John Cleese Opens up about His Pricey Alimony Payments

Those paying their former spouse alimony in Texas may be grateful to hear that their payments are likely much less than what funnyman John Cleese has to pay. The British actor estimates that by the time he finishes his court-ordered alimony payments in 2016, he will have paid his third ex-wife, Alyce Faye Eichelberger, a psychotherapist originally from Oklahoma, about $23 million.

The couple was married for 16 years and divorced in 2008, and they have no children. Eichelberger was Cleese’s third wife, and 74-year-old Cleese remarried in August 2012. Cleese became famous as part of the Monty Python comedy troupe and has appeared on television, in films and on the stage during his career. He named his one-man touring show ‘The Alimony Tour” and reports that, since the alimony agreement went into effect, he has had to sell four of his properties.

Cleese told sources that he is ‘working overtime” to cover alimony payments. The former couple’s divorce settlement, reached in 2009, allegedly ordered Cleese to give his ex-wife $13 million in assets and money to be followed by almost $1 million per year for seven years, ending in 2016. Reports did not specify if the assets awarded to Eichelberger were obtained during their marriage or prior to it.

When a couple is going through a high-asset divorce in Texas, both parties may find it beneficial to have a lawyer on their side whether they have a prenuptial agreement in place or not. An attorney may be able to assist with drawing up paperwork, negotiating alimony and terms of property division, and representing a divorcing individual in family court.

Source: The Huffington Post, “John Cleese’s Alimony Payments Are No Laughing Matter“, January 31, 2014