Kenny G Trying to Cut off Spousal Support Payments to His Ex-Wife

A decade after their divorce, Kenny G is asking a judge to end his spousal support payments to ex-wife Lyndie Benson. The former couple was married for 21 years before they divorced in 2013, with the Grammy-winning musician at the time agreeing to pay Benson $40,000 a month in spousal support, payments the 66-year-old claims in new court documents he is no longer able to afford.

The Daily Mail reported that lawyers for Kenny G, real name Kenneth Gorelick, filed legal documents on Friday asking a judge to end the $40,000-a-month spousal support payments. Kenny G’s legal team first filed documents claiming he could no longer continue sending Benson money, but the case remained unresolved. On Friday, his lawyers reportedly served Benson’s attorneys. The original documents noted that the musician “has been paying spousal support to Lyndie for more than 9 years… Lyndie is 57 years old, and, as far as Kenny knows, in good health. Lyndie has refused to become fully self-supporting for almost 10 years. Kenny should not have to continue to bear the burden of her refusal to do so.” His lawyers noted in those original documents that Kenny G has paid his ex-wife $3.9 million since 2013. The documents also note that Benson has since started a clothing company but won’t disclose how much she’s making.

Kenny G cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a major contributing factor to his inability to keep up the monthly spousal support payments. Per the legal docs, as a result of the pandemic, the musician’s touring opportunities significantly diminished, and while live entertainment has returned, his touring opportunities are still limited.Touring is one of Kenny G’s main sources of income, with the musician saying the documents that there has been a steady decline in income since 2018.

“Kenny is a Grammy award winning saxophonist with a long successful career and more than 15 albums,” the documents noted. “However, as explained in the accompanying declaration of Kenny, for the last 2-3 years Kenny’s touring opportunities, where he earns the most income, have not only declined but his percentage of earnings from the tours have also declined. Kenny’s income has substantially declined steadily since 2018.”

There has been no further development in the case at this time. Kenny G and Benson married in 1992. The pair separated in early 2011, with Benson in January 2012 filing for separation. Months later, Kenny G filed for divorce in August 2012, citing irreconcilable differences, per PEOPLE. Their divorce was finalized in 2013.