Whether you like it or not, marriage is first and foremost a contract. And with divorce rates on the rise, prenuptial agreements have become a ceremony staple for almost any couple with money. In the celebrity world, prenups are pretty much a requirement when two Hollywood starlets decide to tie the knot. Both sides want to protect what they've got, regardless of how unromantic the gesture may be. In fact, some even believe Hollywood's richest are to thank for the growth of the prenup business. Stars are known for defining what's trendy and cool, but who would have thought legally binding contracts would be all the rage?
By now, you know that celebrities can be pretty eccentric. So it's not exactly a shocker that their prenuptial details are going to reflect those same "unique" qualities. With a boat load of cash, celebrities want to ensure that all their branded efforts don't get snatched out from underneath them in a nasty divorce they never thought was coming. Huge piles of cash are definitely negotiated in their prenups, but the contract assures these celebrities aren't paying more than they need to.
The most shocking part of these prenups isn't even the money itself, but the details around the money. "Lifestyle clauses" and other weird euphemisms hold these famous people reliable for stuff like cheating or drinking. If you were already a little turned off by the whole concept of marriage, just wait until you see some of the most scandalous details of celebrity prenups.
The Most Scandalous Rumored Details of Celebrity Prenups,
Brad Pitt
What the deal is: All money aside, the most interesting aspect of the purported prenup between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie revolves around their six children. According to IB Times, an "ironclad" adultery clause would award Jolie primary custody of the children if Pitt were ever to waver in his devotion and seek out another woman.
Why they did it: Brangelina seem like one of the most stable Hollywood couples around. Considering the two waited so long to tie the knot, a strict and comprehensive prenup seemed smart in dealing with their multi-million dollar assets. Now, as the two gear up for a what will assumedly be a lengthy divorce, this strict prenup looks like is will come in handy after all. According to TMZ, Jolie is looking to gain "physical custody" of their six kids, which follows suit with their pre-nuptial agreement.
Chris Rock
What the deal is: Let this be a lesson: don't let your prenup expire. That's exactly what happened to Chris Rock, and the comedian is definitely paying the price. Rock filed for divorce from his longtime partner Malaak Compton-Rock in early 2015. Unfortunately for him, the prenup he prepared 20 years before had just expired. According to the New York Post, Compton-Rock decided to seek out a large lump of change. Rock, who is worth about $70 million, will likely pay big time for this blunder.
Why he did it: Sadly, Rock took all the precautions he could when preparing a prenup. Unfortunately, the statue of limitations on the document expired just in time for his wife to cash in.
Elizabeth Taylor
What the deal is: After meeting and marrying Larry Fortensky, a construction worker 20 years her junior who she met in rehab, Liz Taylor drew up quite an odd contract. According to Time Magazine, the prenup stated that if the couple remained married for five years (regardless of a divorce or not), then Taylor would pay Fortensky $1 million. Low and behold, can you guess how long the marriage lasted? Five years...
Why she did it: Elizabeth Taylor has been married a whopping eight times (twice to the same man, Richard Burton). Known for being a serial wife, one would think the Hollywood starlet would start guarding her assets to ensure she wasn't losing anything. Unfortunately, the actress's prenup wasn't in her best interest, and she buckled in favor of a much younger man.
Ice-T
What the deal is: Although Ice-T and Coco are still together, a friend of T's claimed the two have a pretty unique prenup. "Ice-T is a real serious player and believe me, he’s been getting his worth out of that female,” Don Magic Juan, Ice-T's friend, stated. “I heard something about it, that in the pre-nuptial agreement, he wanted his t*tties and that booty back. He owns that. She’s got to give it back.” If you're not sure how the logistics of that would work, you're not alone.
Why he did it: Ice-T and Coco Austin are an interesting couple, no doubt. But after rumors swirled about potential affairs and marital strife, many speculated the couple was heading for a divorce. Coco better hope she doesn't really have to return those implants, because things could get a lot more complicated if the two ever have to unseal the paperwork.
Jessica Biel
What the deal is: Jessica Biel reportedly demanded that a fidelity clause be included in her contract with Justin Timberlake, but JT was having some reservations about the amount of cash Biel wanted him to chock up. Star Magazine claimed two also supposedly butted heads over baby-making. "If he's faithful for several years, maybe she'll agree to have his baby," an insider shared. Talk about some leverage.
Why she did it: The actress played a game of hardball when she and Justin Timberlake started drawing up prenup paperwork. "She doesn't trust him 100 percent yet," a source shared. "Jessica figures if she gets fat during the pregnancy, he'll cheat again." What a romantic way to kick off an engagement.
Kim Kardashian
What the deal is: Following her divorce from basketball player Kris Humphries, the two parted with most of their personal assets in tact. Kardashian took the same precautions when she hyphenated "West" to the end of her last name, but Kanye didn't think any of it was all that important. "The entire process for the prenup for Kim and Kanye has been extremely easy, and relatively drama free. Kanye didn’t even think the couple needed a prenup, and was ready to give Kim carte blanche to all of his financial assets," one insider shared with Radar Online. On top of that, Kim will receive $1 million for every year the two remain married, with a cap at $10 million. Oh, and she gets to keep all those fancy gifts Kanye showers her with.
Why she did it: When you're as rich as a Kardashian, you definitely want to draw the lines on what's yours. Especially considering your marriage might only make it 72 days.
Mark Zuckerberg
What the deal is: You can almost bet your life that the Zuckerbergs drew up a prenup, especially when you consider the "relationship contract" the he and his wife supposedly had before they wed. In Sarah Lacy's book Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good, the author claimed the couple wrote out a romance contract right before Chan moved to live with Zuckerberg. "One date per week, a minimum of a hundred minutes of alone time, not in his apartment and definitely not at Facebook," the pre-prenup purportedly stated. Although there is no word on their official prenuptial agreement, almost any business insider will tell you there's no way the two don't have one.
Why he did it: When Mark Zuckerberg married longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan, the first word that came to everyone's mind was "prenup." At the time, the mega billionaire had just taken Facebook public, making him worth nearly $19 billion. Many found the move odd in relation to the timing of the wedding, as the social media king just took the "community property" label away from Facebook.
Nicole Kidman
What the deal is: If a divorce between Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban occurs, Urban would allegedly be rewarded $600,000 a year for every year of their marriage. But the most interesting clause in the contract absolves Kidman of any financial responsibility if Urban were to ever use illegal drugs or drink to excess. Urban, a recovering addict, must keep sober if he wants to make out with anything at all.
Why she did it: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban appear to be one of Hollywood's happiest couples. But the prenup she backed up made sure that the A-list actress wouldn't get screwed if things took a turn for the worse. Believe it or not, Kidman makes monumentally more than Urban, and the prenup more than reflects that.
Steven Spielberg
What the deal is: Turns out the acclaimed director reportedly penned his prenup agreement on a cocktail napkin. Apparently, the napkin had all the details of how he and his wife, Amy Irving, would split their income and properties following a divorce. Unfortunately for Spielberg, a paper napkin doesn't pull the same weight as a legally binding document. Irving argued that the bib they wrote such important information on could not be taken seriously. The judge agreed, and Spielberg was forced to cough up around $100 million.
Why he did it: Steven Spielberg thought he had a prenup prepared for precisely the reasons one would think. Spielberg is worth a boat load of cash, and he didn't want to give out more than he should.
Tiger Woods
What the deal is: Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin, officially divorced in 2010. But according to Fox News, Woods tried to win her back by promising a $200 million prenup for their next go 'round. Media outlets claimed that Elin was even entertaining the idea, but only if a $350 million anti-cheating clause was included in the contract.
Why he did it: After Tiger Woods got caught serial cheating on his wife, there was no way Elin Woods was letting her sex addict of a husband off the hook. The Swedish model raked in $110 million from divorce proceedings, but jaws dropped when reports came out that Woods was trying to get her back with even more money. Elin ultimately proved she had a good head on her shoulders and rejected the offer. The two have remained apart ever since.