Our Lawyer Breaks Down Janet Holden's Divorce Filing Against Eric McCormack For Us
In a stunning turn of events, Hollywood director Janet Holden has officially filed for divorce from "Will & Grace" star Eric McCormack, unleashing a whirlwind of speculation about the end of their 26-year marriage. The exclusive report from TMZ reveals that Holden made her way to court on Wednesday, citing the classic "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split, with no specified date of separation.
According to the documents obtained by TMZ, Holden is seeking spousal support, but interestingly, she's making it clear that she doesn't want the court to grant any support to McCormack. The couple only share one child, a 21-year-old son named Finnigan, thus custody and child support are out of the question.
The couple's Hollywood romance dates back to 1994, starting from their meeting on the set of the television miniseries "Lonesome Dove." McCormack acted in the series, and Holden served as assistant director. The couple eventually tied the knot in August 1997, beginning a lengthy and seemingly strong union.
The divorce filing, coming out of the blue, has left fans and industry insiders buzzing given the couple's 26-year marriage. Attorney Holly Davis of Kirker Davis provided exclusive insights to The List, shedding light on what Holden and McCormack's legal documents might unveil about their split. Davis suggests that Holden's request for spousal support, in addition to the absence of a separation date, implies that their proceedings may be intricate yet cooperative.
Why Janet Holden is requesting spousal support
Legal expert Holly Davis delved into how spousal support is determined by the courts, shedding light on Janet Holden's filing against Eric McCormack. According to Davis, the primary purpose of spousal support is to assist the spouse with less assets. "It would make sense that the non-breadwinning spouse would be in opposition to a Court awarding any spousal support to the breadwinner," she said.
In light of this, it's understandable that the non-breadwinning partner — in this case, Janet Holden — would seek support from McCormack to maintain her lifestyle. According to IMDb, Holden hasn't taken on roles as a second unit or assistant director since 1997, specifically her last credit being for "Mr. Magoo."
McCormack's reported net worth stands at an impressive $20 million (per CelebrityNetWorth). This is largely attributed to his iconic role as Will Truman on NBC's beloved sitcom "Will & Grace," which aired from 1998 to 2020. Attesting to his talent, McCormack almost landed the role of Ross Geller on "Friends." Gratefully he stuck with "Will & Grace," winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2001.
A considerable contrast in Holden and McCormack's financial standings would align with Davis' analysis of their divorce documents: "This part of the filing indicates to me that she is the non-monied spouse compared to her husband," the lawyer concluded.
Janet Holden and Eric McCormack may still be living together
Janet Holden's divorce filing lacks a crucial detail — the date of her separation from Eric McCormack. Attorney Holly Davis told The List that this might indicate that the estranged couple still lives together. "This would indicate to me that they are still living together, perhaps are amicable and there's been no nasty date of a big fight that lead to the divorce filing," Davis explained. The couple's possible wealth gap adds another layer to their separation narrative. With Holden seeking financial support, she may be awaiting a court decision before making any changes to their living situation.
The surprise surrounding McCormack and Holden's separation hints at the possibility that it might have been a long-anticipated event. After all, a 26-year marriage doesn't unravel overnight. The "Travelers" actor reflected on his relationship with Holden back in 2007. "I'd been dating actresses, but Janet was different," he told the Guardian. "At first she wasn't too keen. She knew actors are a lot of work: it would be like taking your work home with you. But I managed to convince her."
Their romance remained under wraps during the first season of "Lonesome Dove." In a birthday post for Holden in 2020, McCormack shared a photo of them at the series' season 1 wrap party. "Just so happens this was our 'coming out' party. No one on the show knew we'd been dating for months," McCormack's Instagram caption revealed.