Former ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star John Schneider Prefers Jail to Paying Ex-Wife

Former Dukes of Hazard star John Schneider would rather go back to jail than pay his ex-wife Elvira “Elly” Schneider the spousal support he owes her.

The actor reportedly claimed he can’t make the ordered payments to his ex and turned over financial documents to the court to prove it.

According to a letter sent to Judge Mark Epstein by Schneider, The Blast reports, he claims to not want to waste the court’s time, and admits with “regret and embarrassment” that he can’t complete the conditions ordered by the court.

By the end of 2018, Schneider was required to file his tax returns for 2014-2016, obtain all his financial documents and pay his ex-wife half of all his income.

Schneider says the public case and spat with his ex has caused his career to “wane earlier than ever anticipated,” and says he’s upside-down from taking on financial loans.

In the letter, he asks the judge to remove a suspended sentence of 120 days in jail. The actor says he is willing and able to accept the punishment for his actions.

The Smallville veteran spent five hours in a Los Angeles jail back in June for refusal to pay spousal alimony. The 58-year-old was released when his then three-day sentence was cut short because of overcrowding.

Schneider had previously told Fox News that he cannot afford the payments (totaling over $150,000) to his estranged wife Elly because his income isn’t sufficient enough to make the payment.

He claimed that he hit hard financial times and spent much of his money repairing his movie studio in Louisiana after it was destroyed in a March 2016 flood.

Schneider told Fox News at the time that he believes was sent to jail because of a “bias against conservatives, Republicans, in Hollywood.”

“[Within the] court system, I was treated like I was guilty until proven innocent, like a second-class citizen,” he said. “I do think there’s a bias against conservatives, Republicans, in Hollywood, but I think if you let that alter how you are, then I question how you are,” he said, adding that he voted for President Donald Trump in the 2016 election. “If you believe it, speak it, live it.”

He added that he thinks conservatives in Hollywood should do more to publicize their views.

“I supported the last president [even though] I didn’t vote for him, but I supported him because I believe that’s my duty as a United States citizen,” he said. “The difference here is that I did vote [for Trump] and I don’t mind people knowing that.”

The pair share three adult children together.