Posted on 10/30/2009 6:06:59 PM PDT by Steelfish
Michelle Marvin, ‘Palimony’ Figure, Dies
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS October 30, 2009
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michelle Triola Marvin, who fought a landmark "palimony" case against her former lover, actor Lee Marvin, has died. She was 76.
Family spokesman Bob Palmer says Marvin died Friday morning of lung cancer at the Malibu home she shared with actor Dick Van Dyke, her partner of 30 years.
Marvin lived with Lee Marvin for six years and took his name. They broke up in 1970 and nine years later she sued for nearly $2 million, even though she had no alimony rights because the couple never married. Her lawyer dubbed the request "palimony" and the name stuck.
She eventually won $104,000, although the award was overturned.
The case set a precedent in California law that allowed unmarried partners to sue for financial support, and many similar cases followed.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Good riddance to a gold digger.
I rarely speak ill of the recently departed—but I might make an exception this time!
sorry, nine years with the guy, she was a ‘wife’ in some ways, yeah better to be married....but he chose to live with her ...and he should have been decent and given her something. No respect for this guy.
he’s the “user”. What a woos and cheapskate.,
Is Van Dyke still living?
correction; lived with him for 6 years...he is still a cheapskate.
And she with him...
Yes, that is right...It still makes him a cheapskate.
Yes, and it quite good health.
Rest in peace you piece of sh!t!
But it doesn’t make him liable.
Yeah, it's always the man's fault. You should be a divorce attorney. Or a spokesperson for NOW.
At that time , you are correct.
But a decent gentleman would have not fought the 104K settlement. In my Opinion, he was a cheapskate and a jerk.
I’ll chime in — Gold digger. She CHOSE to live with him and not get married; he chose the same. They both got what they wanted — no committment, ‘freedom’ from having to put your money where your mouth is. She chose that with Dick Van Dyke too. What is it with Hollywood? The oldest teenagers around, living in rebellion.
She was a nobody and always has been. Who was the "user?" She had her price and he met it, until she decided to change the deal.
Someday people will learn not to pick and choose sides when pigs fight each other.
They simply ended up haggling over the price.
I liked him. A good entertainer. He kept his politics to himself, as far as I was aware.
Uh, and you have a problem???
Its not always the man’s fault, in this case, it would have been the gentlemanly thing to do. $104K after 6 years is hardly ‘gold digging”.
He just doesn’t have class in this situation...No need to defend a cheapskate by insulting me.
the guy was cheap. That is my only comment.
You’re still “recovering,” aren’t you?
WOW..that was a brilliant and so UNIQUE response to my comments...gosh, no one has ever said that before..You must be brilliant in debate.
Go through a rough divorce?
Really? And how much did he spend on her? How many doors to influence did he open for her? She seemed to be content, and she knew where she stood.
She was a gold digger.
You must be a woman.
Van Dyke and MTM are both perfect examples of the benefits of hypocrisy. No program was more wholesome than The Dick Van Dyke Show. They had episodes about Judaism, Catholicism, race relations, etc.—all of them as wholesome as they could be. Despite the constant jokes about how man-hungry Sally was, there was never a hint that she wasn’t a virgin. There isn’t a show on today with an unmarried woman who isn’t a tramp.
When it became acceptable, both Van Dyke and MTM came out of the closet as conventional lefty progressives.
Ok, not only was he cheap, but stupid too.
For $104 he could have settled out of court....and looked much better for it.But I know, his ego couldn’t handle just finishing the ‘deal”...and felt it would be “losing.”HA!
Why should he? He did nothing illegal. His case set a (terrible) precedent.
More brilliant arguments.Ha.
Guess you really have had a rough way to go with women.
sorry, but men who are fair and smart, most of the time, but not always for sure, fare better.
Marvin lived with Lee Marvin for six years and took his name.
So she sues for "palimony" in the Marvin relationship, but goes right back and does it again with Van Dyke (Mr. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)?
Hollywood hates marriage and families - the garbage they "entertain" us with proves it.
Well, that proves you're a bitter female.
Well, men and women can’t have it both ways...you can’t “pretend’ to be married and not face consequences of all sorts.
BTw, I know a guy who got “alimony “from his live-in girlfriend who made more than he did.
this is the price we have paid as a society that de-values marriage. Seems like nobody cares anymore though.
HA!
hardly proves your point cause it works for women AND men.
Yeah, sorry you had a rough way to go.
If that isn't the definition of "p*ssy," I don't know what is.
A man with no self respect is no man.
Well, he thought it was “fair”, so good for him!
Actions have consequences.
What a sorry excuse for a "man" he must be.
Give her what? He put a roof over her head and she didn’t have to work. Maybe she should have used all her free time to learn a legal job skill.
You misread. Together for six years, split for nine years then decided to sue. I’m sorry, if you’ve made it for nine years on your own then tough luck lady.
I have to say that I also think this woman was a bit of a gold digger. She chose to live without marriage to Lee Marvin at a time when it still a controversial thing to do. Not only did she do this but then demanded support when they broke up. She should never have been granted a dime from the courts. It was frivolous lawsuits like this one that gave credence to living together without being married, and added to the general moral decline in America.
So this woman was the mother of the pre-nup, which everyone with money now employs lawyers to draw up in order to protect their wealth from gold-diggers.
Spot on!
Well I figure if Van Dyke had any history of being a liberal, someone would certainly know on this board and would definitely let it be known. Thanks, not surprised but I’m glad we didn’t have to hear his political views throughout the history of his career. I would have no doubt watched him less.
RIP. Condolences to Mr. Van Dyke.
His Wikipedia biography says that Dick Van Dyke and his wife divorced in 1984 after a long separation.
Wow..Piece of shit..huh? She’s someone’s mother, lover and friend. Dick Van Dyke loved her for 30 years. I’m glad you know more than anyone else. Very, very Christian of you.
She quit her career to take care of him and his home. Only a cad would send someone off with nothing. Yes, she agreed..but that still doesn’t mean he has no obligation.
Gold digging is a career, I guess these days.
She was a pioneer in the field.
What did she benefit from this (or anyone else)? You get money while you are alive? How does this compensate for your soul?
Wiki says:Van Dyke married Margie Willett in 1948, with whom he had four children: Christian (Chris), Barry, Carrie Beth, and Stacy.[1] They divorced in 1984 after a long separation.
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