Nas made blog headlines everywhere this past summer for setting a record in spousal support. At the time, he was ordered to pay about $40,000 a month to his wife Kelis. $9,000 of that was for child support, while the other $31,000 was alimony to maintain Kelis’s lifestyle. According to her lawyer, she had experienced a decline in income. But I have to say that sounds a little suspect. Sure, any father should be obligated to pay for his child (and by extension, his child’s mother) to have a place to live. But $31,000 a month?! For what? Groceries aren’t that expensive. And seeing as Kelis is capable of earning money (she’s put out 5 albums, where did that money go?), Nas shouldn’t be responsible for keeping her draped in expensive clothing. I realize that alimony laws are set up to protect the survival of a lower-earning spouse, but where are the limits? Since when did women become entitled to a lifetime of luxury cars, diamonds and name brand clothing simply because they married a rich man and had a baby by him?
I think you should have to deal with the choices you make in life. If you drop out of high school, spend your time chasing down athletes or celebrities and choose to divorce him once he knocks you up, because he’s still sleeping with groupies, that’s your fault! I don’t condone cheating, but I don’t condone stupidity either. If he was hoeing around when you met him, don’t expect him to stop just because he did his duty by you and put a ring on your finger. Famous, rich and powerful men have the option to “possess” many women, and they very seldom relinquish that option. So many of these celebrity marriages come from extramarital affairs and the non-marriage equivalent, and ladies, how you get him is how you lose him. If he cheated on and dumped another woman to get with you, don’t get too comfortable!
I wish that my ladies would stop the paper chase. Don’t marry a man for his money, and stop thinking a pretty face and a tight body mean you have the right to get rich off of having a baby. Some people may disagree with me and say I’m being too harsh. Perhaps Kelis is going to spend that extra $30,000 a month on educational toys and videos for the baby, a top of the line crib and car seat? I think not.
But where is the equity? The feminist movement has established that women want to be considered equal to men in all aspects. We insist on splitting the dinner bill, opening our own doors, and all that good stuff. So it’s only a matter of time until the application of the law catches up. Now that many women are making just as much, or more money than their husbands, what happens when a man files for alimony? I’m sure that any woman asked to fork over a monthly check to her ex-husband would raise hell. If alimony was enforced equally across the board, women would start protesting and petitioning in a hot minute! But the fairer sex can’t keep demanding egalitarianism and special treatment for too much longer….what do you think?
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Brownbelle is a young native of Atlanta, Georgia who is fascinated with politics, culture, love and relationships. You can read more from her at http://maybesomaybeno.wordpress.com
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all good points.
since when have women been opening doors, splitting checks, and all that good stuff.