Ent Wrap: Mel Gibson's divorce to be most expensive

London: Hollywood star Mel Gibson's divorce from Robyn may turn out to be one of the most expensive in the celebrity history.

Robyn has filed for divorce after 28 years of marriage. People magazine’s website reports that the Braveheart star would end up paying $500 million as the settlement money to his ex-wife.

With no indication that the estranged couple had a prenuptial agreement (often called a prenup), Robyn is legally entitled in their divorce to half of everything the actor-director-producer earned during their marriage - a fortune estimated at close to $1 billion.

"This could easily be one of the biggest divorce settlements in Hollywood history," says Los Angeles family lawyer Lynn Soodik, who's not involved with the case. "Any attorney would advise her to take half."

The $500 million settlement would dwarf the current record holders of celebrity divorce:

Michael Jordan paid up $168 million following his 2006 divorce with wife Juanita; Neil Diamond shelled out $150 million after his 1994 split with Marcia Murphey; Steven Spielberg wrote a cheque of $100 million following his 1989 divorce.

Madonna and her $40-mn Manhattan mansion

Meanwhile, in New York, Madonna is landing on her feet after her breakup from British husband Guy Ritchie. The pop diva has bought a Manhattan mansion with 13 bedrooms for $40 million, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

The paper noted that despite the high price tag, the 26-room mansion on the Upper East Side still shook from the nearby subway trains.

However, Madonna evidently overlooked this inconvenience in favour of having such rare New York amenities as a two-car garage, a 3,000-square-metre garden, nine fireplaces, an elevator, a wine cellar with a grotto, 13 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms.

Madonna, 50, will not be moving in any time soon. The report says she plans extensive renovations for her family which includes Lourdes, 12, Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3. She is also trying to adopt a second baby from Malawi, but a court there ruled earlier this month against her adoption bid.