Anita Baker Barely Avoids Going to Jail Over Divorce Settlement

Singing great Anita Baker barely missed going to jail Friday in a dispute with her ex-husband over music royalties. The 52-year-old Baker found herself in a heated battle with Walter Bridgforth, her ex-husband, over the details of their divorce settlement.

"I'm so happy. ... I have never been in such a position before," Baker said in the hallway outside court. "And we don't intend to ever be in such a position ever again. I just wanna go home, and I'm happy to go home. ... As horrific as it could have been, it was lovely to feel supported, though, on the other end."

Baker was faced with a deadline Wednesday to sign documents that empower court-appointed music contract expert Howard Hertz to obtain information from record labels, regarding how much Baker owed her ex-husband. The deadline passed and Baker still had not signed. This led to the Wayne County Chief Family Court Judge Lita Masini Popke ordering Baker to either show up in court on Friday or go to jail.

Thursday, the judge said Baker had been uncooperative, and Baker said she felt she was being "muzzled." After Baker expressed her stress to the judge about possibly going to jail, Judge Popke replied, "I'm not going to hold you in contempt or send you to jail today."

The judge then told Baker and her attorneys to work with the attorneys of Baker's ex-husband to lay out the language that would be acceptable to all parties. Both sides went in to a jury room and returned to tell the judge that they had reached a deal.

"Miss Baker, I thank you for your cooperation," Popke said. "I apologize for the stress that this obviously put on you, but I think we've reached a very successful conclusion and can move forward."

Baker, who is known for singing songs about love, found herself paying a high price for it. The royalties she is due to pay her ex-husband are due from albums Baker made during her marriage. In her career, Baker has won eight Grammies and had four platinum albums.