John Schneider denied his ex-wife's claims Elvira Schneider to receive an eight-figure sum of compensation.
The American actor filed a lawsuit explaining that his ex-wife's financial claims were untrue and that he would not take on such serious financial obligations.
John Schneider and Elvira Schneider's marriage ended in 2014, when the latter filed for divorce after more than two decades of marriage. In 2019, a settlement was reached, requiring the actor to pay her $25,000 in monthly alimony.
John Schneider insists the eight-figure settlement his ex-wife paid doesn't add up.
The actor appeared in court arguing that his ex-wife is dishonestly declaring the amount of child support she claims he owes her. The actor reportedly filed new court documents asking the judge to dismiss his ex-wife's latest claim in their ongoing legal dispute.
As stated in the lawsuit, John claimed his ex-wife failed to provide sufficient evidence to support her claim that he owed $2.3 million in child support. He insists the amount she provided was miscalculated.
According to TMZ, the original claim listed John as owed approximately $2,382,548, with about $1 million of that amount being accrued interest.
In addition to the child support claim, Elvira is also seeking access to a portion of her ex-husband's Screen Actors Guild pension payments and his Social Security benefits until the alleged debt is repaid.
As for the actor, the battle to challenge both the amount of the debt and attempts to collect it in court continues, as he insists that he will not pay what he does not owe.
In 2018, the director was briefly jailed for child support arrears.
The actor and his ex-partner are no strangers to the litigation surrounding their divorce. The Blast noted that back in 2020, Elvira accused the actor of failing to pay nearly $1 million in child support.
At the time, she said her ex-husband earned $172,000 a month, and while she didn't want immediate full repayment, she wanted a portion of his earnings.
Elvira noted that the income came directly from a large number of studios (approximately 30) and production companies with which the actor had previously collaborated. The legal battle began even earlier, and in 2018, John was sentenced to three days in jail in Los Angeles County after reportedly failing to pay over $150,000 in child support.
The actor was released a few hours later due to prison overcrowding, after which the court ordered him to perform 240 hours of community service and fulfill additional financial obligations related to the case.
John Schneider gave marriage another chance after splitting from Elvira Schneider.
Prior to his current marriage to Dee Dee Sorvino, John was married to Alicia Allen, and they tied the knot in a private ceremony in 2019. Sadly, Alicia passed away from breast cancer at the age of 53 in February, a sad event that deeply touched the actor.
The actor broke his silence after Allen's death, admitting he was grateful for the opportunity to spend time with her, even though they had few plans before her death. He admitted he misses her every day, and they, against all expectations, decided to marry after her diagnosis.
«"I need to learn to look around and see where she is, not where she isn't. And I'm trying to do that, but it's hard. Somehow, I love her more and more with every passing minute, but at the same time, I miss her more and more," he emphasized.
The director's divorce included jail time, threats of wage garnishment, and mounting alimony debts.
Elvira and John's divorce was officially finalized on December 18, 2019, closing a chapter that began with Elvira filing for divorce on December 12, 2014.
As part of the agreement reached, the couple agreed to split the actor's pension payments, including those from SAG and DGA. As The Blast notes, Elvira was also given ownership of a commercial property in Apple Valley, California.
At one stage of the trial, the actor's ex-wife attempted to seize John's earnings, including money he received for participating in the show "Dancing with the Stars," in order to recover overdue child support.
During the trial, Elvira sought to recover unpaid child support payments Schneider received for his participation in "Dancing with the Stars." The court also ordered Schneider to pay his ex-wife's legal costs, which reportedly totaled nearly $280,000 over nearly five years of litigation.
Details of John Schneider's current marriage
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John tied the knot with Sorvino for the fourth time, which ironically happened about two years before they both lost their spouses.
According to PEOPLE, the actor and Sorvino opened up about their relationship in 2024, describing their meeting as a divine revelation: God sent the widower to the widow just when he was about to give up on love.
John is known for his roles on The Dukes of Hazzard and Smallville, as well as as a country singer, while Sorvino is an Emmy Award-winning anchor with experience at Fox News and the CBS Morning Show.
The couple bonded over their shared losses, as John attended memorial events for Sorvino's husband. John and Sorvino first met in person in Los Angeles, at the Hollywood Museum, for the opening of the Abbott and Costello exhibition in July 2023.
The wedding took place in Las Vegas in 2024 at the Vegas Wedding Hotel, in a white convertible that previously belonged to Usher.
Will John Schneider's wish come true?
Read also: Singer Sia's ex-husband is using unemployment as an argument in his demands for child support.