Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Thierry Henry divorce wife Claire (Nicole) Merry
After walking out on his wife Claire Merry almost two months ago, the former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has been granted a divorce. The proceedings took place at the High Court's Family Division in central London, and it is expected to be one of the costliest divorces in football history. His wife Claire, a model also known as Nicole Merry, and his 2-year-old daughter Tea will get a large portion of Henry's £25 million fortune, which includes a six-bedroom home in Hampstead, north London, which the player bought for almost for £6 million five years ago. The decree nisi order was granted on the grounds of Henry's behavior, according to the court papers.
Thierry Henry met Claire Merry during the filming of a TV commercial for Renault Clio in 2001 and a 4-year long marriage followed the 2 years of courting. Shortly after signing with Barcelona in June, Henry was quoted saying "Lots of things have changed recently and I had to get away from everything English, including my wife unfortunately. It's a very sad time for all of us, but you've got to know when to move on." Ever since , Thierry Henry has not been wearing his wedding band, a clear signal for the upcoming divorce, finalized this week.
Thierry Henry faces record divorce payout
The wife of Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal footballer, has been granted a divorce after four years of marriage on the grounds of his behaviour.
Claire Merry, a model, was granted a decree nisi at the Principal Registry of the High Court's Family Division amid speculation that Henry, 30, could face the biggest ever divorce payout for a footballer.
The French international has an estimated fortune of £25 million.
There has been speculation that Ms Merry, 27, is asking for a £10 million settlement.
Under British law, Henry could be forced to pay out half his wealth.
The couple, who have a two year-old daughter named Tea, met while filming a Renault Clio advert.
They shared a six-bedroom house in Hampstead, north London, which Henry bought for £5.95 million five years ago.
The footballer announced he was leaving Ms Merry in June, just before his transfer to Barcelona, where he is reportedly paid £130,000 a week.
His wife was said to be unhappy about moving to the Spanish city and upset when Henry walked out on their marriage.
Since then, the footballer is said to have developed a close friendship with a Spanish actress.
None of the parties was present yesterday as the divorce was rubber-stamped.
It will be at least six weeks before a decree absolute can be granted.
Experts have predicted that a judge could order a "clean break", with Ms Merry receiving a lump sum rather than a proportion of his future earnings.
She was granted a decree nisi on the grounds of his behaviour, according to court papers.
In documents made available after the divorce was granted, Ms Merry was asked whether Henry's behaviour had affected her health to which she replied that the question was "not applicable".
Barcelona block Thierry Henry move to Man United
Thierry Henry was on the brink of a sensational move to Manchester United - just two weeks ago.
The former Arsenal star thought he was Old Trafford-bound in a £10 million deal - until Barcelona's new boss Pep Guardiola blocked the move.
A source close to the deal said: "Thierry was told by the new coach he didn't want him to leave, that he was going to be a big player for Barca next season and would have an important role to play for them.
"That was the reassurance Thierry needed but United were ready to buy him."
Henry has been unsettled in his debut season at Barcelona following his £16million move from Arsenal a year ago.
Thierry Henry News
The team is on constant alert. Spanish giants Barcelona have signed Henry in a £16million megadeal.
The Henrys’ immense wealth makes them a natural target for organised crime. Thierry will earn an estimated £130,000 a week at Barcelona and Claire could land a divorce settlement of £10million from his £25million fortune.
Experts say the ruthless Romanian Mafia are the most likely to be behind the kidnap. They are here in force and have form for child snatches, human trafficking and sex slavery.
Thierry Henry Biography
| Current Club | |
| Currently playing for | Arsenal |
| Signed on | 03-08-1999 |
| Fee | £ 10500000 |
| Squad number | 14 |
| Thierry Henry | |
| Real name | Thierry Henry |
| Height | 6.02 |
| Weight | 13.01 |
| Date of birth | 17-08-1977 |
| Place of birth | Ulis, France |
| Position | Forward |
| Nationality | France |
| International Caps | 69 |
| International Goals | 28 |
Biography:
1977
Born August 17 in Paris.
1990
Joins French first division Monaco as a 13-year-old.
1994
August: Makes French first division debut for Monaco against Nice, Monaco lose 2-0. Monaco coach was Arsene Wenger.
1995
April: Scores first goals in first division, two in 6-0 victory over RC Lens.
1996
May: Voted French Young Player of the Year.
1997
January: Signs first professional contract with Monaco.
May: Monaco win French league championship. Henry scores nine goals in 36 matches.
June: Helps France reach quarter-finals of World Youth championship in Malaysia.
October: Wins first French cap in World Cup warm-up match against South Africa in Lens.
1998
June: Plays in six of seven games in World Cup finals for winners France, staying on the bench for the 3-0 final victory over Brazil but scoring three first round goals -- one against South Africa and two against Saudi Arabia.
1999
January: Joins Juventus on after Italians outbid Arsenal.
April: Scores first goals for Juventus, two in 3-1 defeat of league leaders Lazio.
1999
August: Joins Arsenal for 10.5 million pounds.
September: Fails to score in first eight appearances, eventually getting off the mark in 1-0 win over Southampton.
2000
June: Scores three goals as France win Euro 2000.
2001
May: Ends season with 22 goals.
2002
May: Scores 31 goals for Arsenal as they clinch the Double.
June: Sent off for France against Uruguay in the World Cup finals as his country fail to progress from group stage.
2003
May: With three games remaining, Henry has scored 22 league goals as Arsenal chase second consecutive league title. He has also helped them reach second straight FA Cup final in a row.
June: Voted PFA player of the year and Football Writers' Association player of the year.
December: Runner-up in European Footballer of the Year poll, same position in FIFA world player of the year poll.
2004
May: Top scorer in Premier League with 30 goals as Arsenal win title without losing a match, a feat last achieved 115 years previously. Voted PFA player of the year. Becomes first player since award began more than 50 years ago to be named FWA player of the year in successive seasons.
December: Runner-up in FIFA world player of the year poll.
2005
May: Helps Arsenal win FA Cup although injury keeps him out of final against Manchester United.
October: Becomes top-scorer in Arsenal's history, netting twice in Champions League win over Sparta Prague to take his tally to 186, one more than set by Ian Wright in 1990s
2006
February: Scores 200th goal for Arsenal in win over Birmingham.
April: Voted Footballer of the Year for the third time in four years by the Football Writers' Association, becomes the first player in 59 years of the award to receive the accolade three times.
May: Captains Arsenal in their first Champions League final. Arsenal beaten 2-1 by Barcelona after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off... Agrees to a new four-year contract with the Gunners, ending months of speculation about his future.
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