Producer Bob Weinsteins Wife Files for Divorce, Seeks Protection Order

 Posted on April 12, 2012 in Child Custody

The recent headlines about movie mogul Bob Weinstein showcase just how quickly things can spin out of control in the legal arena when marriages break down. Weinstein, the producer of many successful films including Pulp Fiction and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, was in a Manhattan courtroom Monday, where his wife had filed for both divorce and for an order of protection.

Anne Weinstein, a former book editor, and the producer married in 2000 and have two children together. According to court documents filed by Ms. Weinstein, she was seeking the order because she feared "bodily harm." But a spokesperson for Weinstein says his wife was reacting to a family intervention that had been staged to get her to deal with a drinking problem, and that there was no abuse.

The day before Anne Weinstein filed, the family, led by longtime certified interventionist Don Sloane, confronted her about her drinking. According to a report in the New York Post, Sloane said "The alleged incident consisted of an intervention by family members including myself, Annie Weinstein's sister and her brother in-law, Bob Weinstein's daughter, Sara, and additional health professionals in an attempt to convince Bob's wife, Annie, to seek help for her drinking addiction."

After listening to both sides, the judge put off making a ruling in the case. Lawyers for both sides met and are in the process of working things out "amicably."

False allegations of domestic abuse are sometimes used during divorce and custody battles. Five years ago, RADAR (Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting) estimated that there were one million false allegations filed each year. According to an article in the Illinois Bar Journal, restraining orders are now seen as part of the "gamesmanship of divorce". If you're divorcing in Chicago, hiring an experienced DuPage County divorce attorney who can navigate through potential underhanded legal tactics by the other party is vital.