Robert De Niro’s Estranged Wife Won’t Get Half Of His Earnings, Appeals Court Rules In Ongoing Divorce Battle

Robert De Niro’s Estranged Wife Won’t Get Half Of His Earnings, Appeals Court Rules In Ongoing Divorce Battle

The divorce between Robert De Niro and his estranged wife Grace Hightower continues as the actor scored a recent win in court.

An appeals court determined yesterday (Thursday, Oct. 21) that Grace Hightower is not owed half of Robert De Niro’s earnings he made via acting and business dealings.

De Niro and Hightower married in 1997 and divorced in 2003. They rekindled their relationship and remarried in 2004. Robert De Niro later filed for divorce in 2018.

While Grace Hightower said a 2004 prenup entitles her to half of the income he made during their marriage, the Appellate Division agreed with a lower court who ruled in February that she’s not owed the money.

The appeals court explained in documents,

“The husband’s income earned during the marriage and other business assets acquired during that time are his separate property.”

This decision comes after Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Matthew Cooper ruled in February that the prenup,

 “establishes that the bulk of [De Niro’s] income earned during the marriage, whether from acting, film production, or business ventures, constitutes his separate property.”

But Hightower isn’t leaving the marriage empty-handed.

Under the prenup, she and Robert De Niro will sell the $20 million mansion they once shared and set aside $6 million toward a home of Hightower’s choosing that she will share with their two children.

De Niro will also pay $1 million a year in alimony until she marries someone else, or one of them passes away.

His lawyer Caroline Krauss said of the appeals court’s ruling:

“The decision speaks for itself. We obviously agree with the conclusion.”

What are your thoughts on the court’s decision? Comment and let us know.

[VIA]