LOS ANGELES (AP) – A California appeals court has reinstated Terrence Howard’s divorce judgment to his second wife after finding the actor was not coerced into signing it.
A three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles ruled unanimously Wednesday to reverse a 2015 ruling that overturned Howard’s divorce judgment from Michelle Howard. That ruling found the “Empire” star was under duress when he agreed to pay his ex-wife generous spousal support because he was afraid she would leak embarrassing information about him.
Howard claimed his wife threatened to reveal embarrassing information about him a 2011 phone call, and the couple agreed to a divorce settlement that paid her significant spousal support a year later.
The ruling states the passage of time negates Howard’s claims he was forced to sign it.
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This story has been corrected to show Michelle Howard is Terrence Howard’s second wife, not his third.