When people who are in the public eye go through a divorce, the claims made during the process can sometimes turn ugly. In the case of U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida, claims of spousal abuse, battery, slander and defamation have all been made. In the most recent event, the representative is claiming that his wife is guilty of bigamy because she was married to another man when she married him.
The representative is asking the court for custody of his children, exclusive use of their seven vehicles and exclusive use of their home. He is also asking for the marriage to be annulled. The petition also includes a claim for damages due to humiliation and emotional distress. He wants everything, including property or money that he has given to his wife during their marriage to be returned to him.
He claims that he didn’t know she was legally married to another man when they married in 1990. It is alleged that she concealed the fact that she wasn’t divorced. Rep. Grayson says that she didn’t divorce the other man until 1994 when she did so in secret.
These allegations are the newest development in this already nasty divorce. Both sides are making serious accusations against the other side. It is proof positive that people going through a divorce needs to make sure that their own interests are covered during the divorce settlement. It also highlights the importance of prenuptial agreements so that complex property divisions might be made a little easier.
Anyone who is going through a divorce should make sure that they only petition the court on the basis of actual and factual grounds. The allegations of slander in this case are a stark reminder that embellishing the truth at all can prove to be a big mistake in a divorce case.
Source: The Tampa Tribune, “Florida congressman Grayson accuses wife of bigamy” No author given, Apr. 29, 2014
