Madonna divorce granted
2008-11-21 13:00
London - US pop diva Madonna and her British film director husband Guy Ritchie were granted a "quickie" divorce after nearly eight years of marriage at the High Court in London Friday.
The singer, 50, and Ritchie, 40, did not attend the hearing before the court's family division which lasted just a few minutes.
High-profile lawyers appointed by both parties had worked feverishly to hammer out a divorce settlement and the custody for the couple's three children since they announced they would split on October 15.
Custody rights for Lourdes, 12, a daughter of Madonna's from a previous relationship, Rocco, eight, the couple's biological son, and David Banda, a three-year-old boy adopted from Malawi, were at the centre of the deal.
It was reported that the couple had agreed to share custody for the two boys, while Lourdes would stay with her mother, who is expected to make New York her principal home.
Quick settlement
According to British newspapers, both Madonna and Ritchie had wanted the divorce to be settled before Christmas, after announcing that their marriage was over in mid-October.
Ritchie was quoted as saying that he did "not want a penny" of the wealthy singer's estimated fortune of £300m ($480m).
"It was never ever about money," he was quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror.
Madonna, who is currently on the US leg of her Sweet and Sticky tour, was also said to be relieved that the end of her marriage to Ritchie had been officially sealed. - dpa
- SAPA