Actress Ellen Barkin got the shock of her life Thursday night (Jan 19), when she was served with divorce papers at home in Manhattan. Her husband, Revlon billionaire Ron Perelman, filed for the divorce seemingly out of the blue.

But a further look at the timing reveals that Perelman definitely had an agenda.

The two first met in 1999 and married a year later. Prior to the wedding, a pre-nuptial contract was signed that guarantees Barkin $20 million if the two divorce. But if the marriage lasts beyond a certain date, which is fast approaching, that amount could increase dramatically.

By filing now, it appears that Perelman is trying to avoid having to pay more than the original $20 million.

That amount is really pocket change for the ex-corporate executive, who is currently ranked 34th on Forbes list of richest people in America with a net worth of more than $6 billion, amassed from his time with the cosmetics giant.

Barkin first shot to fame in the steamy 1987 film, The Big Easy, and made a career out of playing strong independent women. But since her marriage, she has taken on very few projects, mostly small independant films.

This was the fourth marriage for the billionaire, who has already had to shell out some hefty settlements to past wives, totalling more than $100 million. The couple has no children of together, but Perelman, 62, has six children with his ex-wives and Barkin, 51, has two with her ex-husband actor Gabriel Byrne.

This one looks to get ugly with such a critical date on the horizon and so much money at stake.

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