KimYe on the Rocks

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John Dabkovich talks to divorce attorney Dror Bikel about high profile divorces and how complicated they can be.

Transcript:

FEMALE MODERATOR:

Earlier this week, news surfaced that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West might be headed for a split. So, John is with a high-profile divorce attorney to break down the drama that comes with the celebrity, big money divorces, lots of pieces there.

JOHN DABKOVICH (JD):

Yeah. I have a feeling this is not like when normal folks get divorced. Dror Bikel joining us from New York City this morning to help break this down. Good morning. Thanks for being with us.

I want to start with, first, the obvious question. How is it different when people who are A) so famous and B) so rich get divorced compared to the average couple?

DROR BIKEL (DB):

Good morning, John. Thank you so much for having me. The first issue, and the obvious one, is there’s more to fight about. There’s more assets. They have cars, collectibles, $100 million worth of property, brands. There’s just more issues to fight about if they choose to fight.  

That said, these folks were not kids when they got married. They got married when they were in their 30s. It was her third marriage. She was married to the football player, Kris Humphries, before. 

Most likely, they have a premarital agreement that speaks to the division of assets upon a divorce. So, there’s probably not going to be a lot of fighting, but if they were to fight, there’s a lot to fight over.

JD:

What about the fame aspect? Because the money is one thing. There’s obviously plenty of it for them to divvy up. But I would have to imagine that both are conscious of their image in this. How does that, as the attorney who would be trying to broker this, not that you’re on this case, but how does that play? Because that might, I would imagine, throw in some negotiating things that are not just money and other stuff.

DB:

That’s a great question. The issue is the brands and the reputation. When you’re on that level, they both have really valuable brands. She’s got her reality TV show and her clothing wear, he’s got his music and his clothing line. They’re hugely valuable brands. 

Their goal is not to soil the brand. They want to keep the brands pure. Although they are polarizing figures, each of them individually, they don’t want to start mudslinging, calling each other names, dealing with acrimony and hostility, because that just dilutes the value of their brands, respectively. So, they want to keep it as clean as possible.

JD:

So, maybe they want to make it go clean. I want to ask you this, and I don’t think I’m out of line in saying this. Kanye, obviously, has had some erratic behavior over the years. How does that factor in, from your position as an attorney?

DB:

First of all, he’s been very transparent about it, and he should get credit for talking about his bipolar disorder, his addictions to alcohol, painkillers. He’s been hospitalized. So, all the credit to him for being open and transparent and for dealing with these issues. 

But we know from, for example, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, that when you have some serious substance addiction issues, it’s going to affect your parenting. So, the first thing that Kim is going to want to know is, is he safe to be around their four young children who are all under 10 years old? That’s the number one issue that they’re going to have to deal with in the first instance. 

Number two, the issue of fighting, often when parties get a divorce, is an emotional issue. And if he’s driven by anger and he’s not really seeing the playing field clearly, doesn’t want to abide by agreements, that could be a problem. That could make it spin out of control. But all that said, I do want to give him credit for addressing his issues, getting treatment, and being transparent about it.

JD:

Okay, they’re wrapping us up, but I do have one more question. Quickly, I want to ask you, what’s the most petty thing you’ve seen a couple argue over in a divorce?

DB:

Who gets the original family photographs.  

JD:

Really?

DB:

Because, of course, you can scan those in, right?

JD:

Yeah, but it’s the original. That is so interesting. Dror Bikel, thank you so much. We appreciate your insight on the issue.

DB:

John, thank you so much for having me.