By Heather L. Lawton
Mostly, men are outraged by it. They’ve proclaimed it highway robbery. The layman’s heart aches for celebrity men when the courts demand that their unlucky “brothers in the name of ‘baby daddies’” pay thousands each month, not grasping that this payment is income-based. Their favorite rapper’s $40,000 monthly expense is ludicrous to “Joe the truck driver.” But “Joe” should know that pop star Britney Spears paid roughly that amount to her ex-husband Kevin Federline, too. Child support doesn’t just unleash a blind firing on men’s bifold wallets and money clips; it also ties a lasso around women’s luxury handbags, and female celebrities are dueling with exes now more than at any other time period.
Halle Berry’s ex, Olivier Martinez, is requesting increased child support payments from the actress after the recent court child custody judgment that ruled in his favor. According to People.com, Berry currently pays Martinez $8,000 monthly, plus 4.3% of anything she earns over $2 million, per their divorce settlement.
The site reports that Martinez is asking for increased payments, pointing to additional parenting time he has received under the modified custody agreement, extended through December 17.
If you’re asking what happened to the men whose incomes afforded them to say, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it.” They’re still out there. Halle and Britney didn’t choose them.
