By Harriet Alexander for Dailymail.com
02:08 18 Mar 2023, update 04:33 18 Mar 2023
- Kenny G, 66, divorced his second wife Lyndie in 2013, after 21 years of marriage: the couple have two adult sons, Max and Noah
- In September 2021, he filed court documents asking for an end to the spousal support payments of $40,000 a month agreed upon during their divorce.
- On Friday, lawyers for the musician handed Lyndie’s attorneys court documents seeking to resolve her claim, after months of wrangling over tax returns.
Lawyers for Grammy-winning musician Kenny G filed legal documents on Friday demanding that his ex-wife agree to end the $40,000 a month he was paying her, with the saxophonist saying he could no longer afford it. allow.
The 66-year-old musician, born in Seattle as Kenneth Gorelick, was married to Lyndie Benson for 21 years.
The couple divorced in 2013 and he agreed to pay her the high monthly fees.
But in September 2021, he filed paperwork claiming he could no longer continue sending her money, and on Friday, with the case unresolved, his attorneys served Benson’s attorneys.
“Kenny, who is now 65, has been paying child support to Lyndie for over 9 years,” the original documents state.
‘Kenny is a Grammy award-winning saxophonist with a long and successful career and over 15 albums.
‘However, as explained in Kenny’s accompanying statement, over the past 2-3 years Kenny’s touring opportunities, where he earns the most income, have not only declined, but his percentage of income from tours has also decreased.
“Kenny’s earnings have steadily declined significantly since 2018.”
His legal team – led by top divorce lawyer Laura Wasser – did not say how much the musician was worth.
At the time of his divorce, it was widely reported that he was worth $50 million.
He has paid his ex-wife $3.9 million since 2013, his lawyers noted.
“Lyndie is 57 years old and, to the best of Kenny’s knowledge, is in good health,” her attorneys wrote in their initial complaint.
“Lyndie refused to become fully self-sufficient for almost 10 years.
“Kenny shouldn’t have to continue to carry the burden of his refusal to do so.”
Her lawyers note that she started a clothing business, Bleusalt, but refused to hand over financial documentation related to the business.
In May 2022, Forbes interviewed her and described her as a “thriving fashion label” of “chic Malibu-inspired essentials.”
She told the magazine: “I’ve always been obsessed with beautiful cashmere and head-to-toe outfits from Loro Piana and Bamford. Luxurious clothes that looked good on the beach for a bonfire and just as good when you were at Nobu for dinner.
“So once I found the fabric and perfected it for Bleusalt, the inspiration already fully materialized in my daily life and aesthetic.”
It seeks to end payments entirely or reduce them significantly.
He is also asking the court to end the requirement that he maintain payments from a life support policy, which was guaranteed under the divorce.
Kenny G is the best-selling instrumental artist of all time and will perform next month in Las Vegas.
With 11 platinum albums and eight others that have achieved multi-platinum status, Kenny G is one of the most successful artists, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
He appeared on the SpongeBob SquarePants movie soundtrack and collaborated with Kanye West and Katy Perry.
In 2021, HBO made a documentary about his life and music, Listening to Kenny G.
The following year, he appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Busch Light beer – his second Super Bowl commercial, after appearing for Audi in 2011.
In 2022, he told Forbes that he didn’t mind making fun of being everywhere.
“If I’m the butt of the joke, if it’s funny, I love it,” he says, recalling how the Wayne’s World movie had a dentist trade Novocaine for his music, how in South Park his music “fucks everybody’s pants off”. ,’ or how Saturday Night Live made fun of him for a duet he did with Frank Sinatra.
“I don’t mind because it’s really funny.”