Within the realm of well-publicized celebrity separations, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s breakup has been widely reported for several months. However, after the dust settled, a legal expert revealed a calculated action taken by Kim that would have a big impact on Kanye’s unpredictable behaviour.
Family lawyer Holly Davis, who specialises in representing wealthy couples, shared her thoughts on the stars’ settlement deal. She highlighted the ingenuity of Kim’s choice to set the child support amount at an astounding $200,000 per month in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, particularly at a time when Kanye was mired in controversy and drawing criticism from the public for his deeds and remarks.
Kim ended her seven-year marriage to the contentious rapper in February 2021 by filing for divorce. On November 30, after multiple setbacks and multiple legal revisions on Kanye’s end, they ultimately came to an agreement for a divorce.
The $200,000 a month in child support that Kanye was required to pay for their four children was one of the most important parts of their arrangement. Kim’s plan was to establish this number at a time when Kanye’s multimillion-dollar business empire was collapsing from significant brand disassociations and lost sponsorships, and the public had cancelled him.
Davis claims that Kim wanted to set a precedent that would prevent future modifications to the child support level based on “cancellation” by the public or sponsorship losses. She thought that the $200,000 a month was only a short-term solution to meet the kids’ urgent requirements. Modifications to child support could occur, but not always.
The mediation clause was one part of the deal that was not extensively covered by the media. Before hurrying to court, Kim and Kanye had to settle disagreements about the kids through mediation. But in the event that one party—Kanye in particular—did not show up for these mediations or participate, the other parent would have to make the final decision regarding the contentious matters.
According to Davis, this clause provided Kim substantial authority to decide on big issues in the event that Kanye failed to appear or adhere to the guidelines. Kim was the intended beneficiary of this clause, as evidenced by Kanye’s history of disregarding court orders and his well-documented mental health issues.
Davis also pointed out that Kanye seems to be leaning towards divisive and contentious language, much like Donald Trump and Alex Jones. She thought Kanye was attempting to court niche audiences who would embrace his controversial views while ignoring those of the mainstream. It seems that during his bipolar episodes, he was more impetuous in his public remarks and interactions.
There is no universal formula to calculate child support in celebrity divorces. Important considerations include the paying parent’s income and the children’s varied requirements. Kim and Kanye jointly parent their four kids, and as famous kids often have special needs, such security, therapy, and pricey camps, there are additional costs involved.
Kim consented to pay the $200,000 monthly child support even though it may not accurately reflect Kanye’s actual monthly salary in order to complete the divorce. It was predicated on the knowledge that she was the children’s primary carer, looking after them for about 80% of the time.
Given the considerable amount of work Kim put into raising their children, Kim was told not to object to the child support she was entitled to, even if Kanye’s income could fluctuate greatly as a result of investments, real estate, and royalties. Ultimately, the divorce settlement was a thoughtful compromise that recognised the unique contributions each parent made to their children’s lives.
Elon Musk abruptly suspended Kanye’s Twitter account shortly before the settlement was completed, highlighting the erratic nature of Kanye’s behaviour during this well-publicized divorce.