$20 Million to sleep with Ron Perelman?
The math seems correct. In 1993, Demi got a milion to sleep with Redford in "Indecent Proposal," so why, adjusted for inflation and sex appeal, wouldn't Ellen Barkin get $20 million from Ron Perelman?
News of the couple's impending divorce caught no one -- except Barkin -- by surprise. When they married in 2000, the prenup stated she was entitled to the 20 mil. if the couple were married up to 5 years. That figure could go up if they stayed married longer. So here it is, 5 years later, and he hits her with divorce papers out of the blue.
According to sources, Barkin was "knocked for a loop" when she was served with the divorce papers. "She's shocked. She wasn't expecting it." Apparently, Ellen Barkin can't count to 5.
In fairness, there really were no warning signs. This was only his fourth marriage. Who could have ever guessed it would end in strategically timed divorce?
What's more interesting is the economics. How much is a spouse worth to a billionaire? Ron's first wife (four children) got $8 million. His third wife (one daughter) got $30 million. But it was the second wife (one kid), gossip columnist Claudia Cohen, who really made out: $80 million. Now there's a woman who knows a good lawyer.
But Ellen was older. She couldn't command the same asking price she might have after "Sea of Love." And it's tough for actresses of a certain age to find work. So one can understand why she took the
deal. "Syndication money," she probably thought. She could spend five years on "CSI: Sag Harbor" or marry Ron. It's hard to blame her for her decision. But, c'mon Ellen, is it really a surprise the show got cancelled?
Where are the Defense of Marriage Nazis when marriage is actually under assault? Why aren't they boycotting Revlon? Is it possible billionaires and celebs are undermining this sacred institution more
than "the gays?" David Hasselhoff, Babyface, and Christina Applegate are just this week's divorce stories. What kind of world are we living in when Eminem remarrying his ex-wife is considered the love story of the day?
So note to Maryland's Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich, who is "disappointed" with this week's decision to overturn the ban on gay marriage in his state: why not fight the real enemies of marriage? Those who treat it as a commodity, a temporary merger, a corporate buyout.
If you're not too busy ensuring Baltimore remains the murder capital of the country, Governor, your services are needed in the Hamptons.