A US court has ordered the actor Mel Gibson to pay $750,000 to his Russian ex-girlfriend, the singer and pianist Oksana Grigirieva, as a settlement of their custody case. They will now have joint custody of their daughter Lucia.
The court in downtown LA revealed the details on Wednesday and both Gibson and Grigorieva thanked the judge for finally resolving their long-running dispute. The formerly happy couple have been locked in battle for over a year, making news headlines with mutual accusations that began after a domestic assault in January 2010.
The Braveheart star will continue to provide for their daughter, who turns two in October. The court ruled that Gibson will support his and Grigorieva’s daughter with the same amount of money he provides for his other seven children. He will also continue to pay for the house he bought for his ex- and their child, until Lucia turns 18.
The court also ordered both the Oscar-winning actor and his Russian ex- not to raise the issue of alleged domestic abuse or problems in their relationship, and not to make statements to the media. In the case that Grigorieva does so, she will have to forfeit the $750,000 received from Gibson.
Grigorieva will receive her payment in three parts, with the final installment being paid in 2016 if the agreement is not breached. Grigorieva’s $750,000 settlement will not be taxed.
Grigorieva accused the Australian star, who is notorious for his racist and sexist rants, of striking her during a fight in January 2010 and brought a civil case against him. The actor-director did not contest the accusations of misdemeanor and domestic battery. However, he did not acknowledge his misbehavior earlier this year.
The romance between Mel Gibson and the Russian beauty – formerly paired with James Bond actor Timothy Dalton – began in 2008, shortly after Gibson divorced his wife Robyn after nearly 30 years of marriage.