PopSugar

Biggest Headlines of 2008: Madonna's Divorce

PopSugarUK — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:00:00 -0800

As part of our look back at 2008, we're recalling the biggest headlines of the year. We hope you enjoy joining us as we remember those stories that hit the headlines in a big way. We'll reveal more throughout December, so stay tuned.

When Madonna and Guy Ritchie announced they were getting divorced in October, it followed months of speculation. Way back in March rumours suggested their marriage was rocky, but Madonna's rep Liz Rosenberg released a statement saying they "remain happily married... All is well and wonderful in the Ritchie household". They continued with their show of solidarity over the summer, attending Cannes Film Festival in May, and being spotted at the London Kabbalah Centre together in June.

By the end of June, however, The Mirror claimed a world exclusive with the news Madonna had asked Guy for a divorce. More fuel was added to the claim when Guy was spotted in New York just a few days later without his wedding ring. However, Liz Rosenberg once again issued a statement saying the rumours were false. Just one week later Madonna herself released a statement denying rumours she was having an affair with New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and was divorcing Guy.

To continue on this trip down memory lane, just read more.

Come August it was birthday time, with the couple celebrating Madonna's 50th with a group of friends in London. She then joined Guy on the red carpet for RocknRolla's world premiere in London in September, and the couple celebrated Guy's 40th together the following week at his pub, The Punch Bowl. However, the bubble burst just days later, when The Sun broke the news and within hours Liz Rosenberg made the official announcement that Madonna and Guy were to divorce.

Once it was made official, rumours continued about the details of the divorce. It was reported that Madonna decided to end her marriage because Guy refused to spend more time in New York, shunned her love of Kabbalah, failed to support her emotionally over child adoption plans, and put his London pub before his family. Contradictory reports came out about whether or not Guy was looking to receive any of Madonna's fortune, and there were suggestions he had signed a "behaviour contract" in an attempt to save their relationship.

Then rumours of new partners started to emerge, with Guy being linked with Sherlock Holmes actress Kelly Reilly, and Madonna continually facing rumours about her relationship with Alex Rodriguez. By the end of November they were granted a quickie divorce, but the rumours have continued right in to this week, with reports that Madonna will give Guy £32million in a divorce pay-off. It looks like this divorce will continue to hit the headlines well into 2009...

Source, Source, Source and BigPicturesPhoto.com

Sugar Bits - Madonna and Guy Ritchie Announce Divorce

PopSugarUK — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:55:00 -0700

Update: Madonna's rep, Liz Rosenberg, confirms that Madonna and Guy Ritchie will divorce after seven and a half years of marriage. The couple requests that the public respect their privacy. They have not agreed on a settlement.

The Sun is claiming a world exclusive that Madonna and Guy Ritchie are to divorce. A statement confirming their marriage is over has reportedly been prepared and is set to be released imminently, because they "can’t bear to live with the pretence any longer". A spokeswoman for Madonna declined to comment last night. - The Sun
Mel C. has reportedly asked Victoria Beckham to plan her wedding, and Victoria has thrown herself in to the role, already making inquiries at St Peters Church in Liverpool and asking Roberto Cavalli to design the dress. - Daily Star
First-time author Aravind Adiga won the Man Booker Prize last night with his novel The White Tiger, which was praised by the judges for presenting the "dark side of India" and likened to Shakespeare's Macbeth "with a delicious twist". - The Independent
Coldplay has received four nominations for the 2008 American Music Awards, while Alicia Keys leads the pack with five nods. The AMAs will take place in LA on 23 November with Jimmy Kimmel as host. - MTV
Following reports that Jeff Stelling would be offered the role of hosting Countdown, it is now reported that Alexander Armstrong is also in the running for the job. - The Telegraph
The House Bunny has gone straight in at number one on the UK and Ireland box office chart. Mirrors took second place, pushing last week's number one, How To Lose Friends and Alienate People, to number three. - BBC

Source

Sugar Bits - Further Details on Madonna and Guy's Divorce

PopSugarUK — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0700

Madonna reportedly decided to end her marriage to Guy Ritchie because he refused to spend more time in New York, shunned her love of Kabbalah, failed to support her emotionally over child adoption plans, and put his London pub before his family. The couple have no pre-nuptial agreement, but Guy reportedly wants "not one penny" of her estimated £300million fortune, and they are expected to agree a settlement outside court. - The Sun
Lynne Spears is planning on turning her controversial book about Britney into a film. - The Telegraph
David Duchovny and Tea Leoni have released a statement confirming "they have in fact been separated for several months". - PopSugar
Janet Jackson returned to the stage to continue her tour in Washington DC last night. Her publicist explained that she has been suffering from migraine-associated vertigo, which led her to cancel a string of shows. - AP
The Weakest Link, Question Time, Imagine and Newsnight Review are to move their production base to Glasgow as part of a plan to make sure the BBC represents all parts of the UK. Crimewatch and Casualty are to be relocated to Cardiff. - BBC
Jeff Stelling has turned down the role of presenter on Countdown, but Alexander Armstrong is still in the running. - The Mirror

Source

Sugar Bits - Madonna to Give Guy Ritchie £32million

PopSugarUK — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:00:00 -0800

It is being reported that Madonna will give Guy Ritchie £32million in a divorce pay-off, which includes £12million cash and Madonna's £20million Ashcombe House Country Estate in Wiltshire. Guy will keep his £3 million Punchbowl pub, but has reportedly signed away any claims on Madonna's £300 million business fortune. - News of the World
The mother of X Factor contestant Alexandra Burke has hit back at claims that her daughter made a sex tape saying it must be a different girl, after it was reported that Alexandra's ex is trying to sell such a tape for £100,000. - The Mirror
Leona Lewis' "Run" has gone straight to the top of the singles charts, while Take That's The Circus went straight in at number one on the album chart. Britney Spears' album Circus took fourth place. - Reuters
Jonny Lee Miller and his new wife, actress Michele Hicks, have welcomed their first child. Buster Timothy Miller was born on Wed. in LA, and weighed 9 lbs. Congrats! - People
OJ Simpson was sentenced on Friday to 9-33 years in prison in the Nevada desert. His lawyers are appealing on the claim: "There were some grave errors made by Judge (Jackie) Glass, and we think they are strong enough to overturn the conviction. We also think we have a shot at bail." - AP
Vinnie Jones was arrested and charged with simple assault before being released on bail on Friday after a bar fight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was earlier treated in hospital for cuts to his face from a beer glass, and another man was arrested on charges of aggravated assault for allegedly hitting Vinnie with a glass. - BBC
Kym Marsh and her Hollyoaks boyfriend Jamie Lomas have revealed they are expecting a baby. Kym is three months pregnant and is expected to give birth early next summer. They have been together since May, following Kym's split from her husband Jack Ryder the previous November. - Daily Mail
ICYMI Joe Swash won I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

Source

Sugar Bits - Guy And Madonna Amend Settlement Statement

PopSugarUK — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:00:00 -0800

Madonna and Guy RItchie have released a joint statement saying that they are each happy with their divorce settlement and that last week a "misleading and inaccurate" statement has been put out. On Monday Madonna's US spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said that the deal was worth at least £50million. - Guardian
The 13 properties that were featured in Brookside were sold for £735,000 yesterday. The properties have apparently fallen into disrepair since the soap ended. - Times
Rumours questioning the state of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's marriage have started to circulate after Jennifer was seen at a recent movie premiere without her wedding ring. - The Sun
Fiona Phillips presented her last GMTV this morning after nearly sixteen years with the show. - BBC
Akon has been sentenced for throwing a fan back into the audience during a performance in June 2007. He pleaded guilty to second degree harrassment, and was given a fine and community service. - NME

Source

Sugar Bits – RIP Michael Crichton

PopSugarUK — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:00:00 -0800

The author Michael Crichton has died of cancer at the age of 66. Supremely talented scribe of novels and screenplays like Jurassic Park, and creator of ER, our thoughts are with his family and friends. - BBC
Ian Smith aka Neighbours' Harold Bishop has revealed that one of the reasons he has left the soap is because of abusive reactions from the public. - The Sun
Simon Cowell has admitted he split with Terri Seymour as he didn't want marriage or children. - Mirror
Damon Albarn has hinted that a Blur reunion may be on the cards sometime soon. - Radio One
Kim Cattrall has said there will be another Sex And The City movie. She told Mel B on Paul O'Grady's daytime television show yesterday. - Daily Mail
Guy Ritchie has hired Britain's top divorce lawyers, well-known for their handling of child living arrangement disputes, in his divorce from Madonna. - Hello

Source

Tell Mommy: How Did You Tell Your Kids About Divorce?

LilSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:00:16 -0700

Madonna and Guy Ritchie's split is all over the Internet, tabloids and television. While I'm sure it's hard on the material girl, I assume it's far more taxing on her tots - Lourdes, Rocco and David. My parents are married, but many of my friends whose parents have split still talk about the time they found out that their mom and dad's union was ending.

As divorce affects so many families, this is an issue people continue to encounter. How did you tell your children you were getting divorced? Or how did your parents break the news to you?
Source

Sugar Bits - Guy Gets £50million From Madonna

PopSugarUK — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:00:00 -0800

Madonna has agreed to a divorce settlement in which Guy Ritchie will receive approximately £50million. Custody of the couple's children is yet to be finalised. - BBC
The X Factor winner Alexandra Burke's "Hallelujah" has become the fastest selling download with more than 105,000 downloads on its first day of release! - Daily Mail
The BBC is offering refunds to those viewers who were unhappy with the outcome of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night. The evening ended with no contestants leaving the competition due to a tie. - BBC
Michael Barrymore is to work as a pundit on the new series of Celebrity Big Brother. - Guardian
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber have named their newborn son Samuel Kai Schreiber. - People

Source

Sugar Bits - Ashlee And Pete Welcome Bronx Mowgli Wentz!

PopSugarUK — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:35:05 -0800

Ashlee Simpson has finally given birth to baby boy Bronx Mowgli Wentz, following a false alarm at the weekend. Ashlee and Pete Wentz's spokesman stated, "Ashlee, Pete and baby Bronx are all healthy and happy, and thank everyone for their well wishes!" Congrats Ashlee and Pete! - PopSugar
Madonna and Guy Ritchie's divorce begins today in the High Court, though neither are required to attend the hearing. - BBC
Michael Jackson has converted to Islam in a ceremony in Los Angeles. The star was originally brought up as a Jehovah's Witness. - The Sun
Sir Trevor Macdonald read out his last News At Ten bulletin last night, after over 30 years experience at ITN. - The Sun
It's rumoured that a new song on Take That's upcoming album The Circus is about Amy Winehouse. Entitled "How Did It Come To This?"the song tells a tale about a girl in Camden Town. - NME

Source

Official Announcement On The Cards For Madonna & Guy?

PopSugarUK — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:53:16 -0700

There's been rumours about Madonna and Guy Ritchie for a long time, and this morning The Mirror is claiming a world exclusive that Madonna has asked Guy for a divorce.

The Mirror is reporting that a friend said last night: "They were both very calm. Madonna told Guy: 'I'm sorry, I want a divorce'. And he agreed. It was quite painless but very sad."

Madonna's spokeswoman declined to comment on this latest story, so there is still no official confirmation from the couple themselves.

As always, we're taking these rumours with a huge pinch of salt, but if you add this latest world exclusive to the reports that Madonna has hired Paul McCartney's divorce lawyer, it looks like the couple might make an official announcement soon.

So is a confirmation of this sad news imminent? Head over to our girl Pop US and answer the question on all our lips: do you think Madonna and Guy are splitting up?

Source