Douglas’ ex back in court seeking Wall Street cash
The clash between Douglas and his ex-wife over his Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps earnings is back for another, nastier run in a New York court.
Diandra Douglas is seeking half the Oscar-winning actor’s earnings from the 2010 film.
Her camp has pressed a judge to reconsider his view that the case belongs in California, where the couple divorced in 2000 after 23 years together.
Lawyers for both sides traded barbs in court. Douglas was not there.
Michael Douglas’ lawyer said her client’s ex “should be ashamed of herself” for seeking more when she had already received more than $51 million (€35m).
Her lawyers, meanwhile, mentioned his recent purchase of a £3m (€3.37m)-plus home near New York.
Outside court, Diandra Douglas criticised “mudslinging” she felt was directed at her. “I’ve always behaved as a lady, and I always intend to do so in the future,” she said. “I think the facts speak for themselves.”
Michael Douglas’ lawyer, Marilyn Chinitz, said his former wife’s claim was without foundation and “she ought to get the message and move on”.
The couple’s lengthy, multimillion-dollar divorce deal gives Diandra Douglas a share of proceeds from projects related to work the actor did when they were married. But she says that should include last year’s follow-up to Wall Street, the 1987 Oliver Stone film that won Michael Douglas an Oscar for his portrayal of an era-encapsulating financier who declared that “greed is good”.
The actor’s camp says the divorce agreement does not apply to the second Wall Street, which was not on the horizon when the couple split. Released in September, it grossed more than £61m (€68.6m) worldwide.
The divorce pact also specified that future money disputes would be resolved in Santa Barbara, California, and California courts are best suited to handle the mix of entertainment and state-specific divorce laws enmeshed in the deal, Manhattan state supreme court judge Matthew Cooper wrote in his November decision.
But Diandra Douglas wants to pursue her claim in New York. The single mother of three children under eight says it would be difficult for her to travel to Santa Barbara for proceedings in the case, though she has a home nearby. She has put it on the market for more than £12m.
Though officially a Bermuda resident in recent years, Michael Douglas also has been based in New York lately. His ex-wife’s lawyer, Nancy Chemtob, noted that he had bought a home in suburban Bedford and can sometimes be spotted in pictures on the pages of the city’s tabloids, taking his own children to their schools. He has two children with his wife, Oscar-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.
His lawyer called it offensive to make an issue of his residency when he had been in the city to get treatment for his throat cancer.
Judge Cooper didn’t immediately rule on Diandra Douglas’ request to revisit his decision. She has also filed a notice that she plans to appeal to a higher court.
