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Fantasia, Antwaun Cook & the High Cost of Home Wrecking

By Elliot Millner on Aug 19th 2010 2:11PM
Filed under: Celebrity Finances

Comments (111)

As most of you are probably aware, Fantasia has been getting some unwanted (I think) publicity for her affair with a married man. The fact that Fantasia was involved with married man, Antwaun Cook, has been a pretty frequent discussion topic on various gossip sites for the past year; however, it seems that being a focus of the divorce proceedings was such a shock to Fantasia that she attempted suicide. Fantasia might even be more shocked to realize that, now that she has, thankfully, recovered, she could be facing an alienation of affection lawsuit for coming between a man and his wife.

First and foremost, let me say that I am glad that Fantasia failed in her attempt at suicide and is doing better. Although we may disagree with her actions (or alleged actions) with a married man, suicide is not the answer. She is a mother, and it would have been devastating to her child and the rest of her family and friends if she had succeeded in her suicide attempt. But now, Fantasia has to face the repercussions of her alleged affair, which are financial in addition to being emotional.

North Carolina is one of only a handful of states that still allows alienation of affection lawsuits. These types of lawsuits (which have been eliminated in most states and are considered antiquated by many) are aimed at punishing those who participate in an affair with a person they know to be married. In North Carolina, the three elements of proof that support an alienation of affection claim are:

1. The marriage entailed love between the spouses in some degree
2. The spousal love was alienated and destroyed
3. The defendant's (in this case, that would be Fantasia) malicious conduct contributed to or caused the loss of affection.

I don't believe for one moment that Fantasia didn't know this man was married, and I also don't believe that Antwaun Cook was separated from his wife, Paula, during the time he and Fantasia were dating. Concerning the possible alienation of affection lawsuit that Fantasia may be facing, the official date of separation is of vital importance, because conduct that takes place before the separation date is considered completely relevant to proving the claim. If Paula Cook can prove that most of the affair occurred before the married pair separated, she could be in for a big payday.

Conduct that occurs after the separation date is considered relevant only as it corroborates conduct that took place prior to the separation date. Given this, it should come as no surprise that Fantasia's married boyfriend is claiming that he and his wife separated early last year, while his wife claims that they only separated a couple of months ago.

If Fantasia is ultimately sued for alienation of affection, it could have a devastating impact on her pocketbook. There have been several large awards granted in these cases in North Carolina, including a case involving one mistress who was ordered to pay $5 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages (Wowowow.com). As Fantasia has had serious money issues in the recent past, an alienation of affection lawsuit could obliterate her financially just as she's beginning to get back on her feet.

Fantasia is in a terrible situation no matter how it plays out, especially given all the children that are involved. For Fantasia, even without the potential for financial loss from a lawsuit, the damage that is being done to her image is likely to cost her in a variety of ways, ranging from losing projects to dropped endorsements. This will be especially true if certain evidence is presented at the divorce and/or alienation of affection trials, such as an rumored sex tape that she made with her married lover. In addition, lawyers' fees for these two cases will cost a pretty penny.

Hopefully, this situation will be a learning experience not only for Fantasia, but all men and women out there who are involved or would consider getting involved with a married person. Even if you don't live in North Carolina, it can cost you in ways that you may not be ready for.

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