Joost jumps gun with divorce
2002-01-25 12:08
Pretoria - Springbok scrumhalf and Bulls captain Joost van der Westhuizen won't be getting a divorce, he is already divorced.
In terms of a divorce order, Acting Judge Eben Jordaan in the Pretoria High Court declared Joost and his pretty, blonde wife, Marlené, divorced as of
Thursday afternoon, January 17.
The divorce order came a few hours after Joost spoke to Beeld in an interview about his broken marriage of slightly more than six years. However, he gave no indication that the application filed earlier this month would be finalised so soon.
A mere hour before his divorce became final, he indicated that there was still hope for a possible reconciliation.
Ferdinand Harzenberg, Joost's lawyer, said on Thursday that media interest in Joost's pending divorce had been causing tension and a request was filed with the court for an earlier hearing in an attempt to avoid reporters and
cameras. Joost was not noticed at the court's main entrance.
In terms of the court order, Joost and Marlené had reached an agreement which was made an order of the court.
'We just wanted it to go away'
Hartzenberg added that the agreement dealt with "property rights" aspects of
the marriage, in other words, distribution of their possessions. In terms of a document submitted to the court, the couple were married under an ante-nuptial contract with an accumulation distribution clause. Hartzenberg said these facts were incorrect.
Joost on Thursday said their intention had been to get the entire issue behind them with as little fuss as possible and that was why he remained silent. "We only wanted it to go away."
He said the agreement reached between him and Marlené was confidential and he did not want to elaborate. "Marlené and I are still good friends and we'll help each other as far as possible."
Last week, he said they had wanted to keep it a secret as they wanted to get a divorce as ordinary people would.
At the time he emphasised that well-known singer and television personality Amor Vittone had not influenced the break-up of his marriage. Both he and Amor insisted they were nothing more than friends and that they had known each other for more than 10 years and occasionally bumped into each other at functions.