Hollywood powerhouse actor Mel Gibson’s 31-year marriage to Robyn Denise Moore ended not only in heartbreak, but also in one of the largest divorce settlements in Hollywood history. At the time of their split, Gibson was reportedly worth $850 million — and without a prenuptial agreement in place, Moore was legally entitled to half of everything he earned during their marriage, according to ABC News.
Today, Gibson has an estimated net worth around $425 million.
They were married from 1980 to 2011. Moore filing for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
Divorce With No Prenup
The final settlement, reportedly $425 million, includes half of the $600 million Gibson grossed from his religious epic “The Passion of the Christ” as well as shared ownership of numerous real estate holdings, including a $15 million island in Fiji. Moore, a former dental nurse, will also continue to receive 50 percent of future residuals from films Gibson made during their marriage. Without a prenup, everything they built during the marriage became shared wealth. Upon her death, those profits will pass to her estate.
Gibson and Moore married long before the actor became a global superstar with roles in “Mad Max” and “Lethal Weapon.”
The couple first crossed paths in the late 1970s when they were both renting a house in Adelaide, Australia, according to ABC News. Together, they had seven children. At the time of the divorce, only their 12-year-old son was a minor, making him subject to custody arrangements.
The divorce settlement followed closely on the heels of Gibson’s agreement to pay $750,000 to Oksana Grigorieva, his former girlfriend and mother of his young daughter, Lucia, born in 2009. He and Grigorieva were in a relationship from 2008 to 2010. And their relationship began while Gibson was still legally married to Moore, though he and Moore had reportedly been separated since 2006. Gibson and Grigorieva’s relationship became public in April 2009 when they appeared together at a red carpet event. After the couple separated, there was a highly publicized and contentious custody battle. The dispute included leaked audio recordings suggesting Gibson made racist and sexist remarks, while Grigorieva accused him of domestic violence. In March 2011, Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge related to the incident with Grigorieva.
Throughout the legal turmoil, Moore publicly stood by Gibson’s side, submitting a brief statement in the battery case asserting that he never physically abused her or their children.
Their divorce, finalized in 2011, remains the most expensive in Hollywood history. Both were 55 at the time of the divorce.
