Major League Baseball player Josh Hamilton, who spent five seasons playing for the Texas Rangers, has filed for divorce from his wife Katie. The outfielder, who is about to turn 34, had been playing for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim until shoulder surgery and a reported substance abuse relapse sidelined him. However, he filed the divorce petition this February in Tarrant County, Texas.
Katie Hamilton told TMZ Sports that the two had not had a “big fight or blow up.” She said that nothing “sparked” the divorce petition. Hamilton’s petition doesn’t give any specific reasons for the split, but indicates that there was conflict in the marriage.
His divorce petition cites 34 requests, some of which involve prohibitions against his wife. He is seeking to keep her from using two vehicles, including a Maserati, from “hiding” the couple’s children or making disparaging remarks about anyone in his family or him.
Further, according to court documents, the former American League Most Valuable Player is not allowed to go to two properties the couple owns in Texas and one in Southern California, which is now up for sale. He is also allowed only supervised visits with his children. It was not reported what, if any, role Hamilton’s reported substance abuse problems have to do with those orders. The Los Angeles Times reports that Hamilton self-reported his relapse earlier this year. One thing the estranged couple has reportedly agreed on is not to communicate directly with each other.
Despite the fact that Hamilton’s future with the Angels is up in the air, even if he isn’t allowed to play again for the team, he still is owed money for the last three seasons of a five-year deal he signed in 2012 for $125 million. That amount due him is reported to be $83 million. The value of the couple’s Texas properties wasn’t reported, but the one in California is reported as being a $16.5 million home.
While the underlying sources of conflict in high-asset divorces are generally not much different than they are for any couple. However, the monetary stakes are higher and the assets and division of those assets are more complicated. It’s essential for both spouses to have a legal representative experienced in dealing with these assets.
Source: SportsDayDFW.com, “Josh Hamilton’s wife shocked by divorce filing: ‘I’ve never cheated’ on him,” Larry Husten, April. 20, 2015