Relationships | 07/22/2008 8:20 am
'YouTube Divorce' Granted by New York Judge

A Broadway mogul whose wife trashed him in a widely viewed Internet video plastered all over YouTube received some sympathy from a Manhattan judge Monday when the court granted his divorce.
Philip Smith can now move forward with his divorce from Tricia Walsh-Smith on the grounds of cruel and inhuman treatment.
Walsh-Smith made headlines when she lashed out against Smith in the tearful and furious YouTube video, which has attracted more than three million hits. There are at least three videos now. She makes embarrassing claims about their life behind the bedroom doors (including that they’ve never had sex), then calls his office to repeat those claims to a stunned assistant. Her public fight against her husband was also highlighted on the front cover of New York magazine, which says she once told her husband: “You’ve got power and money, but I have my imagination.”
On the video, Walsh-Smith — a former British commercial actress-turned playwright — also goes through their wedding album, describing family members as "bad," "evil" or "nasty," and expresses concern about eviction from the couple’s luxury apartment.
Judge Harold Beeler on Monday blasted Walsh-Smith for her video antics, calling them a “calculated and callous campaign to embarrass and humiliate her husband" and to pressure him into settling the divorce case for more money than agreed to in their prenuptial agreement, signed three weeks before their 1999 wedding.
"She has attempted to turn the life of her husband into a soap opera by directing, writing, acting in and producing a melodrama," the judge said.
The judge ruling that the prenup is valid means that Walsh-Smith must leave the couple’s Park Avenue apartment within 30 days and that Smith, president of the Shubert Organization, the largest theater owner on Broadway, must pay her $750,000.
Smith said after the ruling he was "sorry it had to come to this … I’m happy with the decision of the judge, and I’m happy with the outcome."
Walsh-Smith has other words to describe it: “I think it’s disgusting," she said, accusing her soon-to-be ex of "basically throwing me out on the street." Her attorney said they would appeal the decision.
Her official website, which hails Walsh-Smith as "activist … artist … woman … warrior," says Walsh-Smith will hold a press briefing at 10:30 AM tomorrow, July 23. She writes blog postings on the site, the latest of which was posted the day before Monday’s court ruling.
"It’s Sunday afternoon. My lawyer Joe McCaffery has arrived from Chicago and the rest of the team are arriving tomorrow morning. I flip-flop from warrior mode to scared ****less! But when fear overcomes me I shoot off a quick prayer to Archangel Michael, and imagine how Joan of Arc felt as she was tied to the pire [sic], and then I don’t feel so bad! It’s only life right? Right …?"The posts also give some insight, we might add, to Walsh-Smith’s spending habits. She isn’t exactly living frugally with only $750,000 coming to her.
"Had lunch at Nello’s — it cost an arm and a leg. That restaurant is ridiculously overpriced — over three hundred dollars for two without liquor. Phew — seven hundred and fifty grand from my-soon-to-be ex won’t go far in this city!"























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