Lionel Richie's Estranged Wife Wants Money

[TexasStooge]

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) - The estranged wife of singer Lionel Richie wants $300,000 a month in child and spousal support, saying she had "no limit on what I could spend" during their nearly seven years of marriage.

The couple had "an extraordinary extravagant lifestyle," Diane Alexander Richie said in an income declaration filed along with her support request in Superior Court.

Richie's attorney didn't immediately return a call for comment.

The singer "has never had a problem earning money. I know that he earns in excess of $300,000 per month because we have always comfortably spent at least that in any given month," Diane Richie said in the papers.

She cited the upkeep for their $40 million, 30-room Beverly Hills mansion, which the estranged couple still shares. That includes a $75,000 monthly mortgage and wages for a full-time staff of nine and additional people to "maintain our plants, detail our cars, care for our pool, groom our dog, maintain our aquarium and a painter for regular touch ups on the house," Diane. Richie said.

Diane Richie estimated that she spent $20,000 a year on plastic surgery and $50,000 a month on personal expenses, including $15,000 a month for clothing, shoes and accessories; $5,000 on jewelry; $3,000 on dermatology; $1,000 for laser hair removal and $600 on massages.

"We could comfortably afford to spend unlimited sums of money on everything and anything we chose. I had no limit on what I could spend," she wrote in the Feb. 26 filing.

The couple spent at least $1,000 a month for birthday presents when their 5-year-old daughter, Sofia, attended her friends' parties. They also donated $2,000 to $3,000 a month to charity and to their children's schools, Diane Richie stated.

The Colorado boarding school for their 9-year-old son, Miles, cost $125,000 a year. Their daughter's tuition was $15,000 a year.

Diane Richie, a former waitress, dancer and clothing designer, says she met the singer in 1984 while he was married to his first wife, Brenda, and they married in 1996. She filed for separation in October and divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences.

[stormraiser]

Holy !@#$^@#&. Who do these people think they are? $20,000 a year for plastic surgery? She must look worse than Whacko Jacko

[GalvestonDuck]

Sounds like she costs more than three times a lady. If he'd married a penny lover, he might not have to pay such high spousal support.

[Firefighter16]

That's one sick woman. We in the backwoods maintain our own plants.

[stormraiser]

Maybe if he was Dancing on the ceiling to keep his wallet away from her

Sounds like she costs more than three times a lady. If he'd married a penny lover, he might not have to pay such high spousal support.

[streetsoldier]

We could live on the interest alone...

[stormraiser]

a painter for regular touch ups on the house

Give me a break. Are they pitching Vaaaahses at each other?

[TexasStooge]

Holy !@#$^@#&. Who do these people think they are? $20,000 a year for plastic surgery? She must look worse than Whacko Jacko

LOL!!!

[HurricaneGirl]

They were reading off that list on the Lex and Terry morning show yesterday and they said "$1,000" a month for computer lessons.... What I want to know who is her Teacher.... Bill Gates???