How Gal Pal's Lawyer Got Mel Gibson Offer to $16M (Refused), Up From 1 Year Rent and Dodge Charger
When Oksana Grigorieva moved in with Mel Gibson, a 2009 cohabitation agreement provided that she would get one year’s free housing in a home he owned and a Dodge Charger if the couple split.
But after she had the actor’s child, and especially after she taped him in an embarassing series of rants and provided credible evidence that he might have physically abused her, the settlement terms she sought increased considerably, reports the Los Angeles Times.
In a lengthy article based on text messages, e-mail, attorney’s notes and legal papers, the newspaper details an 11-month negotiation saga in which Gibson eventually was persuaded to offer $16 million–only to have the amount rejected as too little. Meanwhile, even as their lawyers talked and the matter went to arbitration, the couple considered reconciliation, the article says.
However, no agreement apparently was ever reached. Now, the Los Angeles sheriff’s department confirms, it has launched parallel assault and extortion probes.
Grigorieva reportedly is arguing with the lawyer who represented her at the time of the $16 million offer concerning whether she owes a contingency fee. Her current lawyer says she did nothing wrong and never intended to hurt Gibson.
For more details about the negotiation, read the full Los Angeles Times article.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Mel Gibson Movie Releases on Pause for Child Custody Case, Domestic Abuse & Extortion Probes”
