Divorce,Hollywood Style: The Legacy of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
C elebrity marriages seem to be immortal compared to those that lead up to them. The public gets entertainment from the divorces themselves, the self-indulgent and egos clashing in these relationships, and their excess lifestyles make even the most pitiful lives preferable by comparison.
As one Californian lawyer explained, "It's easy to get into a marriage, but very difficult to get out of one." Love can turn to loathing, reminiscent of a Wild West standoff.
Take, for example, the case of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, who married in a Las Vegas ceremony two years ago. Now, they are feuding over a Beverly Hills estate worth $60 million, featuring twelve bedrooms and twenty-four bathrooms. With Affleck's earnings of $38 million last year, Jennifer might be eyeing a slice of that pie. The question of who keeps the $5 million engagement ring looms large, alongside their other properties—a $20.5 million bachelor pad in Brentwood and Jennifer's recently sold New York penthouse, which fetched $23 million. Such sums could practically govern a nation the size of Poland.
Consider Melinda Gates, who took $76 billion from Bill after their divorce—enough to buy and run Poland. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos' former wife, MacKenzie Scott, has focused on philanthropy with her fortune.
Heather Mills, five years after marrying in 2008, aimed to settle over £125 million of Paul McCartney's Beatles fortune but ultimately settled for £24 million, famously dousing her presiding solicitor, Baroness Shackleton, with water during the proceedings.
Ivana Trump is demanding a $14 million settlement from Donald Trump, along with $650,000 in annual child support. Her wish list includes a forty-five-room home in Connecticut, an apartment in Trump Plaza, and a month at Mar-a-Lago each year.
Yet none of these tales compares to the legendary saga of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who married and divorced each other twice. Their first wedding took place in 1964 at the Mexican Consulate in Montreal, followed by a divorce ten years later in Switzerland. They reunited in 1975 in Botswana, only to divorce again in 1976 in Haiti.
Taylor was no stranger to divorce before Burton; she had a knack for walking away with more than her fair share. For instance, her first marriage to Nicky Hilton ended before the honeymoon was over, yet she refused to sign the separation agreement until she could take the wedding gifts, valued at $21.7 million, with her.
Her second husband, Michael Wilding, suffered a similar fate, reportedly left waiting tables after their marriage ended. Taylor’s other brief unions included Mike Todd, who showered her with love and diamonds but died tragically after just 414 days of marriage. She quickly moved on to Eddie Fisher, who gifted her lavishly, only to find their marriage dissolve amid disputes over his gifts.
When Richard Burton entered the picture, he was ready for the extravagant lifestyle Taylor demanded, presenting her with exquisite jewelry, including the 33-carat Krupp Diamond and the legendary Burton-Taylor Diamond, a staggering 69.42-carat gem that required armed guards for transport. Together, they invested in Picasso and Monet paintings, private jets, and luxury yachts.
Ultimately, Taylor ended up with the lion's share of their wealth in both divorces. Her lawyers and accountants spent years unravelling their finances, establishing and dissolving holding companies and opening numbered accounts worldwide.
For Taylor, material wealth was a reflection of inner strength, and her fierce battles for her possessions demonstrated her assertiveness. However, beyond the jewels and yachts, she provided Burton with enduring fame. Before their union, he was primarily known for Shakespearean roles, but their partnership elevated him to global icon status.
Their collaborations on films like Cleopatra and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf cemented their legacy in cinematic history. Today, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton remain unmatched in the cultural landscape.
