No matter how acrimonious or amicable a VIP marital split might be, divvying up real estate holdings that went from love nests to heartbreak homes is never a walk in the park. After 13 years of marriage, NFL star Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen announced their divorce in October 2022. The former couple, who have two children together, describe the separation as "very amicable" and even appear to have resolved the daunting task of dividing up their multimillion-dollar property portfolio, including their self-build dream home on Miami's 'Billionaire Bunker' Island. But who is going to keep this extraordinary piece of Florida real estate?
The couple are reported to have set down an ironclad prenup before they married in 2009, so the division of their assets has been fairly straightforward. Gisele's net worth is a reported $400 million (£331m) according to some sources, while Tom's comes in at around $250 million (£207m), and then there's the real estate...
It looks like Tom is keeping the couple's mammoth Florida mansion, which is still under construction. Tom and Gisele bought the 1.84-acre lot on Indian Creek Island at the end of 2020, paying a cool $17 million (£14m). When they bought it, the estate was home to a 5,000-square-foot, Mediterranean-style mansion, but Tom and Gisele soon tore it down in order to build something "environmentally conscious", and totally bespoke. The pad lies a few doors down from Ivanka Trump's $32 million (£26m) mega-mansion.
This image captures the size of the estate. The five-bedroom, five-bathroom residence was built in 1948, so no doubt it was just a little too old-fashioned for the couple. While at first, plans for their new property were being kept under wraps, plenty of news sources managed to get hold of the couple's architectural drawings. According to the New York Post, their plans were for a five-bedroom, 11-bathroom home spanning over 17,000 square feet, featuring a security post, a gym and massage rooms.
Other planned features included an elevator, a swimming pool, a guest suite with a terrace, a movie theatre, office and kids' zone. Records obtained by the New York Post reveal that the construction works are set to cost over $10 million (£8m). Brady, who announced his definitive retirement from the NFL in February 2023, has been seen in the area, arriving by yacht to oversee the construction site, according to reports, and is expected to make this his principal home when work is finished.
So what happens to the rest of their property portfolio? Well, as they filed for divorce in Florida, which is an equitable distribution state, they'll end up with an equal share of their real estate assets. As well as this dreamy waterfront lot, the couple also owns a plush apartment in Manhattan that they bought for $3.6 million (£2.9m), a $5.7 million (£4.7m) estate in Montana, as well as Gisele's favourite vacation home in Costa Rica. While Tom will keep the half-built Florida mansion, Gisele's unassuming new home near Miami Beach is a world away from the extravagant homes she shared with her ex-husband...
The small Art Deco-style bungalow is situated in a suburban neighbourhood in Surfside, blocks away from the beach. The modest property set Gisele back just under $1.3 million (£1m), according to purchasing records obtained by the New York Post. Gisele bought it back in February 2022, more than six months before rumours of the couple's pending divorce hit the headlines. Page Six reported that Gisele had moved out of the family compound in September 2022, following a series of heated arguments over Tom’s shock decision to return to the NFL. He initially announced his retirement from the sport in February 2022 before backtracking 40 days later. However, given the earlier timing of Gisele's purchase, perhaps things were rocky before Tom reneged on retiring.
The supermodel's new retreat spans just 1,540 square feet, and while the home's living spaces are light and airy, it's nowhere near the vast scale of living the star is accustomed to. The New York Post obtained official documents submitted by Bündchen in June 2022 indicating that she intends to remodel the home. Set on just 0.13 acres, it's unlikely that she'll be making a significant extension to the property, but perhaps she'll put her own luxe stamp on the interior.
Signs of tension were visible prior to the couple's divorce announcement. In May 2022, Gisele told British Vogue: "His focus is on his career, mine is mostly on the kids." Meanwhile, a few months later in August, the Buccaneers quarterback missed 11 training sessions in a row and confirmed his absences were for personal reasons. No doubt Gisele's new home is the ideal place to recharge and recover from a tumultuous few months. The property has three bedrooms and three bathrooms in total, however, the supermodel is looking to overhaul the floor plan. Somewhat fortunately, the couple sold various other properties in the last few years, so carving up the real estate hasn't been as difficult for Tom and Gisele as it has been for some celebrity couples...
Read on to discover more high-profile celebrity real estate settlements
We take a look at some ultra high-profile divorces, including Kim Kardashian and Kanye's recent asset split, Brangelina's ongoing negotiations, and Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos' financial settlements, and reveal who got (or is likely to get) what. Click or scroll for more...
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos bowed out of their 25-year marriage in 2019 following the Amazon founder's well-publicised affair with former newscaster Lauren Sánchez, leading to the most expensive divorce ever. MacKenzie is reported to have walked away with 25% of Amazon stock, totalling about $35.6 billion (£29.3bn), which then rose to around $60 billion (£50bn) in 2020, making the novelist and philanthropist one of the world's richest women. However, since signing on to the Giving Pledge, she has given away at least half of her fortune to charity and is currently worth $29.6 billion (£25bn), according to the Bloomberg Billionare's Index.
Finer details of the divorce were kept under wraps as it was settled out of court, however, MacKenzie acquired full ownership of the couple's Beverly Hills compound, which includes a Spanish-style mansion that was acquired in 2007 for $24.5 million (£20m), followed by a second transaction in 2017 that tipped the property's total value to just over $37 million (£30m). It hasn’t stayed in her possession for long however…
Proving that MacKenzie’s generosity knows no bounds, it was announced in August 2022 that the philanthropist had donated her Beverly Hills Estate to the California Community Fund (CCF), a nonprofit organisation based in LA. The compound’s value soared since the couple’s divorce and is now believed to be worth an estimated $55 million (£45m).
The CCF has declared it will be selling the 2.5-acre plot, with around 90% of the proceeds going towards affordable housing projects in Los Angeles. “We applaud and are grateful to MacKenzie Scott's extraordinary philanthropic investment in Los Angeles,” expressed the CFF President and CEO, Antonia Hernández.
Yet to hit the market, the future buyer of this expansive compound will be gaining not only the main residence—a hacienda-style mansion built in the 1990s—but the plot also includes a 4,500-square-foot ranch-style structure in this high-stakes buy-one-get-one-free! What’s more, the 13-bedroom, 14-bathroom lot also comes with a full-size tennis court, lap-lane swimming pool, and an enormous lawn lined with mature trees.
While Scott is reported to have given away more than $12 billion (£10bn) of her fortune, the San Fransisco-born author still had sufficient funds to splash out $37.5 million (£31m) on this striking modernist mansion at Hunts Point, Washington in 2019. The property was home to Scott and her second husband, teacher Dan Jewett, who she married in March 2021, until their recent divorce in January 2023. Scott announced their union on the Giving Pledge site, adding his name to her vow to donate the majority of her wealth to charity, say reports.
The 3.27-acre plot was previously the home of entrepreneur Barney A. Ebsworth and is described as: “a legacy property. No question” by listing agent Compass. Not only does the manse boast three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, and a formal dining room, but there is also an art hall decked out in Venetian plaster. While the couple signed a pre-nuptial agreement and Jewett did not contest the divorce, it is not yet known what will happen to the Seattle mansion.
Designed by architect Jim Olson of Olson Kundig, who called it ‘An American Place’, Scott’s artful abode also offers a rooftop deck with a fireplace—perfect for taking in sunsets across Lake Washington. Olson describes his creation as weaving "art and nature together, creating a comfortable place to live." The ideal spot for MacKenzie to plan her next hefty donation, no doubt.
MacKenzie may also have been awarded various apartments in New York's Century Condominium at 25 Central Park West, in her divorce settlement with Bezos. MacKenzie has strong links to the neighbourhood, donating vast sums of money to several Upper West Side organisations. Meanwhile, Jeff has since splurged an estimated $58 million (£48m) on a penthouse atop 212 Fifth Avenue, his fourth unit in the building.
The billionaire retained the lavish 11-bedroom, 25-bathroom mansion in Washington DC's upscale Kalorama district, which he bagged in 2016 for $23 million (£19m) and spent according to Town & Country a reported $12 million (£10m) renovating. In January 2020, the Amazon head honcho and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez hosted a glittering party at the refurbished former Textile Museum, which was attended by the likes of Ivanka Trump and Bill Gates.
In all likelihood, Jeff kept the enormous Bezos compound in Medina, which spans some 10 acres and includes several homes. Additionally, the centibillionaire has maintained ownership of his 300,000-acre ranch in Big Horn Texas. It features a substantial mansion and 12-bedroom bunkhouse, and contains the base for Blue Origin, his private space company. The billionaire also snapped up the private Carter Estate on the island of Maui, for reportedly $78 million (£64m) last year, and in February 2020, according to the Wall Street Journal he reportedly splashed a staggering $165 million (£137m) on the Warner Estate in Los Angeles.
After an absence of five years, Adele returned with a bang in November 2021 with her fourth studio album 30, about her divorce and motherhood. The famously private star has remained largely tight-lipped about the details of her split from Simon Konecki, founder of charity Drop4Drop, although he is reported to have received around half of her estimated $180 million (£149m) fortune in the divorce settlement early in 2021.
During their relationship, the star shared this eight-bed East Grinstead manor in West Sussex with Konecki. The purchase of the vast country manor coincided with another significant life event—her marriage. Wed in secret in 2016, the almost 50-acre estate offered the newlyweds a private spot to start their married lives. However, after Adele filed for divorce from Simon in September 2019, she sold the home at the end of the year for $4 million (£3.3m), at a loss of $1.3 million (£1m).
The couple reached a divorce settlement in January 2021, and with a portfolio of luxury properties in the UK and the States, they opted to use mediation to work out the details of how their estate and debts would be split up. But the Daily Mail reported that "financial, sales or other confidential business information" regarding the proceedings will not be publicly available while they continue to co-parent their son, Angelo.
Ever keen to remain amicable, Adele is said to be living opposite her ex-husband in the star's first Los Angeles home while he stays in another property, just feet away. The star's representative said in April 2019: "Adele and her partner have separated. They are committed to raising their son together lovingly. As always they ask for privacy". Snapped up in 2016 for a cool $9.5 million (£7.8m), she made the purchase after signing a record-breaking $120 million (£99m) contract with Sony Music.
Early in 2019, Adele picked up her second Beverly Hills abode in the affluent neighbourhood of Hidden Valley. With a price tag of $10.7 million (£8.8m), the sleek contemporary home is located across the street from her existing estate. Designed and built in the early 1960s, the home's open-plan interior is neutral and stylish, with a sunken sitting area framing views of the garden. The purchase came around the same time that rumours of divorce began circulating in May 2019.
In May 2021, Adele snapped up her third Beverly Hills mansion, on the very same street, for just shy of $10 million (£8.2m) from long-time friend, Nicole Richie. In the November 2021 issue of British Vogue, Adele told interviewers: “The kind of house I have in LA I could never afford in London. Ever,” adding that she wanted “fresh air and somewhere where I could see the sky.” Her three Beverly Hills homes span a combined 18,000 square feet and cost her $30 million (£24.8m). To compare, an 18,000-square-foot penthouse in London recently had a £175 million ($211m) price tag, according to the New York Post.
Most recently, news broke that the superstar had bought Sylvester Stallone's lavish Beverly Hills mansion for a hugely reduced price. In January 2021, Stallone listed the home for a whopping $110 million (£91m), but with no takers, he dropped the price to $85 million (£70m) in May, then again to $80 million (£66m) in October. However, the songstress reportedly snapped up the lavish estate for $58 million (£48m) and she and her boyfriend, Rich Paul, have now moved in as announced by the singer and sports agent posing with the keys on Instagram.
Bought by Sly in the late 90s, Adele's new abode sits at the end of the exclusive Beverly Park enclave, with celebrity residents including Justin Bieber and Denzel Washington. Spread over 21,000 square feet, the huge residence has a total of eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. With fresh white walls, marble surfaces and double doors leading out to a balcony, this ensuite space is the ultimate private oasis for the Grammy winner. Having said this, Adele recently sparked a flurry of rumours that the couple had got married in secret as fans spotted a personalised game with 'The Paul's' written on the side in a rare glimpse of the singer's living room on Instagram. Watch this space!
Kim Kardashian called it quits in March 2021 on her six-year marriage to Kanye West after realising she was deeply unhappy with everything from his increasingly erratic behaviour to the hip hop mogul's decision to live largely apart from her in Wyoming, opening up about her reasoning behind the divorce in the penultimate episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
Kim, who shares four children with fellow billionaire Kanye, as well as a veritable property empire, is now the sole owner of the 15,000-square-foot Hidden Hills mansion the couple bought for $19.8 million (£16.1m) in 2014, according to US Weekly. Kim reportedly bought Kanye's share of the sprawling estate for a grand total of $23 million (£19m). The star is said to have coughed up $20 million (£16.5m) for the property, while the remaining $3 million (£2.4m) bought her the contents of the home, including furniture and artwork.
Kanye reportedly had previously held the deeds to the house itself, while Kim owned the land surrounding it. When it came to design, Kanye called on revered interior designer Axel Vervoordt to overhaul the property, opting for an austere, all-white aesthetic based on Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy, which focuses on “wisdom in natural simplicity,” though Kanye has described it as a “futuristic Belgian monastery.”
As well as the pared-down property, said to be worth around $60 million (£49.8m), Kim also took ownership of other properties in the Hidden Hills area, including a neighbouring ranch the couple bought in 2019 and which Kim listed in 2022 for $5.3 million (£4.3m). Reports say Ye has decided to keep the property he bought next door to Kim during the divorce, but has transferred homes to her in Malibu, Idaho and an undeveloped site the couple bought in Palm Springs for $6.3 million (£5.2) in 2019.
Meanwhile, Kanye’s Calabasas ranch home, which he bought in 2018 for $2.2 million (£1.8m), and kept in the divorce, has according to reports fallen into disrepair. The rapper used the estate, which was also a headquarters for both Sunday Service and Donda Academy, as a bachelor pad during the divorce, allegedly amidst his romance with model Irina Shayk. West also retained a pair of ranches in Wyoming, a home in Belgium and a $60 million (£49.8m) Malibu beach home...
He snapped up the concrete bunker-style Malibu escape for $57.3 million (£47m) in an off-market deal in 2021. Part house, part sculpture, it was designed by Tadao Ando and was said to be the second-highest price paid for a Malibu home that year. It will certainly be an ideal retreat for Ye and new love Bianca Censori, architectural designer with Yeezy. The pair are reported to have "married" in a secret ceremony just two months after Ye's divorce from Kim was finalised. So maybe they'll be house-hunting soon.
Another union that went sour following the husband's challenging behaviour was Donald and Ivana Trump's marriage, which lasted 15 years. The partnership hit the rocks after the real estate magnate conducted a very public relationship with model Marla Maples, culminating in the power couple's acrimonious divorce in 1991, which like the affair, was covered extensively by the media.
According to the New York Times, Ivana was awarded a payout of $14 million (£11.6m), which works out at around $27 million (£22m) in today's money, not to mention the duo's first trophy home, an eight-bedroom, 13-bathroom Georgian Revival mansion in affluent Greenwich, Connecticut that they bought in 1982 for $4 million (£3.2m).
Nestled on a 5.8-acre peninsula that juts out into Long Island Sound, the mansion was decorated in Donald's favourite Louis XIV style: think copious gold leaf, enormous crystal chandeliers, extravagant frescoes and statues galore. Ivana went on to sell the property in 1998 to financier Robert Stein and his wife Suzanne for $15 million (£12.4m). She was also given an apartment in the Trump Plaza building on New York's Upper East Side.
Donald was able to keep hold of his most prized possession, the magnificent 118-room Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and while Ivana was entitled to stay at the fabulous retreat for one month a year as part of the terms of the settlement, the moneyed divorcée ended up acquiring a Palm Beach bolthole of her own, the dreamy Concha Marina, which she bought in 1994.
As well as Mar-a-Lago, the future leader of the free world retained ownership of the couple's blingtastic Trump Tower penthouse. The opulent 10,996-square-foot triplex was decorated in an even flashier style than the Connecticut mansion, dripping in 24-karat gold and packed with ornate furnishings. Donald is pictured here in the apartment in 2018 with former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.
After six years of marriage, Katie Holmes filed for divorce from husband Tom Cruise in 2012, demanding full custody of their daughter Suri. Katie has remained tight-lipped about the reasons behind the breakup but The Sun reported that she had tired of his controlling and 'boring' ways, along with the actor's unwavering devotion to Scientology.
Katie reportedly received a $5 million (£4.1m) payout as well as $4.8 million (£3.9m) child support – she would have been entitled to half of Tom's alleged $250 million (£206m) fortune had the marriage lasted more than 11 years. Tom got to keep hold of his impressive real estate portfolio, including the Beverly Hills estate he'd purchased in 2007 for $30.5 million (£25.1m). He sold it on in 2016 for $38 million (£31.3m), according to Zillow.
The Mission: Impossible star also retained his European-style manse and guesthouse in the Hollywood Hills. Bought in 2007 for $11.7 million (£9.4m), the property was rumoured to be a Scientology retreat. It was snapped up in 2015 for $11.4 million (£9.2m), $1.6 million (£1.3m) under the original asking price, by Desperate Housewives star, Eva Longoria.
Tom kept the couple's New York brownstone to boot. He'd bought the handsome six-bedroom, seven-bathroom townhouse in Greenwich Village together with Katie in 2009 for $15.1 million (£12.5m) and went on to sell it in 2014 for the princely sum of $28 million (£23m). Katie rented a $12,500 (£10k) a month apartment in the city's Chelsea district after they split and bought a property in LA's Calabasas in 2014.
Tom got to hold on to the 320-acre ranch in Telluride, Colorado too, where he'd built a 10,000-square-foot native stone-and-cedar home back in 1994. The Hollywood star offloaded it in May 2021 for $39.5 million (£32m). Finally, he also retained ownership of his mansion in West Sussex, England, not far from the UK Scientology HQ in East Grinstead, which he acquired in 2006 for $4.2 million (£3.4m). The Top Gun actor was reported to be house hunting in July 2022 in the sought-after borough of Kensington, west London with a healthy budget of around $10 million (£8.2m).
Bill and Melinda Gates stunned the world in May 2021 when they announced plans to divorce following 27 years of marriage. The deep-pocketed duo, who are among the planet's leading philanthropists, tweeted they “no longer believe we can grow together as a couple”. According to CNN, the couple finalised their divorce weeks later in August 2021, splitting the Gates’ $152 billion (£124bn) fortune, meaning each could be worth around $76 billion (£62bn). Then there’s the property…
Although details of the division of property were not made public, it is likely that Bill Gates kept the couple’s 66,000-square-foot waterfront home in Medina, Washington, which was nicknamed ‘Xanadu 2.0’ after the fictional home of the titular character in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. Reports say Gates paid $2 million (£1.6m) for the lot in 1988. With seven bedrooms and 18.75 bathrooms, it is now said to be worth at least $130 million (£107m).
It looks like Bill is hanging on to the $43 million (£36m) beachfront property the couple bought in San Diego in 2020 before their divorce too. The original 5,800-square-foot mansion has since been torn down however, and Bill is said to be building a 'bachelor pad' from scratch. The Microsoft mogul, who has been seen at the property several times, has also been spotted with a ‘mystery brunette’ according to the Daily Mail, on a trip down under. Asked by the BBC if he would like to find love again, he responded: “Sure. I’m not a robot.”
An equestrian farm formerly owned by weight-loss guru Jenny Craig is part of the portfolio, too. The couple acquired Rancho Paseana near San Diego back in 2014 for $18 million (£15m), probably with their eldest daughter Jennifer, who is an accomplished equestrian, in mind. The facility's many amenities range from two guesthouses to four 30-stall barns, a three-quarter-mile racetrack, extensive staff quarters and an orchard.
Chances are Bill will keep the duo's six-bedroom, nine-bathroom property within the prestigious Vintage Club golf retreat in Indian Wells, California, which was bought in 1990 for $12.5 million (£10m) – the centibillionaire is said to have stayed there while the divorce was being finalised, while Melinda probably stayed at a $1.2 milliion (£1m) cottage she bought in Seattle weeks before the divorce was announced. Other properties on the table include ranches in Big Sky, Montana and Cody, Wyoming.
Mel Gibson's divorce from Robyn Moore, who he was married to for 31 years, is one of the costliest Hollywood breakups of all time. Robyn secured half of the iconic 90s movie star's $850 million (£689m) fortune, together with 50% of his pension rights in a deal that was done and dusted in December 2011. The pair separated in 2006, following Mel's arrest for driving under the influence.
With a $425 million (£348m) bill to settle, the American-born, Australian-raised star was forced to offload much of his substantial real estate portfolio. The first property to go was the main family home, a grand country estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Dubbed 'Wayne Manor', the eight-bedroom, 21-bathroom Tudor-style mansion sold pre-divorce in 2010 for $23.9 million (£19m), well below its initial $39.5 million (£32m) asking price.
Next to go was the couple's 'old world hacienda' in sunny Malibu. The six-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bathroom Spanish-style villa and its three guesthouses, entertainment pavilion, stunning pool, spa and tennis court, which the duo had bought in 1989 for around $3 million (£2.4m) was offloaded in 2012 for $9.3 million (£7.6m), again significantly under the asking price that stood at $14.5 million (£11.8m). The buyer was Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss.
Other properties in the portfolio have been even tougher to shift. The 400-acre Costa Rica jungle compound Mel bagged in 2007 for $25.8 million (£21m), which features three swish houses, was first listed in 2010 for $35 million (£28.6m). It was put on the market again in 2014 with an asking price of $30 million (£24.6m) and again in 2017 and 2021 with a $29.7 million (£24.3m) price tag but remains unsold.
Mel also went on to part with his Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired house in Sherman Oaks, California, which sold for $2.1 million (£1.7m) in 2017, along with a cottage in the Agoura Hills, while his other Malibu estate went on the market in 2018. Among the properties the Braveheart star got to keep is the entire 5,400-acre Fijian island of Mago (pictured), which was acquired in 2005 for $15 million (£12.2m).
As celebrity marital splits go, Brangelina's has been particularly messy. After just two years of marriage, Angelina filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences, and later told Vogue magazine she did so “for the wellbeing of my family”. Following seven years of bitter recriminations and various battles over assets and custody, the divorce still hasn't been finalised.
When it comes to the couple's joint real estate assets, the most coveted is Château Miraval, the 1,200-acre estate in the south of France they acquired in 2008 for $60 million (£49.8m) and where they tied the knot in 2014. It includes a 35-room main house dating from the 17th century, a Romanesque chapel, a vineyard, pine forests and even a helipad. However, the stunning home has caused some controversy between the former couple. The couple purchased a controlling interest in the château back in 2008 and agreed not to sell their stakes in the venue without the permission of one another, according to the BBC.
However, Jolie went on to sell her share to a spirits manufacturer, owned by a Russian oligarch, without the knowledge of Pitt, which led to him suing the actress, reportedly filing documents on 17 February 2022, which detailed the profitability of the vineyard, as "one of the world's most highly regarded producers of rosé wine". According to the lawsuit obtained by the Press Association news agency lawyers for Pitt declared that the château had grown into a "multimillion-dollar international success story" under his watch.
In fact, Pitt reopened the Miraval Studio on the estate in fall 2022 following a total renovation of the historic recording studio, with Sade his first artist to record there. Meanwhile, his battle with Jolie continues. According to the BBC, Jolie "informed Pitt in writing" of her decision to sell to Shefler in January 2021, stating she had reached a "painful decision, with a heavy heart". Lawyers representing Brad requested a trial by jury, however, a company founded by Jolie has since filed a $250 million (£225m) lawsuit alleging Pitt and Miraval's directors have “squandered tens of millions of Chateau Miraval’s money on vanity projects that have little if any, business justification."
Pitt managed to hang on to the family's enormous compound in the Hollywood Hills, which is the site of the actor's first Hollywood home, purchased in 1994 following his breakout role in Thelma & Louise. Now consisting of five different houses, the 80,000-square-foot estate impresses with everything from a skate park and secret cave, to three swimming pools. In the meantime, Angelina bought a home nearby.
The property in question is the storied Cecil B DeMille estate. Jolie bought the elegant six-bedroom, 10-bathroom Beaux-Arts mansion in 2017 for $24.5 million (£20m), during a period of calm in the divorce proceedings, so the children could be closer to their father. The legendary filmmaker bought a smaller house next door which he connected to the main villa, and was once occupied by Charlie Chaplin, say reports.
The early 19th-century rowhouse the couple acquired in New Orleans back in 2007 was however sold in 2016 for $4.9 million (£4m) as part of the division of assets. Brad has retained the Santa Barbara beach house he bought prior to getting together with Jolie and his Modernist mansion in the Hollywood Hills, while Angelina appears to have kept her idyllic property in Cambodia.
Since the split, Pitt shelled out a whopping $40 million (£33m) in July 2022 for this cliffside house in Carmel, California, the town where Clint Eastwood was once mayor, in what is thought to be the most expensive house sale ever in the area. Known as “Seaward”, or the “D.L.James House” after the Kansas City businessman who commissioned it, the Craftsman-style home was designed by celebrated architect Charles Sumner Greene and brother Henry.
Phil Collins and his Swiss interpreter wife Orianne Cevey dissolved their union back in 2006 after seven years of marriage. She got a $48.7 million (£39.8m) payout, which at the time was the biggest divorce settlement in British history, but the real property battle didn't begin until 2020.
The couple had reconciled in 2016 and didn't waste any time moving in together, setting up home in the recording artist's spectacular six-bedroom, eight-full-bathroom Mediterranean Revival manse in Miami Beach that he'd purchased the previous year for $33 million (£27.3m). The relationship soon deteriorated however, with Orianne alleging her ex-husband had become addicted to alcohol and pills, and TMZ reported that he had let his hygiene slip.
The drama came to a head when Phil discovered Orianne, who was still living in the trophy mansion, had secretly married a younger man, former male escort, Thomas Bates. Despite the Genesis rocker's demands, the newlyweds refused to vacate the property, with Orianne arguing she had a verbal agreement with Phil that gave her a 50% stake in the house.
Phil denied this and lawyered up. He accused the pair of engaging in “an armed occupation and takeover,” alleging that they hired armed guards, concealed security cameras, and changed the alarm codes in a bid to stay in the property. According to Vanity Fair, Orianne and her new partner agreed to leave, eventually moving out in January 2021, but not before launching an ultimately unsuccessful counterclaim.
The 10,769-square-foot estate has all the trappings of a superstar home including a gorgeous pool, koi pond, palm tree grove and private dock. Needless to say, it sold not long after the musician and actor put it on the market, netting him a whopping $39.3 million (£31.8m). Meanwhile, his ex-wife and Bates split 16 months later and are still embroiled in their own bitter divorce battle, which has been raging for 15 months, according to the Daily Mail.
After eight years of marriage, a son Rocco and adopted son David Banda, Madonna and Guy Ritchie divorced in 2008. As the richer by far of the two, Madonna handed over a total of up to $92 million (£82.8m) to her movie director husband, their publicist Liz Rosenberg told Reuters. Interestingly, the singer admitted that she regretted marrying both Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie in an interview in August 2022.
As part of the settlement, Guy kept Ashcombe House, the six-bedroom Georgian manor set in 1,134 acres in the heart of Wiltshire that the couple bought in 2012 for $12.5 million (£10.2m). Previously rented by society photographer Cecil Beaton, the historic property is considered one of the finest sporting estates in England. Guy lives there to this day together with his current wife Jacqui and their children. He also got to hold on to the Punchbowl pub in London's Mayfair.
Madge retained ownership of the duo's 10-bedroom Georgian townhouse in the Marylebone district of London, which includes a vaulted artist's studio. The 'Material Girl' also kept the $8.3 million (£6.8m) mews property next door used to accommodate staff. Their other London properties including a Kabbalah centre and Regent's Park townhouse were held on to by Madonna, too.
Across the pond, the penthouse apartment in New York acquired by Madonna when she was married to Sean Penn stayed in her portfolio as well. Located in the snooty Harperley Hall co-op at 41 Central Park West, the property was estimated to be worth $2.8 million (£2.3m) in 2007. That same year, Curbed reported that the legendary pop singer sued the board for blocking her purchase of an adjacent apartment.
Moving over to the West Coast, Madonna held on to her Beverly Hills home, too. The best-selling female music artist of all time bought the three-bedroom, nine-bathroom mansion on the city's Sunset Boulevard in 2003 for $12 million (£9.9m). After adding several bedrooms, a gym and other amenities, she sold it in 2013 for $19.5 million (£16m). The songstress is still kicking ass and hit back at those who criticised her appearance at the Grammy's recently, calling the attacks "ageism and misogyny". With seven Grammys and 300 million records sold, she's entitled to. The singer creates excitement wherever she goes, so we just can't wait to see where she's heading next...
Loved this? See inside more amazing celebrity homes