Thoughts about LKH, Jon, Divorce and Stupidity...

[bluesimplicity.livejournal.com]

My friend and I, as we are prone to do when we're bored, have had an ongoing discussion recently about Laurell and Jon and what should happen if they ever got divorced. Now mind you, we are not hoping that they would - I wouldn't wish divorce on any couple. 

Anyway, the point being this...

It seems that more and more, Jon is getting credit for doing ALOT of work on LKH's books; she's PUBLICLY admitted he's her editor, sounding board, working on a script, helping her review the comic book before it goes to print, and working with her on an earlier Anita story. My friend and I think this is one of the STUPIDEST things she could ever do. Because should one day, for whatever reason, they DO decide to get divorced, Jon now suddenly has a HUGE claim to the profits from Ma Petitte Enterprises. Even if they had a pre-nup, (which for some reason I strongly doubt), she's stated so publicly, so often what a great help he's been to her, and listed specific jobs, that it could very likely be challenged in court. 

And if they don't have a prenup, given all of that, it seems like he could EASILY claim a huge part of the pie. 

Which just goes to show us (at least for my friend and I) that for all of her UBER-SUPER-HEAR-ME-RAWR feminism, LKH is basically a stupid git not even smart enough to protect herself financially, as well as the empire she took years to build.

Agree? Disagree? Thoughts anyone?  

Comments

[shadwing.livejournal.com]

I have to say that this makes alot of sence, and very risky for LKH.

Then again this woman's vison of feminism is so skewed it doesn't shock me at all.

[sinanju.livejournal.com]

I don't think her feminism (real or imagined) really has any bearing on it. It's clear that--for whatever reason--LKH is convinced that Jon is her Twue Wuv! Her soulmate. Her (dare I say it?) MICAH. And like Micah (and all of Anita's over minions) he lives to serve; his existence isn't complete without her and nothing matters to him but keeping her happy.

So of course she doesn't need to worry about the possibility of break-up and the emotional, legal and financial aftermath. It's never, ever gonna happen. And besides, Jon is such a wonderful guy that of course he'd never do any such thing even if, god forbid, they did have a breakup.

She's blinded by Disney Chemicals (tm)

[ladymuttly1.livejournal.com]

Would that be the same disney chemicals that Paul McCartney took prior to his marriage to Heather Mills?

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

I'm inclined to believe that she's not thinking that far ahead into a possible 'negative' future. And that she also doesn't have a pre-nup, because that would mean listening to someone else's advice. And given how she treats editors, she might well see lawyers are trying to edit her life and tell them to take a flying leap.

I do think it'd make an interesting case from a feminist pov though. Because how many husbands do say 'they couldn't have done it without the help of their wives'. But then a divorce happens and the minute the wife claims her hard work in making him a success, she gets laughed at. Usually laughed right out of the office.

This happens to this day. So Jon could be a study in precedent of 'the home spouse'.

That said, you are so right. He right now can claim to have helped with at least the last 5 books, and to have helped set up and establush the comic book part of the franchise and if she ever sells the movie rights, he has claim since he's apparently writing the script or it's been stated that he was to write it.

And then there's the slice of pie as part of her PR machine with his 'web site savvy'.

And if we've seen how she seems to have stabbed her first husband brutally from outside of her home, how much more wary would Jon be, should the unfortunate happen?

[belleweather.livejournal.com]

Yeah, legally it's fascinating. I've been thinking some of the same things... I don't know if it's gone far enough that he has a claim to the intellectual property yet -- although if I was his attorney I think we could make a damn good case that he does -- and that's where the real money and ugly fighting is going to come in. But there's definately a good case that he'd be able to make for continued payments for anything he's worked on and a part of her royalties if they were ever to divorce; the way she's made it out doesn't make it look the way a court wants it to look to be "work for hire" which is what she would have done if she were smart.

I'm sure that LKH is one of those annoying people who is SURE that the law is whatever some asshat told her one night at Denny's at four in the morning. On the other hand, her publishers have probably had an IP attorney step in to protect their interests, since she's such a cash cow for them. So depending on how good that guy was, we'll see if Johnny-boy is entitlted to anything.

[taratext.livejournal.com]

I also agree that he would have a great claim for ongoing interest in her enterprises due to the work he's already done, whatever we may think of its quality. I don't know if he has a job of his own that has nothing to do with his wife's work, but he probably would also have an excellent case for ongoing spousal support as well.

[belleweather.livejournal.com]

I don't think he does have an outside job; and wasn't his last job as the head of her fan club?

And seriously, why do I never get fun and interesting cases like this in my real life law practice? If I ever teach family law, I'm totally using LKH as a hypo on an exam sometime.

[taratext.livejournal.com]

Totally, as an example of so many things. Constructive trusts, why pre-nups are essential, when pre-nups won't work, how having melodramatic angst-meisters with an over-developed sense of entitlement as clients can drive you to drinking the hard liquor with your breakfast bar ...

[amamelina.livejournal.com]

The Now.

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

Dude. She's not a Wolfrider in Eflquest. She can leave that living to them and to Wolverine.

Re: The Now.

[amamelina.livejournal.com]

Dude. She's not a Wolfrider in Eflquest

That made my day.

Re: The Now.

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

Awwh shucks Miss.

[karmyn75.livejournal.com]

There are reasons you don't use family and friends as your editor. Besides not being able to be objective about things, it creates problems if you become estranged from them. You can use them as a sounding board, but not your editor. Even if they are a professional editor, do not use them. Get someone neutral. This is one of those rules of writing that you shouldn't ignore.

[booster-blue.livejournal.com]

[summersdream.livejournal.com]

ookay, I'll try this once more... LJ picks the damnedest times to lose its brain...

People never think about stuff like this. Especially not when the 'people' would be Laurell and co. Ivory towers are dangerous places, and falling out of one hurts. But I guess it will be one of those things that has to be lived through. Maybe the books would improve though...

I would love to see what she'd do to Micah once his RL counterpart sued her for a share of residuals, profits, royalties etc. I think that would improve Micah, too.

Divorcees should be more careful the second time one would think, right? Erm. Then again they usually aren't remarrying to their fanclub president. Yikes. That just never stops weirding me out. She needs a reality check SO BADLY.

[cicipsychobunny.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're right. She's fucked.

[ladyravana.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're right. She's fucked.

...Dare I hope that when she and Jon divorce, that she'll get one HELL of a karmic bitch-slap? XD

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

I don't want her unhappy. I sincerely hope they don't divorce. I don't think her child needs to go through something else. Because Jon probably has a fair enough relationship to Trinity.

But when it comes to wondering what would happen to Micah, I do find myself thinking of my theory about Anita, the rape, Micah and denial. And wondering of Anita would just roll over in bed one night and blow his brains clean out onto the pillow an down into the mattress with a nice knot of silver in the middle.

[leatherzebra.livejournal.com]

1. When you are in a marriage if you constantly dwell on the the negative future you'll make your present and your future negative. You have got to trust your spouse. Protecting yourself finacially is for people on their way to divorce or marrying for money/sex. It's also something agents (particularly her uberagents, who are on record calling their authors crazy) do for her.

2. Even if he never helped and they divorced she'd have to pay him alimony. She loses either way, so she mind as well have the help.

3. She owns the copyright, not him. He'll never own the Anita Blake/Merry Gentry copyright unless she dies, and maybe Trinity too. If he tried to grab the copyright he'd jsut make her agents and lawyers laugh.

4. They are codependant. Something huge would have to happen for them to end it.

[the-book-pimp.livejournal.com]

I think that I'll be contrary here and say that she probably does have a pre-nup. She seems to be self-centered, as exemplified by her blogs, and I'd like to think she would have protected herself and her daughter financially from claims a subsequent spouse, who wasn't with her in her rise to fame. I think she controls the purse strings in that household.

Perhaps that's why Jon seems to fall over himself to be indispensable to her, rather than have an outside job and not pander to her apparent neediness, and why he is pushing the whole comic book thing. He would need to stay in her good graces if he wants to stay on the gravy train.

But then again, if she views a pre-nup as a statement of mistrust, and if she really is the product of the upbringing she has claimed she may view it that way - or more to the point, think that her husband would view it that way - then maybe she didn't.