Giuliani’s Bitter Divorce Case Animated by ‘Cheap Shot’ Outburst
Giuliani’s Bitter Divorce Case Animated by ‘Cheap Shot’ Outburst
(Bloomberg) -- Rudy Giuliani’s bitter divorce may be heading for a long and “unpleasant” trial, an exasperated judge said, as the former New York City mayor bickered with his soon-to-be ex-wife over issues including how to share their house on Long Island this summer.
“It really doesn’t matter to me who has Memorial Day weekend and who has Labor Day weekend,” Justice Michael Katz told Rudy and Judith Giuliani at a hearing Wednesday in a cramped Manhattan courtroom. “I do not understand why something like that needs to be brought to the court.”
Bernard Clair, the attorney representing Judith, who is Rudy Giuliani’s third wife, said a schedule for sharing the property in an exclusive New York beach town might be necessary so neighbors will know when the former mayor will be there with his security entourage -- or another woman he’s been associated with.
Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for President Donald Trump, interjected and called Clair "unethical" for mentioning the other woman by name, prompting the judge to try to silence him.
“You’re not the lawyer here,” Katz said.
“That’s a cheap shot!” Giuliani said angrily under his breath, pointing to Clair.
The lawyers for the pair proceeded to argue about a range of issues that have hobbled the case, including Rudy Giuliani’s alleged failure to pay a $21,000 nursing-home bill for his wife’s mother; Judith Giuliani’s alleged failure to produce all of her jewelry; her alleged concealing of a bank account with $100; a landscaping bill; the couple’s failure to agree on a date to appraise their apartments in Florida; and even a plan to renovate a kitchen.
Katz said he was “really not interested” in “micromanaging a kitchen renovation.”
One of the angriest moments in the hearing came when Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer, Lisa Zeiderman, accused Judith Giuliani of improperly taking photographs of her husband when she saw him at a club where they are both members.
Clair then said Rudy Giuliani yelled at his wife for purportedly taking the photos.
“That’s not true,” Rudy said.
Judith, who denied taking photos of her husband, said she was embarrassed to see Rudy spending “thousands and thousands of dollars” on another woman at the club.
The judge advised them to stay away from each other in the club.
“Whoever is in the room first gets to stay in the room,” Katz said. “If Mr. Giuliani walks in and Ms. Giuliani is there, he can go to a different room and vice versa.”
Another hearing was set for May 30.
“I have no desire to be married to her for one more day,” Giuliani said outside court.
After the hearing, he declined to answer questions about the nature of his relationship with the women mentioned repeatedly in court by his wife.
--With assistance from Patricia Hurtado.
To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Larson in New York at elarson4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Steve Stroth
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