Celebrity Divorces are the same as ours only with more zeros to their bank accounts and many more Instagram followers, plus a public relations image that must be preserved. Other than this, celebrity divorces are either amicable or fraught with conflict. So it is with Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates: Bezos’ divorce was amicable and without their laundry being cleaned in the public eye; and with Bill and Melinda Gates the public has a front row seat to behavior laundering.

Some of the wealthiest people simply divide their assets, or make arrangements to maintain the flow of income for both spouses so that each can move forward and live their lives without drama. Hallelujah!  We have enough salacious stories swirling in the universe.  Do we truly need another circus unfolding?

Some very rich people have come to me to get them divorced, and because they wanted to be amicable they divided all of their assets down the middle and finished the filing without falling from grace. No clown car of stories in the press, and no images tarnished. They followed the law, maintained respect, and finished the divorce with bravado.

Why isn’t it so with other couples, like the Gates? What is taking place in the Emotional Divorce that is causing negative impact stories to surface in the media? Why are people commenting on Bill Gates’ behavior, which has nothing to do with the Legal Divorce? How are these stories affecting their three children.  None of the children are minors, but it doesn’t matter.  The adult children are absorbing the fallout in the press, which makes this the saddest part of this 3-ring drama.

I explore celebrity divorces because the public learns from the experiences of public figures, and because most of the issues in a celebrity divorce are the same as the issues in everyone’s divorce: prenuptial agreements, spousal and child support, division of assets and debts, selling or keeping the house. Using celebrity divorces are a frame of reference allows us to learn indirectly about the things that affect us directly.

Whatever Bill Gates has done or not done that caused the end of his marriage, the core issues within the legal divorce seem to be moving forward gracefully and adhering to the law of Washington State.

Whatever Bill Gates has done to theoretically contribute to the divorce, can be of value to us if we don’t sit in judgment of him and learn how to regulate ourselves in order to maintain the healthiest relationships we can possibly have under the spotlight of public scrutiny.