Official: Madonna And Guy Ritchie To Divorce By Christmas

Madonna looked exhausted and frazzled as she returned to her New York apartment last night - as friends and media reports asserted she and Guy Ritchie would be divorced by the holidays.

After almost six months of rumor, the Hollywood power couple is expected to terminate their eight-year marriage.

According to reports, the couple will be issuing a statement within the next two days, after a series of "shouting matches" spoiled their current attempts at reconciliation.

A crafty divorce settlement could pocket director Guy Ritchie close to $50 million, and the couple does not have a pre-nuptial agreement.

Reports suggest that Madonna has already hired Fiona Shackleton, the lawyer who helped Paul McCartney in his courtroom encounter with Heather Mills, and who helped him lower her take on his $600 million to only $20 million.

A declaration by Ritchie for a portion of Madonna's wealth would be based on their 10-year marriage, his support of her career and the fact that they have two children together, Rocco, eight, and David Banda, two.

Madonna's resolve to adopt a second child from Africa is rumored to be one of the major reasons for the divorce. Ritchie aggressively disagrees with the idea of adding more children to the family by adopting third world children, and their marriage was placed under tremendous strain several years ago when they adopted David from Malawi.

It is not clear where Madonna's daughter Lourdes, 12, Rocco and David will live after the divorce.

The two were married at Skibo Castle in Scotland in December 2000, just five months after the singer gave birth to their son Rocco. Madonna is also mother to Lourdes, 12, from a previous relationship to Carlos Leon.

Madonna is currently on the road performing with her world concert tour, and Guy Ritchie is currently directing the adventure mystery film "Sherlock Holmes", due next year and starring Robert Downey Jr., Rachel McAdams and Jude Law.

The film is an adaptation of the famous detective series where Detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
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