Roxanne ‘destroyed’

Press, 31 December 1982, Page 10

Roxanne ‘destroyed’

NZPA-Reuter Palm Beach Roxanne Pulitzer was described . yesterday as feeling “destroyed” by a judge’s decision to. award her millionaire husband custody of their twin boys. Judge Carl Harper clearly favoured Peter Pulitzer in settling the couple’s stormy divorce battle, during which each accused the other of being unfit to have the children because of immoral sex acts and drug abuse. In his ruling, the judge said that the husband’s testimony had the ring of truth, whereas the denials of his wife and her paramours were patently false.

Pierrette Barr, the twins’ governess, said that Mrs Pulitzer burst into tears and went to bed after hearing of the verdict.

“She was destroyed,” said Miss Barr, “She was absolutely destroyed.” She said

that Judge Harper believed "all the lies.” Mr Pulitzer, on the other hand, was described as “ecstatic,” by a daughter from a previous marriage. The divorce suit was filed by Mr Pulitzer, aged 55, the grandson of the newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer, the founder of the journalism prizes that bear his name. In addition to giving Mr Pulitzer custody, of the’twins, Maclean and Zachary, the judge ordered Mrs Pulitzer, aged 32, to leave their Palm Beach mansion by January 10.

He denied Mrs Pulitzer any significant share of her husband’s' fortune. She had asked for half. The Judge called her demand exorbitant, saying that it shocked the conscience of the court. She can visit the twins on alternate week-ends and certain holidays.