in Harris County, TX.

According to MTV News, the couple had been married since 1980, but for the past couple of years they have grown apart.

Both managed different aspects of Beyonce’s career and were pulled in different directions.

Tina managed her fashion label, House of Dereon, and continues to do so. Matthew has produced records for his daughter and was the manager for Destiny’s Child before the group split.

Matthew Knowles was also hit with a paternity lawsuit. Actress Alexandra Wright claimed Knowles is the father of her unborn child and filed the suit in October.

The Knowles family denies any association with the actress or that Matthew is the father of the baby.

Both Tina and Matthew released a statement to the Associated Press saying that their divorce proceedings will be amicable.

They said, “The decision to end our marriage is an amicable one. We remain friends, parents, and business partners.”

The couple continued to say that “If anyone is expecting an ugly messy fight, they will be sadly disappointed. We ask for your respect of our privacy as we handle this matter.”

But the Knowleses are not the only ones calling it quits. Actor Dennis Hopper recently filed for divorce from his wife Victoria Hopper. They were married for 13 years.

Hopper cited irreconcilable differences in the divorce papers. He is seeking joint and physical custody of their six year old daughter Galen.
The famous actor filed even though he has been suffering from prostate cancer for the past year.

According to a Reuter’s article – Hopper wished his soon to be ex the best and said he just wanted to spend the rest of his time with his children and close friends.

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © 2009 TotalDivorce, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.