In the wise words of Queen Beyonce, “If you like it, then he should’ve put a ring on it”. In Christopher Ned Kelley’s case, he did put a wedding ring on it. However, because he did not fulfill his promise to marry, he’s being sued for US$50,000!
Kelley was taken to court by his ex-fiancee Melissa Cooper for “breach of promise to marry”, after claiming he had “ruined” their relationship by cheating on her at least twice.
Kelley, who had a child with Cooper, defended himself and claimed that their 10-year, live-in relationship was a “form of prostitution” and that he just paid her for sex. He also alleged that he never officially popped the question, despite giving her a US$10,000 ring. In the court filing, he said: “I never initiated the concept of marriage with her, outside of giving her that ring”.
Cooper claimed that she quit her job to raise the child, and threw Kelley out after learning about his second infidelity. She is also raising another child from her previous relationship.
According to ABC News, the Coweta County Superior Court in Georgia ruled in favor of Cooper, and awarded her the cash for damages and legal fees. Cooper’s attorney, Jason Smith, proposed that lawmakers should re-enact common law marriage in the state to prevent issues like this. “By law the marriage doesn’t exist, but for practical purposes, it’s a marriage,” Smith said. “They were together for 10 years. They acquired property together.”
Cooper learned that her “fiance” had been in a two-year relationship with another women before the proposal. After confronting Kelley, Cooper agreed to stay with him “because of his pledges not to see the other woman again and his promises thereafter to marry Cooper”.
We really would like Beyonce to step in and tell us how to deal with a situation like this. But since it’s almost impossible to call up Queen Bee on the phone, we want your thoughts!
