Dr. Dre’s divorce battle with wife one of the most expensive – here’s why

Dr. Dre’s divorce from his estranged wife, Nicole Young, has been described as one of the most expensive. After 24 years of marriage, Young filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Young got married to Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, in 1996. She was previously married to LA Lakers player, Sedale Threatt. She is seeking spousal support from Dre.

The couple have two children together. They joined Dre’s four children from his previous relationship. And recently, Dre’s oldest daughter revealed she’s currently homeless and has been living out in her rented car. She also said she hasn’t received any financial support from her millionaire father in 18 months despite reaching out to him for help multiple times.

Apparently, Dre’s divorce with Young just got a lot more expensive. The judge in the divorce case has issued a temporary order detailing how much support Dre will have to pay his estranged wife, according to The Blast.

Citing documents available to it, the platform said Dre has been ordered to pay an extra $1.55 million in Young’s attorney fees, in addition to spousal support. In July, the hip-hop mogul was ordered to pay about $3.5 million in yearly support, ETonline reported, citing documents available to it.

Early this year, the business mogul agreed to pay his wife $2 Million in support while he recovers from a brain aneurysm. According to The Blast, in the past year, Dre paid two separate payments of $500,000 each. This latest order takes the total that Dre must pay his ex-wife in lawyers fees to more than $4 million.

The judge gave reasons for such high fees, citing the level of experience of Young’s attorneys. Young is being represented by celebrity lawyer Samantha F. Spector and Lisa Helfend Meyer. 

“The attorney’s training and experience in family law. Ms. Samantha F. Spector and Lisa Helfend Meyer, certified family law specialists, have significant years of experience in family law and have extensive practical experience in complex family law matters,” the order read.

“Considering the level of the case’s complexity, and the issues involved, an attorney of their level and skill is reasonably necessary; and therefore, the various hourly rates of the primary and secondary attorneys participating in this litigation are reasonable and justifiable.”

Reports say Dre is being made to pay a large sum of money based on the “disparity” that exists between his and Young’s assets and income. According to documents, his estranged wife “has assets totaling approximately 39 million dollars and Dr. Dre has approximately 243 million dollars.”

Dre recently topped the 10 highest-earning musicians list with $800 million ahead of Taylor Swift and Beyonce, despite not releasing an album since 2015, according to a report by Forbes. His wealth, as stated by the report, is largely due to his 20% stake in Beats Electronics, a subsidiary of Apple Inc.