Was A-Rod 'Brainwashed' by Madonna?
Former trainer says A-Rod's interest in kabala drew him away from his family.
July 7, 2008— -- Cynthia Rodriguez delivered the final blow in her marriage to New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez this morning, filing divorce papers in a Miami court that indicate she will seek half of his fortune.
In the documents, Cynthia says she's "exhausted every effort to salvage the marriage" and goes on to say Alex "emotionally abandoned" her, leaving her "with no choice but to divorce him."
She alleges their marriage is "irretrievably broken" because of Alex's "extra-marital affairs and other marital misconduct."
READ CYNTHIA RODRIGUEZ'S DIVORCE PAPERS HERE
The divorce papers, filed in Dade County, Fla., Family Court, indicate that Cynthia plans to challenge the prenuptial agreement she signed in October 2002.
"The wife claims and is entitled to an equitable distribution of all assests acquired during their marriage," the court papers state. That would be expensive for A-Rod, who is estimated by TMZ.com to be worth $445 million.
"The wife needs and is entitled to temporary, rehabilitative, permanent, periodic and lump sum alimony, and the husband is well able to pay all forms of alimony," the divorce filing claims.
Cynthia is also seeking primary custody of their two daughters and wants to continue the "lavish lifestyle" Alex provided their family, which means keeping their $12 million, six-bedroom estate in Coral Gables, Fla. and her Maybach car. She's also asking Alex to pay off their debt, as well as her attorney's fees.
Meanwhile, Alex has hired Miami attorney Ira Elegant to represent him in his divorce -- Elegant's the same lawyer representing Shaquille O'Neal in his split from wife Shaunie.
New York-based celebrity divorce attorney Raoul Felder said the fact that Cynthia filed for divorce in Florida, as opposed to New York where she and Alex also legally reside, might mean that she doesn't have firm evidence of infidelity. If she filed in New York and challenged the pre-nup there, she would stand to gain a greater chunk of her husband's fortune, but that would require hard proof of adultery.
"Legally it's very curious," Felder said. "If the pre-nup is set aside, she would be much better off in New York. New York clearly values celebrity status. But in New York, you still have to prove fault if the other person objects. It may well be that with all this talk, there may be no evidence of wrongdoing. Maybe A-Rod and Madonna were studying kabala up in the apartment."
While her name isn't mentioned in the divorce papers, Earle Lilly, Cynthia's divorce attorney, said the "final straw" that broke the Rodriguez's six-year marriage was Alex's alleged affair with pop superstar Madonna.
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