Madonna and Guy Ritchie will be divorced today, new reports claim.
The pair – who announced in October they would be splitting after almost 8 years of marriage – will officially end their tenure as husband and wife in a London court today.
A source tells Britain’s The Evening Standard, “It will be all over by the end of the month. I am sure it will be announced by then. The priority for him has always been the children. Ritchie has not wanted her money. He has done exactly what Billie Piper did when she divorced Chris Evans. She walked away without any of his money, much to her credit. Guy Ritchie has done the same.”
A second source said: “Ritchie could have taken her to the cleaners. He is a very honorable man to have walked away.”
Guy will receive none of his estranged wife $700 million fortune. Although Ritchie, himself believed to be worth $60 million, was entitled under English divorce law to as much as half her wealth.
The film director blurted out “Thank God” to a friend when told of the quickie hearing in London.
He said, “It dragged on much too long. It was never ever about money – never about her bloody art collection. I just wanted to settle it and move on.
“I didn’t raise any objections at any stage until she insisted the children lived permanently in New York.”
Guy, 40 – who will keep the couple’s $20million country estate – celebrated last night with a quiet pint on the set of his new film Sherlock Holmes.
A source said, “He didn’t make a big song and dance about it but he raised his glass to the fact that it is all finally settled.
“He has never been interested in Madonna’s cash. In fact, he turned down a multi-million dollar offer from her because he just wanted to get it sorted swiftly. The only sticking point was the children.”
Under the agreement, Guy will have access to the couple’s three children – Lourdes, 12, Rocco, seven, and two-year-old David, who was adopted from Africa.
Lourdes will live with Madonna in New York, while Rocco and David will divide their time equally between the US and London.
A source said, “Madonna wanted the whole family to live with her permanently in New York – but Guy wasn’t having any of that.
“This whole thing could have been sorted much more quickly if Madonna hadn’t been so stubborn. In the end, she backed down as she realized it just wasn’t on and she was being unrealistic.”
Also Under the terms of the settlement: the couple’s four family houses in Marylebone, London, will be sold and the money split equally.
The properties are a $14million family townhouse, the $12million house next door and two mews cottages worth $4million each.
Madonna, 50, gets an $16million house in Beverly Hills and two New York apartments.
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