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In the celebrity world, lavish lifestyles are the norm, and so are the publicized breakups that capture media attention. Child support disputes typically lead to hefty financial agreements.
Join us as we dive into ten of the priciest celebrity child support settlements. These high-stakes cases challenge our notions of luxury and leave lasting impacts far beyond the courtroom. Prepare for a journey that may make you reconsider the true cost of daycare.
10. Terrell Owens: $45k/Month
Terrell Owens, former NFL star and wide receiver, continues to make headlines due to his ongoing legal disputes over child support. With four children from four different women, Owens faces significant monthly payments, adding considerable strain to his finances.
One notable case involves Owens's daughter with Melanie Smith, for whom he initially owed $20,000 in missed child support payments. In 2012, to avoid the risk of being arrested, Owens paid Smith $20,000 in back child support. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Owens now pays a monthly sum of $44,600 for all four of his children.
These child support obligations have severely impacted Owens's finances, driving him into significant debt. Despite his former career as an NFL player, Owens claims he currently has no income, leading him to request a reduction in his payments. However, the court rejected his plea and decided to maintain the original payment amounts.
Owens’s financial struggles and difficulties with child support were aired on Dr. Phil in 2012, where he openly discussed his “daddy drama” and the challenges of fulfilling his financial commitments.
9. Kelly Clarkson: $45k a Month
Kelly Clarkson is required to pay $45,000 per month in child support to her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, as part of their divorce agreement. This payment is intended for their two children, River Rose and Remington Alexander. In addition to child support, Clarkson must also pay her ex-husband $115,000 each month in spousal support until January 31, 2024.
Additionally, as part of the settlement, Clarkson will make a one-time, tax-free payment of $1,326,161 to Blackstock. The couple also agreed that their children will travel by private jet until they are fully vaccinated, and Clarkson will reimburse Blackstock with $50,000 for the children's private air travel expenses. Blackstock, in turn, will pay Clarkson $2,000 per month in rent to stay at the ranch while he searches for his own home until June.
8. Nas: $51k a Month
Rapper Nas was instructed by a Los Angeles family court judge to increase his spousal and child support payments from $40,000 to $51,101 per month to his ex-wife, singer Kelis, and their son, Knight. Kelis currently receives $8,000 monthly in child support but has requested more, as her monthly expenses exceed $25,000. In May 2018, Nas revealed his monthly expenditures amounted to $76,834.04, of which $20,245.70 goes toward assisting some of his family members, in addition to his rent payment.
In 2010, a Los Angeles superior court judge ordered Nas to pay over $47,249 in back child support and $40,454 in spousal support to Kelis. By May 2018, after Kelis claimed that the $8,000 per month child support was insufficient, Nas disclosed his financial details. The child support dispute between Nas and Kelis remains ongoing, with a judge still involved.
7. Eddie Murphy: $35k a Month for One of Them
Eddie Murphy may have 10 children, but only one of them is the recipient of mind-blowing child support payments. We're talking about his daughter, Angel, whom he had with Spice Girls star Melanie Brown.
Initially, Murphy was ordered by the court to pay Mel B $25,000 a month starting in 2009. However, in the fall of 2020, Mel B requested an increase due to a significant drop in her own income. In 2021, the court granted her request, raising Murphy’s monthly payment by an additional $10,000, bringing Angel's child support up to $35,000 per month.
Despite the tumultuous end to Murphy and Mel B’s relationship (with Murphy accusing her of tricking him into the pregnancy), they seem to have improved their dynamic. In fact, Murphy even covered the costs of her legal fees.
While it's unclear how much Murphy pays for his other children, it's safe to assume his overall monthly child support expenses are enormous.
6. Sean Combs: $55k a Month
Sean Combs, aka P. Diddy, has been required to make child support payments for his children with his former girlfriends. Below are some key details regarding his payments:
In 2004, Combs was instructed to pay $35,000 per month in child support to his ex, Misa Hylton-Brim. However, after P. Diddy requested a reduction, the fashion stylist demanded more. By 2005, Combs was paying an additional $21,000 each month.
But this isn't the first time P. Diddy has been ordered to pay child support. He also provides $20,000 a month to model Kim Porter for their son, Christian King. This is in addition to a $150,000 lump sum, a multi-million dollar life insurance policy, and promises to fund college education. Although the couple later reconciled and had twins, Porter tragically passed away in 2018 due to lobar pneumonia.
P. Diddy now has seven children in total.
5. Brendan Fraser: $75k a Month
Brendan Fraser, known for his versatile career, has been making substantial payments in child support and alimony to his ex-wife, Afton Smith, after their 2009 divorce. As part of their settlement, Fraser was responsible for paying $900,000 annually in alimony and child support for their three sons. Additionally, he was required to pay $50,000 each month in spousal support.
In 2013, Fraser filed a petition to reduce his yearly child support payment, as he was required to earn roughly $2 million annually before taxes to meet the court-mandated alimony and child support obligations.
4. Charlie Sheen: $80k a Month
Charlie Sheen has been ordered to pay child support for two of his ex-wives: Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller. The amount he’s been asked to pay has fluctuated more than his acting career itself.
In 2006, Sheen was instructed to pay $55,000 monthly in child support to Richards for their two daughters, Sam and Lola. Then, in 2011, Sheen was ordered to pay an extra $25,000 each month in child support to Mueller for their twin sons, Bob and Max.
In 2016, Sheen requested a reduction in his child support payments due to a decrease in his income. The court approved his request, lowering his monthly payments to $20,000 for Richards and $10,000 for Mueller.
In 2021, Sheen filed yet another motion to reduce his child support payments. This time, he argued that the payments were no longer needed since both of his daughters were now living with him full time. The court agreed and ended his child support payments to Richards.
Currently, Sheen no longer has to make child support payments to either Richards or Mueller. However, he is still obligated to cover 50% of his children's medical and educational expenses.
3. Nick Cannon: $250k a Month
Nick Cannon is the father of 12 children from 4 different women. Rather than paying a fixed monthly child support amount, Cannon has an informal arrangement with the mothers of his children, providing for their needs as they arise. This system has allowed Cannon to be an active father and has worked smoothly for him and his children's mothers.
He claims to spend over $3 million annually on his children.
Cannon seems to reject the conventional child support system. He prefers to be a hands-on father, directly providing for his children. He also feels that traditional child support can be unfair to fathers, often making them feel penalized simply for having children.
Cannon’s approach to co-parenting has sparked both admiration and criticism. Some view him as a positive role model for being so involved in his children's lives, while others argue that he may be avoiding his financial obligations. In the end, it’s up to Cannon and his children's mothers to determine what works best for their family dynamic.
2. Kanye West: $200k a Month
With both Kanye West and Kim Kardashian enjoying high earnings and Los Angeles being an expensive place to live, West’s monthly child support payment of $200,000 is in line with expectations given their financial circumstances.
West is also obligated to cover 50% of his children’s medical, educational, and security-related costs.
Despite the financial strain caused by the child support payments, West has expressed his dedication to providing for his children. He has also conveyed his appreciation for the opportunity to co-parent with Kardashian and emphasized his desire to prioritize the children’s well-being.
1. A-Rod: $115k a Month
In 2008, Alex Rodriguez was ordered to pay $115,000 each month in child support to his ex-wife, Cynthia Scurtis, following their divorce. The couple had two daughters, Natasha and Ella. The agreement included provisions to adjust the payments after Rodriguez’s retirement from baseball, though he has been unsuccessful in reducing the amount.
In 2018, Rodriguez sought to lower his child support payments, citing his diminished income since retiring from baseball. However, Scurtis’s legal team argued that the payments should remain unchanged, as they were based on Rodriguez’s income at the time of their divorce.
The case remains unresolved, and it is uncertain whether Rodriguez will succeed in reducing the payments.
