14 DAY TRIAL // Not even old age can safeguard a marriage. Famous former American astronaut Buzz Aldrin knows that first-hand now, having just divorced his wife of 23 years, Lois Driggs Cannon.
Aldrin filed for divorce in June 2011 but it’s just now that it became final.
In fact, this might have been just the Christmas present the former astronaut had been waiting for, even though it cost him half of everything he has, according to TMZ.
“The divorce order was signed just three days after Christmas – and according to the docs, Buzz' ex-wife Lois Driggs Cannon gets pretty much half his fortune, including 50% of a $475,000 [€362,125] bank account, and 50% of the profits from his businesses, trademarks, and stocks,” the celebrity e-zine writes.
To get an idea of the kind of money Aldrin rakes in, you should probably know that he owns the trademark to the ever-popular “Astronaut with Flag” design.
“Lois also gets to keep her 1988 Mercedes as separate property – but the hilarious part... her license plate reads ‘MOONGAL.’ As for spousal support, Buzz has agreed to pay Lois $9,500 [€7,242] a month, plus 30% of his annual income, estimated at more than $600,000 [€457,421]. They have no kids,” TMZ further notes.
As it happens, Aldrin isn’t the only celebrity past his prime to get a divorce and then get media attention for it.
Just the other day, Mel Gibson’s 94-year-old dad also became legally free of his wife of 11 years, after the family intervened because she was believed to be keeping him off his meds to make sure he died faster.
Teddy Joye Hicks, the actor’s step-mother, didn’t get half of her husband’s fortune like Lois did but, then again, she didn’t need to because she has more money as it is.
Compared to the Gibson’s divorce, Aldrin’s was amicable and quite drama free.