Terrence Howard’s divorce settlement overturned in court

Many Colorado residents are familiar with the acting career of Terrence Howard. After being nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for the movie “Hustle and Flow,” Howard went on to achieve wide acclaim for his role on the hit television show “Empire.” He has made recent headlines, however, for his highly contentious divorce case and his recent victory in court.

Howard entered into a divorce settlement with his second wife in 2012. The terms of that settlement were very generous toward his former wife. He claims that he only signed the agreement under duress, and that his former wife made various threats to extort money within the divorce process. In a recent hearing, a judge heard evidence that included a recorded phone call in which his wife threatened to sell personal information to the media if Howard did not pay her $40,000 by the end of that day. The payment was issued as requested and processed through Howard’s accountant.

The judge found that Howard was indeed subjected to extreme duress at the time he signed the divorce settlement. As a result, that settlement has been overturned. The parties will now have to renegotiate a new division of marital assets, one that is assumed will not provide the former Mrs. Howard with the same level of wealth as the original agreement.

Anyone in Colorado who feels that their divorce settlement was reached while under duress may want to research the matter further. By meeting with a divorce attorney, individuals can gain a firm grasp on whether the particulars of their case might lead to a similar outcome as the one that Terrence Howard just experienced. While not every settlement is suitable for such a legal challenge, there are plenty of divorce settlements that are agreed to only due to extreme levels of stress and tension.

Source:

ABC News, “Judge Overturns Actor Terrence Howard’s Divorce Settlement”, Anthony McCartney, Aug. 24, 2015