Katy Perry’s No Pre-Nup Divorce From Russell Brand Could Cost Her

There’s a reason that celebrities sign iron clad pre-nups when they get married. It’s because they have tons of money and tend not to be married for very long. That’s definitely the case with Katy Perry and Russell Brand‘s 14-month nuptials, but the former lovebirds were so head over heels that they decided to skip the pre-nup and Katy Perry is likely to start paying for that decision now that they’re divorcing - potentially up to $20 million.

Right before the pair got married in October of 2010, Russell told an audience at a New York Times event that he and Perry wanted to keep their marriage “normal”:

“It ain’t selling the pictures, ain’t doing no prenup. It’s like a normal thing.”

That was a sweet sentiment when the pair assumed they’d be married forever. But now that Brand has filed for divorce just 14 months in, he stands to gain a lot from taking a stand against the pre-nuptial agreement.

The thing is, Katy Perry is a lot more successful than he is. According to Forbes, Perry’s net worth is $44 million — whereas Brand’s estimated net worth falls between $6.6 and $15 million.

To further his potential winnings, the pair bought a new home in the Spring, and California is a community property state.

Brand is the one who filed for divorce the other day, citing “irreconcilable differences.” When he did so, he released a statement stating that “Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I’ll always adore her and I know we’ll remain friends.”

However, the second clause of that statement probably depends on how big a chunk of her earnings he gets out of the deal.