'Twilight's' Peter Facinelli Divorcing '90210' Star Jennie Garth
The adoptive father of vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight movie series is seeking a real-life divorce. Peter Facinelli and his wife, former "90210" actress Jennie Garth, announced they're splitting after 11 years of marriage.
"While we have decided to end our marriage, we both share the same deep love and devotion to our children," the couple said in a joint statement, according to The Huffington Post.
Facinelli, 38, and Garth, 39, tied the knot in 2001 after meeting on the set of a TV movie, Us Weekly reports. They have three daughters, ages 5, 9, and 14.
Neither Peter Facinelli, who plays Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the Twilight saga, nor "90210" star Jennie Garth have yet filed divorce papers, gossip website TMZ reports. But rumors of the couple's troubled relationship emerged last summer.
News reports suggest Facinelli and Garth live in California, which is a community property state. That means in a divorce, each spouse is entitled to 50% of all assets acquired by either spouse between their date of marriage and their date of separation.
Community property rules can be trumped by a written agreement, such as a prenuptial agreement. It's not clear if Facinelli and Garth entered into such a contract before their marriage.
As for custody of their children, that will likely be addressed by the divorcing couple in a written marital-settlement agreement. If not, the star couple may have to battle for child custody in court.
That probably won't happen, if Twilight's Peter Facinelli and "90210" star Jennie Garth's joint divorce statement is true. "We remain dedicated to raising our beautiful daughters together," the statement said, according to the Post.
Related Resources:
- Jennie Garth, Peter Facinelli Split: Couple To Divorce After 11 Years Of Marriage (The Huffington Post)
- Who Owns What in Marital Property? (FindLaw)
- Child Custody (FindLaw)
- Twilight Star Taylor Lautner Sues Over Trailer 'Emotional Distress' (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)