Dennis Hopper Claims He's Broke in Divorce Battle
Mar. 24, 2010— -- Dennis Hopper's battle with advanced prostate cancer has left him extremely ill -- weighing less than 100 pounds -- and nearly broke.
That is what Hopper, the "Easy Rider" star, claims in new court papers filed in his bitter divorce from his fifth wife, Victoria Duffy-Hopper. According to TMZ, one of Hopper's doctors stated in a deposition that "it is doubtful that Mr. Hopper will ever recover sufficiently to be subject to a deposition."
In the legal documents obtained by TMZ, Hopper says he is too ill to work and can only afford to pay his estranged wife $5,000 in spousal support.
In 2009 he earned $57,000 in residuals and is expected to earn that much this year, according to the court papers. Hopper's accountant listed the actor's liquid assets at $300,280 plus another $10,900 in Hopper's corporations.
The documents also say Hopper's extensive art collection has yielded little profit. Even though he has sold $1,895,000 worth of art in the last nine years, he claims his expenses to make and store the artwork have totaled $1,850,000, netting him only $45,000.
Hopper claims in the documents that he has been living off a $450,000 line of credit, but "no further borrowing possible."
Hopper has been battling Duffy-Hopper for custody of their six-year-old daughter Galen while he battles cancer.
In February, while undergoing chemotherapy, Hopper filed declarations along with his children, doctors and assistant in Los Angeles Superior Court to support his divorce petition from Duffy-Hopper, 42, his wife of 14 years.
Court papers portray Duffy-Hopper as a villian, Reuters reports. The papers describe her as "extremely volatile," "insane and out of her mind" and "inhuman."
In the papers, Hopper, the star of "Easy Rider" and other films, claims his wife has kept Galen from him for long periods of time. He said he spent Christmas "in utter distress" after Duffy-Hopper took Galen to Boston, a trip he learned about from her attorney.
"This malevolent act ... has caused me to miss what may very well be my last Christmas with my daughter Galen," Hopper said in his filing.
Also contained in the court papers are allegations from Hopper's family that Duffy-Hopper stole pieces from her husband's priceless art collection and changed the locks on his house. The papers say cancer has reduced Hopper's weight to 120 pounds. They say he vomits after taking his medication.
In court last month, a judge ruled that Duffy-Hopper must stay at least 10 feet away from Hopper; his son, Henry; his daughter, Marin; and his assistant, Emily Davis, according to TMZ.com. The judge also ruled that Duffy-Hopper may not enter the main Hopper residence in Venice, Calif., or any other portion of the property other than the unit in which she is currently living.
However, Duffy-Hopper maintains primary custody of Galen. The judge granted Hopper the right to visit his daughter every day for two hours.
Hopper's claims come in the wake of Duffy-Hopper's response to his divorce filing, in which she said the ailing actor was being coerced to leave her by his adult children, who want a larger piece of his estate.
