Divorce Lawyer Breaks Down Dr. Dre's Wife's Request For $2 Million Per Month In Spousal Support

When two people end up getting divorced, it can cause heartbreak and hardships. And when wealthy celebrities are involved, the end of a marriage can also result in financial settlements that cost the stars a fortune. That seemed to be the case when rapper Dr. Dre and his wife, Nicole Young, called it quits in June 2020 after 24 years of marriage.

While there were surely a lot of issues to sort out when it comes to their split and how they'd both be moving forward separately, the now-exes and parents of two adult children together needed to address their finances. Things weren't exactly straightforward due to the fact that Young "claim[s] she was forced to sign [a] prenup back in 1996," according to TMZ. However, she also "says 2 years into their marriage [Dre] told her he was ashamed he made her sign the prenup and tore it up in front of her." Dre, on the other hand, "denies he ever tore up the prenup, and says she signed it willingly and wants it enforced."

Beyond that, in September 2020, Page Six reported that Young was "seeking nearly $2 million per month in spousal support" and $5 million in legal fees. Considering Forbes put Dre's fortune at $800 million in 2019, it's clear that a lot of money was on the line. Fortunately for us, Holly Davis, a divorce lawyer and partner at Kirker Davis LLP, was willing to give Nicki Swift some exclusive insight into this potentially costly split.

While it might seem like Nicole Young is asking for a lot of money — and she certainly is — divorce lawyer Holly Davis told Nicki Swift that the amount may "mean that [Young] wants financial independence from Dr. Dre while the divorce is pending." Davis explained that Young's request suggests that $2 million per month is "the carrying cost for the property that she wants to remain in while the divorce is pending, plus all of her expenses, and perhaps even the children's expenses if they spend time with her, or are quarantining with her."

"My high-profile clients typically have several residences, and when someone needs that much money per month, it is likely related to the carrying costs of real estate, taxes owed on real estate, and the sum total of all monthly living expenses, including club memberships, etc.," Davis added. Indeed, Dre does have an impressive real estate portfolio. While he sold his home in Woodland Hills for $4.5 million in 2019, according to the Los Angeles Times, he also "owns a number of properties in Los Angeles County," including a $40 million Brentwood compound, his $4.9 million Calabasas estate, and a $2.25 million residence in Pacific Palisades.

Davis further noted that, if Young and Dre have, in fact, both been living the kind of life that requires millions of dollars to cover, the rapper may have a tough time convincing a court that he shouldn't pay his soon-to-be-ex-wife a fortune each and every month.

Divorces can be complicated. However, divorce lawyer Holly Davis simplified the situation between Dr. Dre and Nicole Young for Nicki Swift, saying that Young "is aiming high" when it comes to her initial request in order "to set the precedent for future sums of money."

Breaking it down for us, Davis noted that if Dre is worth $800 million, then $2 million per month equals $24 million each year, which "is only .03% of what Dre is worth." When you consider "she's asking for .0025% of his entire net worth per month, it puts her request in perspective. What this shows us is that the family's monthly expenses are high." Because of that, if Dre isn't keen on paying $2 million each month, then "he better be prepared to show everyone what his monthly living expenses are."

"In divorce, the parties typically start untangling themselves from the other financially, which means that the husband pays for his expenses and the wife pays for hers, typically out of one pot of money if there is only one breadwinner in the family," Davis explained. "If Dre were to deny this monthly request, yet amass his own monthly expenses of 2-4 [million] ..., that would not be even-handed." If Dre requires less than $2 million, then Young "may be aiming too high. If, however, it's more ... he will have to explain why he gets access to that money to pay for his expenses but she should not."