Ryan and Stacey Giggs’ divorce is over, ending a 10-year marriage. The two were engaged in a bitter divorce over the couple’s £40 million estate. The divorce was heard at the Central Family Court in London this morning, where Stacey’s request for divorce was granted.
District Judge Yvonne Gibson heard the argument.
Giggs and Stacey married in September 2007. Stacey, whose maiden name is “Cooke,” has two children with Giggs. The court agreed, in less than a minute, that the marriage has “broken down irretrievably and decreed that the said marriage be dissolved.”
The application for a decree “absolute” will have to wait six weeks before it’s able to be granted.
Stacey’s lawyer states that his client wanted to draw as little attention to the divorce as possible. Stacey is said to want to keep her family out of the spotlight during the divorce proceedings.
Ryan Giggs is a former football star and played for Manchester United during his star career. The 43-year-old fought to keep the majority of his fortune by claiming that the couple’s wealth is due to his football skills. He petitioned the courts on the grounds that he made a “special contribution” to the family’s wealth.
Giggs enjoyed a 24-season career with 963 appearances with United. He retired in 2014, winning 64 international cups during his career.
Giggs has been tied to several women during his marriage to Stacey. Stacey stayed by his side after an eight-year affair with his brother’s wife Natasha Lever. He was also tied to Imogen Thomas (Big Brother star), and took out a gag order to try and conceal his romance with Thomas.
The final straw for Stacey occurred last April when her husband was tied to a PR executive.
“The personal and economic pressures of life are hard on families. Many people find themselves facing separation or divorce despite years of determined effort to hold a family together,” states PM Lawyers.
The Judge held that “the respondent has behaved in such a way that the petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to live with the respondent.” There have been no reports on the amount of money that Stacey will receive from the divorce.
She may be entitled to half of the couple’s £40 million fortune.
Giggs has stated, in court documents, that he will not defend the case. The court documents also state that Giggs retains the right to “refute any allegations that are untrue if raised against me in the future. However, I do accept that the marriage was irretrievably broken down.”
