Pop Apologists Ep. 315: Inside Celeb Divorces of 2025 + Your Family Law Questions Answered (ft. Our Dad, John Bledsoe)
Podcast Date: December 31, 2025
Episode Overview
In this highly engaging and humorous episode, the Pop Apologists sisters are joined once again by their father, John Bledsoe—a seasoned divorce attorney—to dissect the buzziest celebrity divorces of 2025, answer listener family law questions, and share practical (and sometimes sobering) advice about marriage, prenups, substance abuse, and post-divorce realities. With references to current pop culture dramas (Taylor + Travis, “Golden Bachelor”, RHOBH, and more), the episode combines legal expertise, personal anecdotes, and the sisters’ signature banter to create a fun, informative, and insightful finale to the year.
Main Themes
- Celebrity divorce breakdowns: What really happens with prenups, asset division, and special circumstances (like sobriety clauses).
- Divorce law demystified: Common myths busted and practical advice shared for real-life situations—spousal support, handling addiction, dating during divorce, and more.
- Listener questions answered: Real family law concerns, from trusts to second marriages to safeguarding assets.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce: The Prenup Dilemma
[03:39–10:38]
- Advice for Taylor & Travis: John Bledsoe weighs in on prenup strategies for a high-profile, high-asset couple.
- Taylor’s assets are largely her own IP; Travis’s income is “finite”—so Taylor needs protection.
- “I feel like prenups are, in most cases, probably not necessary if people take certain precautions to safeguard their money.” —John [07:32]
- The importance of keeping accounts and assets segregated; even without a prenup, property brought into a marriage and kept separate may remain separate.
- Emotional implications of prenups: can feel like “one foot sticking out” of the marriage (John: [08:25]).
- “It seems like you’re kind of married, but also not really.” —C [08:49]
- Examples and celebrity references (Donald Trump and Marla Maples’ time-limited prenup).
2. 10-Year Marriage Rule & Spousal Support
[10:38–12:14]
- California law: Under 10 years, spousal support may not last more than half the marriage duration; over 10 years, support can last indefinitely until death or remarriage.
- “I had a situation one time where they actually had a fight on their 10th wedding anniversary...” —John [11:50]
3. Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban: Prenup Sobriety Clauses
[12:15–13:53]
- Unique prenup clause that pays Urban a sum for each year of sobriety.
- Such clauses are enforceable if written into the agreement.
- Proving compliance: burden of proof and kinds of evidence matter.
4. Golden Bachelor Divorce - Elder Marriages & Estates
[14:06–16:48]
- Misconceptions about late-in-life marriage and inheritance protections.
- Assets kept separate (not commingled) do not automatically go to the spouse.
- Without a will/trust:
- If one child: spouse and child split 50/50.
- Multiple children: spouse gets 1/3, children split 2/3.
- “If you don’t have a will, the government makes a will for you.” —John [17:15]
5. Denise Richards & Aaron Phypers: Income Concealment & Domestic Violence
[20:05–23:34]
- Spousal claims of no income: courts use tax returns as the “presumptively correct” measure ([20:55]).
- Domestic violence factors can reduce or eliminate spousal support.
- Five-year restraining orders are rare, and imply substantial abuse; can impact custody and financial outcomes.
6. Vocational Evaluations in Divorce
[24:01–31:28, 30:07–31:28]
- Courts can impute income based on earning potential, not just reported wages.
- Vocational evaluations are “one of the easiest things to get a judge to order” and can dramatically affect support calculations.
Notable Listener Questions & Legal Advice
7. Divorcing an Addict/Alcoholic Spouse
[33:34–37:37]
- John’s advice is direct: “If your spouse has a drinking problem…and they’re not willing to really get help, you need to get the hell out of there as fast as you can.” [33:52]
- Discusses SoberLink and court-ordered monitoring/protections for children.
- Courts distinguish use v. abuse (alcohol, Rx drugs seen differently than marijuana).
8. Real Housewives Case: Living Separate Lives & Asset Protection
[26:32–29:53]
- Even if not legally separated, separate lives can be taken as de facto separation in court.
- Date of separation impacts what is considered community property.
9. Property Division—Gifts, Inheritance, Separate/Community Property
[39:05–40:13]
- Gifts of “personal nature” (jewelry) are typically separate property; cars bought for spouse and paid off may still be community.
- Assets earned during marriage are community unless expressly agreed otherwise via prenup.
10. Unmarried Couples—Legal Protections
[40:14–41:17]
- “You better earn your own money and be able to provide for yourself because…you’re not going to be able to depend on him for any type of financial support.” —John [40:29]
- No marriage, no legal right to assets/support, regardless of duration.
11. Second Marriages, Step-Children, and Resource Allocation
[41:27–42:19]
- Resource conflicts between new spouses’ respective children are a major point of contention.
12. Dating During Divorce
[42:27–43:18]
- Generally, the court doesn’t care unless it impacts children (eg, unsavory individuals around minors).
13. Handling Secret Gambling or Financial Misconduct
[49:51–53:16]
- “Don’t give them access to money where they can do it again…Maybe you need to have a postnuptial agreement.” —John [50:11]
- Breach of fiduciary duty (misuse of marital funds) is a serious and sometimes irreparable issue.
14. Going Without Attorneys in Divorce/Mediation
[53:21–55:16]
- Biggest risk: One spouse may have “hidden” legal counsel and exploit the other.
- Never attend mediation without at least a consultation with a lawyer.
- “It’s a terrible idea to go to a mediation without an attorney. It's just not a good idea.” —John [55:16]
15. Are People Happier After Divorce?
[55:41–56:35]
- “I think a lot of people could stay together if they could forgive and move on…I think there are things though that you cannot, you know, like adultery, addiction, abuse…” —John [55:59]
16. Emotional Abuse in Divorce Court
[56:36–58:27]
- Emotional abuse is now more widely considered in court—may fall under “domestic violence” if pattern is evident.
- Courts look for repeated/persistent abuse, not one-time incidents.
17. Red Flags in Dating Divorced Men
[46:08–47:43]
- Substance abuse, estrangement from friends/family, how they treat servers or others who can’t “do anything for them,” and ignoring family/friend warnings are key warning signs.
18. Trusts and When Heirs Get Paid
[43:30–43:53]
- “Whatever the trust says…You gotta reach out to the trustees.” —John
19. Higher-Earning Spouses & Inheritance
[43:53–45:39]
- Assets are split evenly, but inherited money can impact support if it's substantial.
- Income from inheritance may reduce what one spouse has to pay the other.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- “There's something bipartisan about how we can all reach across the aisle and be grateful for this union.” —C, about Taylor & Travis [06:09]
- “It puts a shovel in your marriage, if you will, or it puts something in there you don’t want.” —John, on overreaching prenups [07:32]
- “If you don't have a will, the government makes a will for you…” —John [17:15]
- “You want to get a vocational evaluation… those pay for themselves very quickly.” —John [30:07]
- “If your spouse has a drinking problem…and they’re not willing to really get help, you need to get the hell out of there as fast as you can…” —John [33:52]
- “I’m bereft.” —A, after learning about no financial rights in long-term, unmarried partnerships [40:55]
- “You don’t want to be in a situation where the guy you’re dating happens to be a registered sex offender. That’s a problem.” —John [43:11]
- “Don’t give them access to money where they can do it again…” —John, about spouse’s gambling secrecy [50:11]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:39 – Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce prenup discussion
- 10:38 – The importance of the 10-year marriage rule
- 12:15 – Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban’s “sobriety clause”
- 14:06 – Golden Bachelor marriage & estate planning
- 20:05 – Denise Richards, income hiding, and domestic violence effects
- 26:32 – Real Housewives separation without legal filing
- 33:36 – Divorcing an addict/alcoholic spouse
- 39:05 – Property division: gifts vs. earnings
- 40:14 – Legal rights (or lack thereof) for unmarried couples
- 46:08 – Red flags in dating divorced men
- 49:51 – Financial misconduct: gambling spouse
- 53:21 – Risks of avoiding legal counsel in divorce
- 56:36 – Emotional abuse considerations in divorce court
Final Thoughts and Tone
The episode artfully mixes legal reality with entertainment, tackling sometimes-difficult topics with empathy, wisdom, and sharp humor. John’s presence as “dad attorney” brings a trusted, practical voice, while the sisters keep things lively, curious, and relatable. If you want to understand how divorce—and the law around it—actually works, with a pop culture twist, this is a must-listen.