Following 24 years of marriage, rapper and hip-hop pioneer Dr. Dre and wife Nicole Young separated in June 2020. But after Young filed for irreconcilable differences, spoke out against abuse she’d suffered and asked for millions of dollars in spousal support, things took a messy turn in the public eye. In the latest chapter of their divorce battle, a Los Angeles judge has ordered Dr. Dre to pay Young’s lawyers half a million dollars in attorney fees within 10 days, the Daily Mail reports.

The former couple had a court hearing Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles where a Superior Court Judge ordered the famed music producer to pay the large sum. Young initially asked for $5 million in attorney fees and also $2 million in spousal support.

Dr. Dre, founder of Beats Electronics and Aftermath Entertainment, was estimated by Forbes to be worth $800 million in 2019. According to The Blast, Young asked for spousal support to cover several of her monthly expenses, including $100K for a mortgage payment, $135K for clothes and $900K for “entertainment.” 

As their divorce battle grew, Young alleged in November 2020 that Dr. Dre had been abusive throughout their marriage. According to PEOPLE, she stated in a court document, “Andre has verbally and emotionally decimated my personhood to the extent that I currently suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome,” She also claims that he held a gun to her head more than once.

Related Post: Dr. Dre’s Mistresses Ordered To Testify In Divorce

No stranger to abuse allegations, Dr. Dre physically assaulted hip-hop journalist Dee Barnes in 1991, allegedly over an interview she did with fellow N.W.A. member Ice Cube. The “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thing” rapper was also

accused of domestic abuse by ex-girlfriend and R&B singer Michel’le in 2016.

A July hearing will determine how much Young receives in spousal support, and will also consider the pre-marital agreement the estranged couple signed before their 1996 wedding.