Don’t want your money

Here’s why Angelina Jolie’s divorce is actually raising eyebrows.

On Tuesday night, it was all over for ‘Brangelina’, one of the world’s most high-profile celebrity couples and two of the most recognised faces in show business.

Minutes after the announcement of an impending divorce, the Hollywood gurus must have set about crunching numbers because as early as last November, the tabloids claimed that the Brangelina split would be worth several hundred millions.

Well, Angelina wants none of Brad Pitt’s wealth. She has sought no spousal support, wants full custody of their six children. Though she has agreed to give him visiting rights, but going by how much the World War Z star’s drug-addled parenting has been making news, it’s unlikely that she now wants him around the kids anytime soon.

For Jolie — Oscar winner, UN’s special envoy for refugees, campaigner for education and child rights at hotspots in Asia and Africa — this is the closing of a chapter and the time to move on from a “toxic influence”.

The mark of a truly “independent” woman.

The story home In India too there have been cases of celebrities walking away from these toxic relationships. Recently, Tamil actress Amala Paul called it off with director-husband A.L. Vijay. Paul was faced with the prospect of not being allowed to act again and many other such demands. She chose to exit with no demand for maintenance or permanent alimony — from either side.

A few decades ago, actor Nagarjuna split with first wife Lakshmi. Sources tell us Lakshmi too just walked away with her son, no demands made.

Another example is Sarika — actor Kamal Haasan’s former wife. Sarika, who was not professionally active at the time of the split, left without seeking compensation and went on to forge a complete career, afresh.

Dimple Kapadia too walked out on superstar Rajesh Khanna. She had given up acting, got no maintenance, but didn’t care. She brought up both her daughters as a single mom.

Experts say money plays a very small part for strong, independent women. “What she is looking for is companionship, respect and love. Money is just a small part. They look for a men who provide genuine emotional support because they can earn the money on their own,” explains Dr Nisha Khanna, psychologist.

Abusive relationships Sravanthi Juluri, Hyderabad-based artist walked out of an abusive marriage a few years ago and for her, it was all about the fresh start. “I did not want any money. I just wanted the nightmare to end. I knew I could take good care of my son. For me, it was all about starting afresh without the shadow of an abusive husband,” she says.

Often though, due to the gamut of laws protecting both sides and because of rampant abuse, women find themselves stuck in situations. In such cases, experts believe the way out is the best — money or no money.

“It’s great Jolie is so independent. But sometimes, there have been instances of women, who have been financially dependent on their husbands, yet end the marriage. They have no other way than asking their husbands for help. Because when a spouse turns abusive, it is the person’s right to walk out of it whether they receive any money or not,” says Dr Shiva Kumar, a clinical psychologist with the Apollo Hospitals group.

Relationship expert Seema Hingorany says that the role of parents is also important in such situations. “It is really nice to see that parents are extremely supportive in such situations. Earlier, they’d ask their daughter to make amends and return to their spouses; today, they are even willing to take care of their daughters as long as they are happy. I have several clients who come to me while they are going through divorce. But, they don’t want to discuss this, they simply want to heal themselves of the broken relationship and make way towards a functional divorce and a happier self,” she says.

Brangelina may have split for reasons best known to the two. But the idea behind the move is simple — why depend on a person you cannot bear to live with

—With inputs from Pooja Salvi