Michael Strahan Will Pay 'Less' Out-of-Pocket In Child Support

Former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan is celebrating like he just won the Championship ring, (which he did literally in Super Bowl XLII) after receiving good news that he'll be paying less money in child support.

The retired football star won the latest round in his lengthy divorce case when a state appeals court reversed a lower court's awarding of about $18,000 per month in child support to his twin 3-year-old daughters.

A three-judge panel found a lower court didn't adequately review the claims by Strahan's ex-wife, Jean, about their girls' needs.

Among the listed expenses were a 10-day vacation to Jamaica for the girls' nanny and her family, allegedly as a gift from the children, and diamond jewelry given to their grandmother.

Strahan's wife also claimed the toddlers needed $27,000 per year for clothing because she dressed them in a new outfit each time they saw their father.

"Some of the expenses claimed by the defendant clearly should have been deleted by the court," the appeals court concluded.

"Mr Strahan is gratified with the result and feels his legal position has been vindicated," Strahan's lawyer, Angelo Genova, said Tuesday. "He hopes the matter an be resolved amicably going forward in the interests of his children."

The Strahans married in 1999, but went through a bitter public divorce in 2005 and 2006 that included allegations by Jean Strahan that her husband physiclally abused her.

Divorce Time

Our “Divorce of the Year” has come to settlement:

Giants great Michael Strahan and his ex-wife, Jean, have settled their legal battle over how big a slice of his fortune she should get. But a fight over how much child support he must pay will continue after an appeals court decided the $214,745 a year ordered by a trial judge is too high. The Strahans’ agreement on division of assets was sealed by the court, and their lawyers refused to divulge the details.

The retired football star was ordered in January to fork over $15.3 million to his ex-wife - but he only coughed up about half and filed an appeal on the rest. Jean Strahan’s lawyer, Ellen Marshall, said her client was pleased with the outcome. “I feel happy that the Strahans were able to resolve their difference and focus on their children,” Marshall said. “I think they set an example for other couples.”

The agreement, though, isn’t the end of a dispute full of bitter accusations of physical abuse, infidelity, wild spending and even charges that Strahan used a hidden camera to peep on one of Jean’s sisters.

A New Jersey appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that ordered Strahan to pay almost 20% of his annual income in child support for their 4-year-old twins. The panel questioned some of the expenses Jean Strahan listed, including $27,000 a year for clothes, $36,000 a year for “equipment and furnishings” and $3,000 for audio-visual expenses. The court also felt the amount should be lower because Jean Strahan is capable of getting a job and told the trial judge to reconsider the figure. “Mr. Strahan was gratified with the result and feels his legal position has been vindicated,” said his lawyer Angelo Genova.

We bet this little incident got him back to dating sistas… Sistas with their own scrilla. That Becky got his ass for real.

Source

On The Street

Happy couple Michael Strahan and Nicole Murphy went to a special screening of “Pineapple Express” at the AMC theatre NYC last night. We wonder when, or if, these two plan to make it official.

ESPY Madness

A nicely toned Nicole Murphy, and her big burly boo Michael Strahan, were spotted on the red carpet of the 2008 ESPY Awards. Terrell Owens, Kevin Garnett and more hit up the annual gala too. More below…

Zo’s Summer Groove Beach Ball

Nicole Murphy and Michael Strahan at Zo’s Summer Groove Beach Ball in Miami this weekend.

So At The Hancock Premier Charlize ...

Charlize Theron had her lips all over Will Smith at the Hancock movie premiere in Paris. His body may be saying yes, but his eyes are saying “Please Lawd don’t let Jada get a whiff of this!” Also spotted out last night at the Samsung Four Seasons of Hope Gala at Cipriani were Nicole Murphy & NY Giant boo Michael Strahan as well as that “unhinged” catwalk diva Naomi Campbell.