Why Did John McEnroe Pay Only $4.5 Million To First Wife Tatum O’Neal in Alimony?

Tatum O’Neal’s biggest claim to fame remains that she is the youngest actor ever to win an Oscar. However, the young prodigy is also famous for being previously married to tennis superstar John McEnroe. Unlike many other celebrity marriages though, McEnroe and O’Neal’s marriage fell apart too soon and the settlement value of their divorce was only $4.5 million, which McEnroe had to pay O’Neal.

Tatum O’Neal, Ryan O’Neal’s daughter, and John McEnroe wed one another in a Roman Catholic ceremony in 1986. Tatum’s father Ryan O’Neal wasn’t there since he didn’t like McEnroe. 8 years later, her father’s intuition turned out to be true.

The divorce was finalized in 1994 and Tatum O’Neal got $4.5 million in payout. The two share three children and five homes. Their first child was born before they got married.

Tatum O’Neal became disenfranchised by the idea of a ‘tennis trophy wife’. McEnroe didn’t want her to work after marriage and be a ‘stay-at-home mom’, whereas O’Neal, an Oscar winner, wanted to do more movies. This clash in decisions finally made them grow apart.

The details as to why such a low amount was fine by Tatum O’Neal were never out in public. Rumors have it that it was because she pulled the plug on their marriage and wanted a way out for herself.

John McEnroe’s net worth today is $100 million and he has owned an art gallery in Manhattan since 1993. From his tennis career alone, he earned $12,552,132 in prize money. Today, he also follows his passion for music, living a ‘rockstar’ life besides tennis commentary.

Tatum O’Neal’s net worth, on the other hand, is $1.5 million. After Paper Moon, for which she won an Oscar, she went on to star in several other movies as a child actor. After her divorce from McEnroe, she made movies like Basquiat, My Brother, The Runaways, etc.

McEnroe and O’Neal have joint custody of their children, but in 1998, McEnroe took over the sole custody of them. This is because Tatum O’Neal had a heroin addiction. It could also possibly be why the long-running alimony and divorce settlement couldn’t quite go in her favor big time.

McEnroe married rock singer Patty Smyth in 1997 and has two daughters with her. They live in the Upper West Side of Manhattan today. O’Neal never married again but tried to recover from her drug problems and restore her strained relationship with her father after 25 years.

About the author

Tanmay Roy

Tanmay Roy is a Tennis Journalist at The SportsRush, whose lifelong passion and zeal for the sport landed him this position. A writer with over 1000 articles under him, Tanmay fell in love with tennis in 2005 when Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon final after a stunning three sets. Tanmay followed the likes of the Big Three - Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal from the mid-noughties to now. His interest was stronger than ever after the wonderful 2009 Wimbledon Final which saw Roger Federer win after a see-saw 5-set match. His favorite female tennis player is Serena Williams and Monica Seles. Tanmay's favorite match-up to date is Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick in the 2000s. If possible, the John Isner vs Nicolas Mahut first round match at the 2010 Wimbledon is the only match Tanmay would love to watch Live by going back in time. Of late, he is a huge fan of Jannik Sinner and believes the youngster has the potential to break every record.

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