Filed under: Celebrity News
The National Enquirer is causing a stir online because of their alleged finding that Morgan Freeman's ex-wife, Myrna Colley-Lee, will receive a $400 million settlement as part of the terms of their divorce. Even though this report has not been substantiated by a confirmation from anyone within the Freeman family, many popular sites such as
Bossip.com are already discussing the alleged settlement in depth. BlackVoices.com invites our readers to keep an open mind, and wait for the final word of truth on Morgan Freeman's settlement with his ex-wife. At the same time, the fascination over celebrity divorce settlements is so acute in our era, we feel that this topic alone is something worthy of being addressed. What is it about the alleged $400 million settlement that millions of people are finding so interesting, even though this fact is not at all substantiated?
We saw the same morbid fascination with celebrity divorce settlements when Tiger Woods' head was on the chopping block over numerous affairs perpetrated against his unsuspecting wife. There were even rumors that
Elin was asking for $750 million that circulated like wildfire. This of course threw people into an outrage -- on both sides of the fences -- because $750 million is $150 million more than many believe Tiger Woods has in cash on hand. The thought that Elin could ask for such a sum seemed crazy to many people who didn't see her as deserving of Tiger's total fortune and more. But those who sided with her as the scorned, faithful wife believed wholeheartedly that she deserved every penny she could get out of Woods for cheating so much.
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Top Black Films of the Decade
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
There was a time when African American movies were few and far between. Fortunately, these days, black Hollywood is bankable and in demand. We took a look at the best black films of the decade and selected the 10 we thought were heads above the rest. From true-life stories to those with familiar characters, our top 10 features flicks that are witty, entertaining and inspiring.
20th Century Fox / Lionsgate / K.C. Bailey / Lionsgate
AFP
BlackVoices.com
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
There was a time when African American movies were few and far between. Fortunately, these days, black Hollywood is bankable and in demand. We took a look at the best black films of the decade and selected the 10 we thought were heads above the rest. From true-life stories to those with familiar characters, our top 10 features flicks that are witty, entertaining and inspiring.
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
10. 'Brown Sugar'
After appearing together in 1999's 'The Best Man,' Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan teamed up again in 2002's 'Brown Sugar.' Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, and also starring Mos Def, Queen Latifah, Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe, 'Brown Sugar,' is a story about how a relationship with hip-hop forces two childhood friends (Lathan and Diggs) to realize that their feelings for each other are more complicated than they ever imagined. The movie, which grossed $27 million at the box office, was inspired by Common's smash hit song 'I Used to Love H.E.R.'
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
9. 'Drumline'
Before he became known as Mariah Carey's husband, actor Nick Cannon broke into the film industry in 2002's 'Drumline,' which also starred Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones and Jason Weaver. Directed by Charles Stone III, 'Drumline' is the story of a young percussionist from New York who plays in the band at the fictional Atlanta A&T University and bumps heads with the leader of the drum section. Released during a slow December box office period, the film - made on a budget of $20 million -- grossed a surprising $56 million.
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
8. 'Remember the Titans'
Moiviegoers still consider 2000's 'Remember the Titans' to be one of the best sports film of the decade. Starring Denzel Washington as coach Herman Boone, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced movie is based on the true story of a newly appointed African American coach and his high school team during their first season as a racially integrated unit at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. Also featured in the film are Wood Harris, Donald Faison, 'Heroes' Hayden Panettiere and Will Patton. Produced for $30 million, the flick grossed $115 million.
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
7. 'Akeelah and the Bee'
Following their pairing in 'Boyz in the Hood' and 'What's Love Got to Do With It,' Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett teamed up for a third time in the 2006 drama 'Akeelah and the Bee.' Starring newcomer Keke Palmer, the film follows an 11-year-old girl from South Central Los Angeles who tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee. Produced for $8 million, the Lionsgate film, in conjunction with Starbucks, grossed a total of $18 million. It also became the first DVD offered for sale at the chain store.
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
6. 'The Pursuit of Happyness'
Will Smith scored an Oscar nomination for best actor when starred in this 2006 sleeper hit. Directed by Gabriele Muccino, the film was based on the true story of Chris Gardner (played by Smith), a homeless-salesman-turned-stockbroker. The film also starred Thandie Newton, and paired Smith with his real-life son, Jaden. The movie raked in $27 million during its opening week, making it Smith's sixth consecutive No. 1 opening, and grossed a total of $162 million domestically.
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
5. 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire'
As the only film ever to win the 2009 Audience Award from both the Sundance and Toronto film festivals in the same year, Lee Daniels' 'Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire' is already considered a shoo-in for a best picture nomination. With the extra-marketing provided by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, the movie, about an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child when she is invited to enroll in an alternative school, proved a box-office success. With a cast that includes Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and Paula Patton, the Lionsgate film has brought in $42 million to date.
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
4. 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman'
In 2005, Hollywood was introduced to Tyler Perry, and the film industry was never the same. When the former playwright's first movie, 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman,' hit No. 1 at the box office during its opening weekend, with a staggering $20.6 million from 1,605 theaters, Perry became a sought-after moviemaker. 'Diary,' which was based on Perry's play about a couple whose solid marriage begins to crumble despite increasing financial success, starred Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Cicely Harris and Shemar Moore. Produced on a $5.5 million budget, the romantic drama grossed $50 million at the box office, the first of Perry's film to achieve that goal.
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
3. 'Dreamgirls'
Originally a Broadway musical, 'Dreamgirls' finally made it to the big screen with a bevy of talent that included Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Anika Noni Rose, Eddie Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson. Many said the film, about a trio of black female soul singers who cross over into the pop charts in the early-60s, was a thinly veiled portrayal of the rise and fall of the Supremes. Hudson, who won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 1996 for her role as Effie White, delivered the movie's show-stopping performance during her rendition of 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.' The film went on to gross $103 million at the box office.
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
2. 'Hotel Rwanda'
After playing numerous supporting roles, Don Cheadle scored the role of his life when he starred in 2004's 'Hotel Rwanda.' The film was based on the life of Paul Rusesabagina (played by Cheadle), a hotel manager who housed more than a thousand Tutsi refugees during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Cheadle and his co-star, Sophie Okonedo, received Oscar nods for their performances in the film, which grossed $33 million at the box office.
Top Black Films of the Decade 2000-2009
In the end, the press reported that
Elin received $100 million -- but in the end, no one really knows. The truth is that a dollar amount was never released to the press. Yet, the press had to say something to appease the hungry maw of the masses who wanted to desperately know the end to their riveting story.
The truth is that divorce is a private affair. Families have the right to keep settlement amounts private. At the same time, when a high-profile celebrity has a divorce that involves scandalous cheating, that divorce settlement is going to take on the tenor of international breaking news. The divorce has all the elements of a soap opera. The settlement represents the drama's final act.
In the case of Morgan Freeman, his alleged affair with his step-granddaughter, E'Dena Hines (pictured above is actress Serena Reeder), which is alleged to have gone on for ten years, is a piece of juicy gossip that almost no one can resist. This totally unsubstantiated tidbit is what makes the alleged settlement of Morgan Freeman's ex-wife so alluring and interesting -- even though this $400 million amount has not been proven as a fact.
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Even though the National Enquirer is the source of this story, there is one part of their reporting about the settlement that I absolutely do believe: That "the details were sealed from the public by a Tallahatchie County judge"
(National Enquirer). That being the case, the only way to know for sure what amount Morgan Freeman paid in his settlement to his ex-wife is to hear it from that ex-wife, Myrna Colley-Lee. That day may come, but for now all we have is speculation. And as we speculate, there are other realistic factors to consider.
The first question of course is: Does Morgan Freeman even have $400 million? The site
Celebritynetworth.com lists his net worth as $90 million. Not a great source, but the only one out there. Looking at
IMDb.com, we see that Freeman makes three or four movies a year, and has for some time, going back to 1978. While 1978 was way before the era of massive compensation for Hollywood stars, this means that Morgan Freeman has been amassing large amounts of income for a long time. A 1996 article from Jet magazine
lists Freeman's salary as $5-6 million per film, giving an interesting median for the span of films over the course of his 32-year career as a star. So let's say as a low-ball estimate that, earning an average of $15 million a year, times 32 years, Freeman has earned $492 million. Managed well, it might be more. But it might not. Stars have to pay taxes like everyone else, and in addition agents, managers and other staff. They also lead very expensive lifestyles.
As we saw in the case of Nicolas Cage, there is no way to tell how much celebrities are spending.
So the fact is we have no idea how well Morgan Freeman has managed his money, or exactly how much he has earned without asking him. People may have asked, but he has not often told reputable news sources. Is it possible that a judge awarded Myrna Colley-Lee $400 million of Morgan Freeman's roughly gestimated $500 million, if he still has it? Possibly, but probably not. There is just no way to know.
The only way we will know is if and when we get the story from Morgan Freeman or Myrna Colley-Lee. Until then, we can continue enjoying the soap opera of their lives. It
is a crazy story. But this is just a reality check -- we don't really know, and given the facts out there, the $400 million amount might not be true.
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