Comedian Ralphie May had a lot of financial entanglements when he passed away on Oct. 6. New court documents published by The Blast detail the dire straits of his divorce. At the time of his passing, May was separated from the mother of his children, Lahna Turner. The two of them disagreed over how much money May had and how much Turner was owed.
In addition to his personal expenses, May was expected to pay $22,000 in child and spousal support. On top of that, he was responsible for covering the legal fees for both sides of his divorce. That’s why, over the summer, May filed court documents requesting permission to sell his home in Tennessee.
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May believed the house would sell for about $633,000. He hoped that would cover legal fees for both him and his estranged wife, and he asked that any remaining money be put into a court escrow account. Turner gave her consent for the sale, but asked that the extra funds be placed directly into her lawyer’s account. May was expected to continue paying the mortgage on the home where Turner and their children live in California.
Throughout the proceedings, May and Turner continued to disagree about how much money May was making. They were especially at odds over May’s 2015 Netflix special, and his autobiography. May insisted that he had been paid in full for the projects, and that his wife was trying to force a settlement on him. Turner, however, said she believed Netflix owed May $60,000 for Unruly, and that there was still $90,000 coming in for the book.
On Sept. 22, Turner got permission from a judge to hire a forensic expert to examine May’s finances to see who was telling the truth. May was expected to pay the auditor’s $3,000 retainer. All the while, he was still paying all of Turner’s bills, including car insurance and home security, as well as his kids’ tutors and music lessons. He was also covering $9,000 per month in temporary child support, and the $2,200 monthly minimum on Turner’s credit card.
All of the debating ended when May passed away of cardiac arrest on Oct. 6. Turner was named executor of his estate in the late comedian‘s will.
