Try GOLD - Free
INXS manager wins £1.2m court fight with ex-husband
The Independent
|February 19, 2025
A wealthy businesswoman has won a court fight against paying out £1.2m to her ex-husband after discovering her super-rich family had secretly "gifted" him £27.6m behind her back.
Maria-Christina Copinger-Symes, who managed rock superstars INXS, is part of the Australian Perez de la Sala dynasty, which made its £550m-plus fortune in shipping. She married James Copinger-Symes, 57, in 1998, while he was an army major, and the couple set up home with their four children in a £3m Chelsea home.
The couple split in 2022, with Ms Copinger-Symes agreeing on a court order under which she would pay her ex £1,192,533, leaving her with between £2.5m and £5m from the couple’s fortune.
She has now won a ruling overturning the order, after learning her super-rich estranged parents Bobby and Felicite Perez de la Sala have sided with her ex-husband, labelling her a “Judas” and secretly gifting him around £27.6m of family money, whilst at the same time cutting her out.
In a ruling at the Central Family Court, Judge Edward Hess ordered that the financial fallout of the divorce be reconsidered, with Ms Copinger-Symes now demanding her former husband pay about £14m of his new-found wealth.
“The financial remedies proceedings between the wife and the husband were conducted against the background of the wife’s very wealthy family having very negative feelings about her and very positive feelings about the husband ...This is very much an exception to the normal rule that ‘blood is thicker than water’,” the judge commented.
This story is from the February 19, 2025 edition of The Independent.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Independent
The Independent
Trump deserves praise for Gaza - if he sees it through
Go to Kosovo today, and among men in their mid-twenties you will find a disproportionate number of them named Tonibler.
4 mins
October 12, 2025
The Independent
Where should I go during Cambodia backpacker trip?
Q Friends have come back from Cambodia raving about the place as a backpacker destination. In your opinion, what highlights should I absolutely not miss?
1 mins
October 12, 2025
The Independent
A decade of pain before endometriosis is diagnosed
At just 12 years old, a terrified Zaynah Ahmed lost so much blood during her period that she was left in a life-threatening condition and needed an urgent blood transfusion.
3 mins
October 12, 2025
The Independent
BREAK THE SILENCE
Olivia Petter was made to feel she should ignore an incident with a stranger in a dressing room, but after bureaucratic hurdles and a police investigation, she finally felt vindicated
7 mins
October 12, 2025
The Independent
Hull KR thrash champions Wigan for Grand Final win
Hull KR completed an historic treble after battering defending champions Wigan 24-6 in a pulsating Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.
2 mins
October 12, 2025
The Independent
Blair met Epstein while he was PM, documents reveal
Sir Tony Blair met with Jeffrey Epstein in Downing Street while he was prime minister, after lobbying from Peter Mandelson, documents have revealed.
2 mins
October 12, 2025
The Independent
Nobel Peace Prize winner dedicates award to Trump
Venezuelan opposition leader and the newly awarded Nobel Peace Prize winner has dedicated her win to Donald Trump for his “decisive support” in her country’s fight for democracy.
2 mins
October 12, 2025
The Independent
Fury as Taliban bars women from press event in India
The Taliban reportedly barred women journalists from attending a press event of visiting Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in India, drawing anger from a wide section of Indian reporters, activists, and politicians.
4 mins
October 12, 2025
The Independent
'Here is ur diagnosis': Is this Labour's vision for the NHS?
Sitting in the middle of an office was not how I had ever envisaged being told that I have a long-term health condition, but that’s where I was when I received the following message - original typos included:
3 mins
October 12, 2025
The Independent
Starmer 'planning to blame Farage' for Budget tax hikes
Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly gearing up to blame Nigel Farage and Brexit for Britain’s expected downturn in productivity at the Budget, as part of a new attack on the Reform UK leader.
2 mins
October 12, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size