What We Know About Erica Stoll's Ironclad Prenup With Rory McIlroy
Although Rory McIlroy has yet to make a formal statement about his divorce from wife Erica Stoll, his spokesperson assured the public that they're hoping to navigate their split in a peaceful manner. "Rory McIlroy's communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed," the pro golfer's publicist said in a statement to The Irish Star. "They stressed Rory's desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible. He will not be making any further comment." The 26-time PGA tour winner also dodged questions about his divorce and personal life during a press conference, according to The Irish Star.
Unfortunately, McIlroy, who is one of the most successful pro golfers of all time, has a $170 million net worth, which could complicate things if and when he and Stoll go to court. After all, celebrity divorces can be egregiously expensive, usually for the higher earning party, and often leave the former spouses at odds. Plus, it seems the pro golfer is making sure he has adequate legal representation. McIlroy made a move straight out of Tiger Woods' divorce playbook by hiring divorce lawyer Thomas Sasser, who also handled Woods' divorce. There's no word on who will represent Stoll, but given that she signed a prenup upon marriage, it's possible a judge could rule to enforce its terms.
Rory McIlroy wants joint custody of their daughter
While there are few details about Rory McIlroy's divorce from Erica Stoll floating around, it's been confirmed that he and Stoll have had a prenup in place since the start of their marriage. And although the terms of the couple's financial arrangement have yet to be released, McIlroy's legal wishes for their daughter, Poppy, have been posted online. "A parenting plan should be established, on both a temporary and final basis, which addresses all parenting issues and contains a timesharing schedule providing for frequent and continuing contact with both parties," read the filing (via OK!). McIlroy also stated that both he and Stoll should be financially responsible for taking care of Poppy's needs.
At this time, it's unknown how much McIlroy wants Stoll to contribute to their daughter's expenses, or whether there's been any discussions about possible alimony payments to his ex. However, it seems McIlroy would be satisfied with whatever they previously agreed upon. "The parties entered into a valid and enforceable Prenuptial Agreement on March, 7, 2017," McIlroy's filing reads (via the New York Post). "The Court should determine that the Prenuptial Agreement is valid and enforceable and direct the parties to comply with the terms of the Agreement." McIlroy also revealed he didn't attach the prenup in order to protect his and Stoll's privacy.
However, it may eventually become public knowledge.
Is Erica Stoll entitled to half?
Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll have a lot at stake as they work to end their marriage. Florida, where McIlroy and Stoll established a home base, isn't a community property state, which means that Stoll isn't necessarily entitled to half of the fortune McIlroy accrued during their marriage, although a judge could still rule otherwise. Speaking of the golfer's fortune, he reportedly earned over $110 million dollars during his seven-year marriage to Stoll, which means if a judge did throw out their prenup and rule that she deserved half, she could end up walking away with a hefty payday. However, the key operative word is if.
While McIlroy, who's repeatedly spoken about his desire for privacy, probably snatched up Thomas Sasser due to his reputation of prioritizing his client's privacy over furthering his brand with media attention, it should be noted that Tiger Wood's ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, whom he famously cheated on during the late 2000s, still won a nice chunk of change after their divorce. According to People, the courts awarded Nordegren a $100 million payout. And while that may be more money than any one person could ever truly need, it was a drop in the bucket compared to her purported $750 million settlement previously circulating in the press. And it's even less substantial compared to Woods' entire personal fortune, which Forbes estimates to hover around $1.3 billion.