The pair, together nine years and parents to twins, split last year and from the get-go, it was acrimonious, with Michaels claiming the two were legally married (thus entitling her to more assets) despite Etheridge’s claims to the contrary.
According to TMZ, the pair also locked horns over child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, division of property and attorney's fees. Now item number four on the list – spousal support - has come home to roost.
TMZ reports that Michaels claims she's barely scraping by on the $23,000 a month Etheridge currently pays her in partner and child support and she’s demanding more.Yup, that's right - it totals some $276,000 a year. Michaels must buy EVERYTHING at Whole Foods.
According to papers filed and cited by the celeb website, Etheridge makes roughly $177,882.00 per month. Plus she got Michaels accustomed to an extravagant lifestyle while they were together (oh those lifestyle claims). Ergo, the $23K Michaels now receives is insufficient to maintain said lifestyle.
Michaels, a former actress, apparently also claims she has "virtually no savings" and would need "extensive retraining" if she were to rejoin the workforce, adding that Etheridge is influencing their kids to be negative and cold towards her.
Ugh. This all just sounds horrendous for the kids. Among the litany of accusations: Michaels claims Etheridge swears in front of the kids while Etheridge claims Michaels accidentally burned a kid with a cigarette.
As TMZ notes, the women are headed into a settlement conference in May to determine support and custody issues ... so it's important for Michaels to demonstrate she's the better mom. The kicker? Michaels wants Etheridge to pay her $120,000 legal bill.
Hey... where you going?
Read our exclusive interview with Melissa Etheride... plus:
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Embarrassing/hilarious Trent Reznor video surfaces
First new Soundgarden song in 15 years – listen!
Notorious rocker says Obama not American
We are all seriously disgusting !
No longer do we swing through the trees tearing each others throats out with our teeth. Instead we sit in our big houses, up high on our big piles of money & assets and watch while others around us die of starvation and exposure. Our species has definately not evolved.
I wish for the future. A future where success is not defined by money & things and the need for big houses to put the things in. A future where everyones basic needs are a given - shelter, nutritous food, clothing, access to medical care and education. Where the goal in life is to amass knowledge, to improve our world and ourselves.
No need for you commentors to point out my overly optimistic views - I know, I know !
I just want to plant these ideas here and there where I can. The place where someone says they can't get by on $23,000/month seems like a good place to me.
Posted by: Mamanova | 04/11/2012 at 03:07 PM
Anyone who believes that homosexuality is normal is an imbecile.
Posted by: Georgina | 04/11/2012 at 03:40 PM
23,000/month?
You are truly kidding right?
Money-grubber! Tell her to get a job
Posted by: PDean | 04/11/2012 at 03:52 PM
Anyone who thinks that it's okay for homosexuals to adopt children is also an imbecile.
Posted by: Carla | 04/13/2012 at 02:48 AM