As far as Hollywood divorces go, there have been quite a few examples of not-so-smooth separations among the rich and famous, and actor Dennis Quaid's divorce from his third wife is among them.
The Far From Heaven star has been married four times. In 2020, Quaid tied the knot with his fourth wife, Laura Savoie, the pair finally walking down the aisle after they had to postpone their ceremony due to the Covid-19 pandemic safety regulations.
But it's his third marriage to real estate agent Kimberly Buffington to have puzzled some fans when divorce papers were sent and withdrew multiple times between 2012 and 2016.
A Timeline Of Dennis Quaid's Dating History And Marriages
The actor and musician has said "I do" four times, with three of his marriages resulting in divorce.
Between 1978 and 1983 Quaid was married to actress P.J. Soles, known for being a "scream queen" who has appeared in a number of horror films, including Brian De Palma's Carrie and the Halloween franchise.
Quaid was then romantically involved with rom-com royalty Meg Ryan after working together on thriller D.O.A., also starring Charlotte Rampling. The couple got married on Valentine's Day in 1991 and welcomed their son, The Boys and Scream actor Jack Quaid, the following year.
Quaid and Ryan stayed married for nearly a decade, announcing their separation in 2000 and finalizing their divorce in June 2001.
During his divorce from the You've Got Mail star, Quaid briefly dated model Shanna Moakler, prior to her relationship with blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.
In 2004, the actor and Kimberly Buffington got married at his ranch in Paradise Valley, Montana, with Jack, then 12, serving as best man for his father.
According to Quaid's representatives, he and the real estate agent were introduced by a mutual friend during a dinner in Austin, Texas. He and Buffington had fraternal twins, Zoe Grace and Thomas Boone, via surrogate in 2007.
Following his divorce from Buffington, Quaid dated model Santa Auzina from 2016 to 2019. In October 2019, he announced his engagement to Savoie, with their wedding taking place less than a year later.
A Closer Look At Dennis Quaid's Messy Divorce From Kimberly Buffington
When the couple called it quits in 2016, announcing their amicable split, fans weren't exactly shocked at the decision.
A divorce had been in the air for years. Buffington first filed to terminate their marriage in 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. The union had "become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities," she said in a statement in March that year.
It seemed over for the couple until the realtor appeared to have changed her mind and withdrew the divorce papers not even two months later.
Buffington filed for legal separation once again in October of the same year. She requested sole physical custody and joint legal custody of their two children. A few weeks later, Quaid filed for divorce himself, asking for joint legal and physical custody of the children. He offered to pay spousal support to Buffington.
Were they done for real this time? They surely seemed to be on the same page, filing to end their marriage within mere weeks of each other. Well, not quite. Quaid and Buffington were spotted together with their kids on multiple outings, confirming they had been patching things up in spring of 2013. In September that year, a judge dismissed the divorce proceedings.
The couple enjoyed three more years of marital bliss before things turned sour once again. Which brings us to 2016, when Quaid and Buffington seemed determined to get a divorce.
"After careful consideration, we have decided to end our 12-year marriage. The decision was made amicably and with mutual respect toward one another," the couple told TMZ in a joint statement at the time — emphasis on "careful consideration".
"We will always remain great friends and devoted partners in raising our children."
The divorce was finalized in April 2018, six years after Buffington filed the documents for the first time.
Kimberly Buffington And Dennis Quaid's Co-Parenting Arrangements
When they filed for divorce in 2016, Buffington had asked for full physical custody of the children and joint legal custody.
The custody agreement they reached consisted in Quaid and Buffington having the twins 25% and 75% of the time respectively, with the actor paying child support according to his timeshare: $13,750 per month allocated $6,875 for Zoe and $6,875 for Thomas. As per the original agreement, Quaid would owe an extra payment if he made more than $1.314 million per year.
In 2020, however, Quaid filed to modify the arrangement, claiming that he had 50% physical custody of Thomas and Zoe, and not 25% as the agreement stated.
He asked the judge to reconsider the amount he paid in child support, explaining he already paid some of the kids' expenses in full, such as school fees and child care, as well as extracurricular activities and travel.
In April 2022, the actor and his ex-wife settled on sharing 50% custody of the kids, with Quaid owing Buffington $225 for each day he misses as well as paying for nannies or caretakers to drive the kids to different high schools.
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