10 celebs who were accused of being gold diggers because of their famous partners
Let's delve into celebrity love stories to find out about 'fairy tales' boosted by wealth
Whenever famous couples come together, especially if one of them is much older or richer, fans start wondering if the money is talking or the love. But while outsiders may speculate about whether there is any genuine affection between married celebrity couples like Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos, the true answer remains exclusive to the ones who are in the relationship. Let's dive into some of these celebrity love stories to uncover fairy tales boosted by opulent wealth.
Amber Heard
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Art of Elysium)
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's journey began in 2012, the same year he ended his 14-year relationship with Vanessa Paradis. Despite the age gap – Depp, 52, and Heard, 30 – they wed in 2015. But just 18 rocky months later, they split in an ugly way. Heard alleged physical and mental abuse, while Depp countered that she was fabricating the claims. Their divorce ended with $7 million for Heard, which she claimed to have "donated" to ACLU & Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Lauren Sanchez
There was a tremendous buzz when news broke about billionaire Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos ending his 25-year-long marriage for the alluring news reporter, Lauren Sanchez. "She's stunning and talented, destined for success," a source told The Sun. "She was very popular with rich and successful men." Bezos and Sanchez insist their relationship sparked only after their previous marriages had ended. Their intense physical chemistry is evident, and Sanchez has a thriving career, rumored to be worth $30 million. So maybe this one is a tale of true love.
Sam Asghari
Sam Asghari, Britney Spears' former spouse, has been accused of trying to exploit her vulnerable mental state to "extort" her. Their high-profile separation, after a mere 14 months of marriage, came after Asghari, 29, allegedly confronted Spears, 41, about infidelity rumors. "[Asghari is] attempting to negotiate concessions beyond his prenup and threatening to go public with extraordinarily embarrassing information about Britney unless he gets paid," an insider alleged. But a source close to Spears stated, "[These claims] are absurd," according to Page Six.
Eric Johnson
(Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Jessica Simpson Collection)
Fashion mogul Jessica Simpson is worth around $1 billion. So her engagement to ex-NFL player Eric Johnson sparked chatter about how his intentions were tied to her fortune. Yet, insiders don't think he is a gold digger. "He really loves her. He's a low key guy," said a source to Us Weekly. Interestingly, he even agreed to a prenup. A source revealed, "He'll get $500,000 as a wedding present. Then, on each anniversary, he'll get another $200,000. If he and Jessica make it to five years of marriage, he'll get an additional $500,000 bonus — and a $1 million bonus if they make it to 10 years," as reported by YourTango.com. The two got married in 2014 and are blessed with three children.
Kim Kardashian
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
It's a stretch to picture Kim Kardashian as a gold digger. She's reportedly worth $350 million from her family's reality shows, beauty line, and endorsements. Kanye West, who penned 'Gold Digger,' defended her at the 2015 BET Awards, recalling she'd been called one before. “At the barbershop .. I used to hear people always talking about, ‘Man you know when an entertainer get on, of course you know he gon' go and get a white girl and blah blah blah and a white girl gon' get a rich black dude.’ But I wanna say that my wife has dated broke black dudes. It got nothing to do with the money," reported Radar Online.
Elin Nordegren
Elin Nordegren crossed paths with golfer Tiger Woods when she was a nanny for another golfer. Eventually, the two got married in 2004. But by 2010, right after his scandal upended his career and news about his many affairs was all over the news, Nordegren knew it was time to divorce him. Her settlement was a hefty $110 million. Yet, a mistress claimed in a tell-all that she was a gold digger. “It was more or less a financial reason they were married - she was in it for the money," reported New York Post.
Casper Smart
When Jennifer Lopez started dating dancer Casper Smart in 2012, rumors swirled that he was after her fortune. She was 42, he was 24. Worth $400 million, she reportedly gave him $10,000 weekly! Still, they enjoyed 5 years. Now she is married to Ben Affleck. No gold-digging there at least.
Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek's marriage to billionaire François-Henri Pinault in 2006 did raise eyebrows. While Hayek is an accomplished actress and her net worth is nothing to sniff at, Pinault is reportedly worth $34.8 billion! Hayek shared, “I have a system in my life that I’ve chosen, where my expenses from before the marriage are my expenses. And he goes, ‘I know. That’s why I want to marry you.’" She acknowledged that she considered stopping work after marriage, but Pinault insisted, "We're not putting up with some lazy girl in the house. I don't want to be deprived of your work. I want to watch it, too," as per ABC News.
Crystal Harris
At 26, Crystal Harris wed 86-year-old Playboy tycoon Hugh Hefner in 2012. Much chatter dubbed her a gold digger. She confessed they had a single "two-seconds" intimate encounter, as per E! Post-Hefner's 2017 passing, despite their prenup, she inherited $5 million and a Hollywood Hills home from his $45 million estate. The rest benefited charities.
Katharine McPhee
In 2019, singer Katherine McPhee tied the knot with record producer David Foster. Swift whispers labeled her a gold digger due to their 34-year age gap and his immense wealth.
Their connection sparked in 2006 when Foster was a mentor on 'American Idol'. Foster, valued at $80 million, has been married five times. McPhee was saying 'I do' for the second time when she married Foster. So, it is pretty certain both knew what they were doing. Foster's daughter Amy once said, "It’s sexist to drag Kat and call her a gold digger.. because Kat has a life and she makes her own money … They genuinely love each other," reported News.com.