Bill Murray and Wife to Divorce
Jennifer Murray, wife for more than 10 years to Bill Murray, filed for divorce on May 12th. She is also seeking a restraining order from her husband, claiming he once hit her and threatened to kill her. Jennifer Murray is seeking divorce on the grounds of drug addiction, physical abuse, adultery and abandonment. The couple have four young children and Jennifer Murray claims she had to move from their shared home in 2006 because of Bill Murray’s addiction to alcohol, marijuana and sex.
The complaint, which doesn’t specify instances of Murray’s alleged marijuana or alcohol use, alleges he would often leave without telling his wife and says he “travels overseas where he engages in public and private altercations and sexual liaisons,” according to the Associated Press. The complaint was filed in Charleston, South Carolina; the couple have a home on Sullivan’s Island near there. The home was purchased for Jennifer as part of the prenuptial agreement signed by the parties in 1997.
The prenuptial agreement also states that in the event of a divorce, Bill Murray will pay Jennifer $7 million. As part of her divorce complaint, Jennifer Murray is asking the court to enforce the prenuptial agreement. The agreement waives the right for alimony or support, but the $7 million has to be paid out within 60 days of the divorce decree.
Having a prenuptial agreement in place could save the couple a lot of time and headache in court (not to mention additional costs). It’s unlikely that Bill Murray will contest the validity of the pre-nuptial agreement. It is important to note however, that custody and child support can not be determined in a pre-nuptial agreement and as the couple has four children, those issues still need to be resolved.