April 07, 2003
FOR most teenagers, $2500 a week would be enough to cover their living expenses many times over.
But not, it appears, for movie star Jim Carrey’s 15-year-old daughter Jane. Her mother Melissa Womer, who was divorced from Carrey in 1995 after eight years of marriage, claims Jane’s $10,660 monthly allowance is insufficient to keep her in the style befitting a Hollywood teen.
She is taking legal action to up Jane’s pocket money and living expenses to almost $349,650 a year, even though the teenager already has a $1,065,600 trust fund from Carrey.
Miss Womer has filed papers at the Los Angeles Superior Court setting out her demands, including the costs of Jane’s personal trainer and spa visits. She also insists Carrey should pay for a Pilates studio, a new car, skiing trips, musical instruments and clothing. And on top of those “essentials”, she wants him to give Jane an additional allowance for treats.
“I don’t want Jane to have to ask for spending money, so I would like to give her $100 ($166) per week in allowance,” she said.
Since the divorce, Miss Womer has brought up Jane in what she insists is a “modest” Hollywood home with a housekeeper but with no swimming pool, tennis court or gym.
By contrast, she said, Carrey, 41, has a $4.9 million gated home in exclusive Brentwood, with state of the art movie theatre, gym, tennis court, expensive artworks and a five-car garage.
The star of Ace Ventura, Pet Detective and The Mask earned $46.6 million in 2000 alone, she said.
He has a full-time housekeeper, butler, gardeners and a personal chef. And the masseuse, chauffeur, personal trainer and bodyguards all travel with him, as do three assistants, acting coaches and writers.
Miss Womer added that Carrey has also bought a $9.99 million home in Malibu, and has five cars including three Mercedes. “For the filming of his last movie, I believe he used a helicopter to take him to work every day,” she said.
And for good measure, she said, he has his own $26.6 million jet.
Miss Womer said Jane, who sees her father on alternate weekends, should enjoy the same lifestyle at home.
“Jane’s needs have changed during the past seven years and the current amount of child support is not sufficient to enable me to meet Jane’s needs and provide her with a lifestyle that is commensurate to the lifestyle she has when she is with the petitioner [Carrey],” she said.
“Jane is exceptionally gifted academically and . . . in the arts. As Jane’s talents grow, her educational expenses also increase accordingly.”
Miss Womer said she was shelling out for drama classes, music recording and arranging, tennis, dance, Pilates and computers, musical equipment, music sheets and books.
As well as child support, Carrey has been paying medical and dental insurance expenses for his daughter since the split. Both parents share the cost of her child psychologist.
After the divorce Carrey was married again in 1996 to actress Lauren Holly, whom he met when they were both filming two years earlier.
The marriage lasted less than a year.
The Daily Telegraph