Actress Anne Heche ordered to pay child support to ex-husband

Story here. Bisexual actress Anne Heche (Ellen DeGeneres' ex-partner) has been ordered to make a one-time payment of $275,000 to her ex-husband, Hollywood cameraman Coleman Laffoon, as well as monthly child support payments of $3,700 for the care of their six-year old son. Laffoon filed for the divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

Well, I guess there is a certain satisfaction in seeing a gender reversal in a divorce drama, where the wife was the higher earning partner and she now gets to pay. Still, I have to ask whether this case presents the truly ridiculous notion that it takes $3,700 a month to support a child. It has long been the case that the Family Court system requires no accountability or verification that child support in any way goes directly towards providing for the child’s needs.

$3,700 per month is an annual income of $44,400 – just about what the average American family of four lives on.