Ruben Studdard may have disappeared from the spotlight soon after his American Idol win, but thanks a recent divorce court ruling, he may be singing all the way to the bank.
As reported by TMZ.com, Studdard filed for Divorce last November, citing “irreconcilable differences.” And while his wife (at the time) Surata Zuri McCants may have agreed with some of those differences, she certainly took issue with the couple’s prenup agreement by claiming that she was pressured into signing it just days before her January wedding. As a result, she wanted a chunk of Studdard’s considerable estate, including royalties, jewelry, property and more.
However, the divorce court judge (and we checked – it wasn’t Simon) wasn’t buying any of it.
He upheld the prenup, refused to award Zuri McCants a cent in alimony, and even forced her to return the engagement ring (ouch). She’ll get to keep her photo albums, wedding dress, $10,000 in cash, $2,000 for family lawyer fees, and a 6-year old BMW, which Studdard will make the payments on. So in Hollywood celebrity terms, she got zilch.
As for Studdard, nobody’s really sure if or when he’ll return to the mainstream music spotlight anytime soon. But if nothing else, he may go down in history as the patron saint of iron clad celebrity prenup agreements.
And while winning American Idol is probably great, you have to wonder if this latest victory might not actually be a more enduring legacy.
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