Like non-celebrities, Hollywood actors and actresses have to deal with the up’s and down’s of family law and divorce. One such instance is a child support ruling involving actor Jon Cryer of “Two and a Half Men” fame and his former wife Sarah Trigger Cryer. A California appeals court recently ruled that even though Jon Cryer has child custody of the former couple’s son, Cryer must continue to pay $8,000 in child support per month to his ex-wife.
The famously divorced dad from “Two and a Half Men” and Sarah Trigger Cryer divorced in 2006 and since that time have remarried. Initially after the divorce, Sarah Trigger Cryer had primary custody of their son, and Jon Cryer agreed to pay $10,000 in child support every month. As time passed the lives of the actor and actress changed.
Sarah Trigger Cryer had a second child with her second husband and that marriage also ended in divorce. Sarah Trigger Cryer has also struggled with her acting career as well. After Sarah Trigger Cryer’s youngest son was hurt in her home, both sons were placed in the homes of their respective fathers.
Because of the change in custody, Jon Cryer petitioned to cancel his child support obligation. Sarah argued against the change in child support and said the payments only made up 3 percent of Jon Cryer’s income. Sarah also argued that the child support payments were her only significant source of income and without the payments she would lose her house and car.
The court ordered Jon Cryer to continue paying $10,000 in child support every month through 2009 and the amount was lowered to $8,000 per month beginning in 2010. The appellate court upheld the ruling of the lower court on Monday. The court explained, “Jon may have found the situation unfair, [but] the primary focus must remain on the child’s well-being, not the parents’ feelings.”
Jon Cryer will start his ninth season on “Two and a Half Men” this fall. Sarah Trigger Cryer has not acted professionally since 2005.
Source: Courthouse News Service, “Cryer’s ex-wife can keep child support, not child,” Jeff D. Gorman, Aug. 31, 2011