Downey's Wife Asks for Divorce

By
ABC News
January 6, 2006, 3:32 AM ET
2 min read

January 24, 2001 -- It's taken four long years, but the estranged wife of Robert Downey Jr. has finally filed for divorce from the actor. She is seeking custody of their 7-year-old son, Indio.

Model-actress Deborah Falconer, 35, married Downey in 1992 and separated from him in 1996. She cited irreconcilable differences in the Los Angeles Superior Court petition she filed Tuesday.

Why the sudden change of, uh, heart? Downey's very public nuzzling with his Ally McBeal co-star Calista Flockhart at Sunday's Golden Globe Awards may have stirred Falconer into action. As Downey accepted his best supporting TV actor trophy, he told Flockhart, "Sweetheart, this is ours."

Or maybe it's just time for Falconer to move on. New York Daily News columnists Rush and Malloy note that the former Mrs. Downey has been cohabiting with Victor Indrizzo, who drums in funk-folkster Beck's band.

The divorce filing coincided with Ally creator David E. Kelley's decision to invite Downey — who must return to a California courtroom Monday to face drug possession charges — back to the show for 11 more episodes.

Falconer is seeking unspecified spousal support payments from Downey, 35, whose drug and legal problems have recently earned him as much media attention as has his acclaimed acting career. She is also asking that Downey only be granted supervised visits with Indio. The Daily News says that's because Falconer learned that her husband had allegedly left their son alone with his assistant while going on a drug run late one night.

Not so, says the actor's flack. "He's been seeing his son regularly," Alan Nierob told Rush and Malloy. "Robert and Deborah have a very good relationship because they both care deeply for Indio."

Downey, who was released in August from a yearlong stretch in state prison for a prior drug conviction, was arrested Nov. 25 in the resort city of Palm Springs, Calif., on drug possession charges. He pleaded innocent to those charges Dec. 27 and remains free on bail.

Reuters contributed to this story.