Grammy Award-winning musician Kenny G has been ordered to pay his ex-wife’s attorney’s fees, to the tune of $320,000, in a legal coup for the musician who, ironically, had been trying to reduce his child support payments. spouse due to a drop in income. .
The famous saxophonist will be forced to shell out a six-figure sum, which includes a payment of $75,000 for his ex-wife Lyndie Benson’s future legal services, according to new court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.
The ruling comes just a week after Kenny filed legal documents requiring Benson to agree to end his $40,000 a month spousal support agreement, claiming he can no longer afford it.
Kenny G, 66, will have to pay his ex-wife Lyndie Benson (pictured in 2006) $320,000 in attorney fees, including $75,000 in future legal fees, according to new documents.
Kenny G is pictured in July 2021 on his bike in his Malibu neighborhood. He is fighting to end spousal support, arguing that he can no longer pay it.
The application was initially filed in September 2021 but dragged on in court due to complications in determining the “true nature and extent” of his income, according to the new documents.
The 66-year-old, born in Seattle as Kenneth Gorelick, was married to Benson for 21 years and, as the top earner, agreed to pay him the hefty monthly fee after their divorce in 2013.
But he has since asked to amend the agreement, citing a drop in his finances, despite court documents indicating he earns $600,000 a month in rental income alone.
“Even assuming that the Court completely ignored all of Petitioner’s income from his musical services, Petitioner, by his own admission, asserts that he receives $600,000 per month in rental income with very negligible expenses,” the documents state.
“Compared to the income Respondent (Benson) receives and the funds to which she has access, there can be no finding other than a significant disparity between the parties.”
With Kenny still earning ‘5 to 10 times’ more than his ex, he is still the top earner and will have to cover her legal costs.
The musician and his wife Lyndie Benson are seen at their home in June 1992.
Kenny G is seen in July 2021 playing at Charles Krug Winery presented by The Blue Note, in Napa Valley. He claims that he no longer tours regularly.
The case remained unsolved since 2021, prompting his lawyers to notify Benson last week.
“Kenny, now 65, has been paying Lyndie spousal support for over 9 years,” the original documents say.
‘Kenny is a Grammy Award winning saxophonist with a long and successful career and over 15 albums.
However, as explained in Kenny’s attached statement, over the last 2-3 years, Kenny’s touring opportunities, where he earns the most income, have not only decreased, but his percentage of earnings has also decreased. of the tours
“Kenny’s income has decreased substantially since 2018.”
His legal team, led by prominent divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, did not specify how much the musician was worth.
At the time of their divorce, it was widely reported that she was worth $50 million.
He has paid his ex-wife $3.9 million since 2013, his lawyers said.
“Lyndie is 57 years old and, to the best of Kenny’s knowledge, in good health,” his lawyers wrote in his initial complaint.
‘Lyndie has refused to be fully self-sufficient for almost 10 years.
“Kenny shouldn’t have to continue to bear the burden of his refusal to do so.”
Her lawyers say she launched a clothing company, Bleusalt, but refused to hand over financial documentation related to the business.
In May 2022, Forbes interviewed her, describing her as a “thriving fashion label” of “Malibu-inspired chic essentials.”
Kenny G, wife Lyndie Benson and sons Max and Noah
She told the magazine: ‘I’ve always been obsessed with beautiful cashmere and head-to-toe ensembles from Loro Piana and Bamford. Fancy clothes that looked good on the beach for a bonfire and just as good when you were at Nobu for dinner.
“So once I found the fabric and perfected it for Bleusalt, the inspiration had already been fully realized in my daily life and aesthetic.”
He is trying to end the payments altogether, or reduce them substantially.
He is also asking the court to remove the requirement that he keep payments on a life support policy, which was guaranteed under the divorce.
Kenny G is the best-selling instrumental artist in history and next month he’s performing in Las Vegas.
With 11 platinum albums and eight others that have achieved multi-platinum status, Kenny G is one of the most successful artists, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
He appeared on The SpongeBob Movie soundtrack and has collaborated with Kanye West and Katy Perry.
In 2021, HBO made a documentary about his life and music, Listening to Kenny G.
The following year, he appeared in a Super Bowl ad for Busch Light beer, his second Super Bowl ad, after appearing for Audi in 2011.
In 2022, he said Forbes he didn’t mind being made fun of for being everywhere.
“If I’m the butt of the joke, if it’s funny, I love it,” he says, recalling how in the movie Wayne’s World, a dentist traded novocain for his music, how in South Park his music “makes everyone shit in their mouths.” pants”. ‘, or how Saturday Night Live mocked him for a duet he did with Frank Sinatra.
‘It doesn’t bother me because it’s really fun.’
