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Jondon: Madonna and Guy Ritchie were divorced yesterday - with a decree nisi granted in the Family Division of the High Court today before District Judge Reid. The decree absolute is likely to be granted within six weeks.
Neither Madonna, 50, who is on the north American leg of a world tour, nor Ritchie, who is in Liverpool filming his version of Sherlock Holmes, were in court. A sworn statement released by the court showed that Madonna petitioned for divorce on the grounds of 40-year-old Ritchie's unreasonable behaviour.
In a question and answer form, she said the behaviour was continuing. Asked whether they had lived together, since the date of the petition, for six months at the same address, the reply was "No". Madonna signed the affidavit in Beverly Hills. In another document released by the court, Senior District Judge Philip Waller, who gave the go-ahead for the divorce, said he was satisfied that the court did not need to exercise its powers under the Children Act nor give any directions under the Matrimonial Causes Act.
This would indicate that Madonna and Ritchie reached a mutual settlement over their assets and the children.
But even as the divorce was being finalised, a public relations battle was being waged between the two. Both sides have vowed to keep quiet about the settlement.
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