Dr. Dre’s Wife Is Claiming Their Prenup Is Invalid

Celebrity divorces are no stranger to becoming contentious. In the latest news about rapper Dr. Dre’s multi-million-dollar divorce, his wife of 24 years, Nicole Young, is claiming the couple’s prenuptial agreement is invalid.

Pressured into signing a prenup?

In legal documents related to the divorce, Young says she was highly pressured into signing the prenup before she and Dr. Dre married in 1996. She felt she was backed into a corner to sign a prenuptial agreement and ended up using an attorney Dr. Dre’s people recommended because she didn’t know another attorney.

Young also claims that Dr. Dre, a former member of N.W.A., ripped up the prenuptial agreement in front of her after two years of marriage. She says he felt ashamed he initially asked for a prenup, and after he ripped up the agreement, they both considered the prenup null and void.

Not surprisingly, Dr. Dre’s group says he never tore up the prenuptial agreement or felt guilty about asking Young to sign one.

Dr. Dre’s fortune is worth about $800 million, and his ex-wife is asking for her share of his assets and real estate. Most of the rapper’s fortune came after selling his headphones line, Beats by Dr. Dre, to Apple in 2014.

Why are prenups so important?

Prenuptial agreements are important in high-asset divorces because often a couple’s fortune has grown during their marriage, especially if the marriage has lasted more than two decades.

Those who already are entrepreneurs or business owners before they marry often have future spouses sign prenuptial agreements, so their business is protected in divorce. They want to ensure that they don’t lose half the profits or investments of their business, potentially putting their business’ sustainability at stake.

Those with high assets also may want to protect a trust fund, prior property purchases or an heirloom art collection with a prenuptial agreement.

If you are planning to marry soon and are interested in drafting a prenuptial agreement, an experienced family law attorney can help you. You want to come up with an agreement that is fair and protects your best interests.