Saxophonist Kenny G, 66, tries to end spousal support as ‘tour opportunities are drying up’

• Kenny G, 66, divorced his second wife Lyndie in 2013, after 21 years of marriage: the couple have two adult sons, Max and Noah
• In September 2021, he filed court documents seeking an end to the $40,000 a month in spousal support agreed upon in their divorce
• On Friday, the musician’s lawyers provided Lyndie’s lawyers with court documents to resolve his claim, following months of wrangling over tax returns.

Lawyers for Grammy-winning musician Kenny G filed legal documents on Friday demanding his ex-wife agree to terminate the $40,000 a month he paid her, with the saxophonist claiming he can no longer afford it.

Born Kenneth Gorelick in Seattle, the 66-year-old musician was married to Lyndie Benson for 21 years.

The couple divorced in 2013 and he agreed to pay her the hefty monthly fee.

But in September 2021, he filed documents claiming he couldn’t send her any more money, and on Friday, with the case unsolved, his attorneys served Benson’s attorneys.

“Kenny, who is now 65 years old, has been paying spousal support to Lyndie for over 9 years,” the original documents read.

Kenny is a Grammy award winning saxophonist with a long successful career and more than 15 albums.

However, as explained in Kenny’s accompanying statement, Kenny’s tour opportunities, where he earns the most revenue, have not only declined over the past 2-3 years, but his percentage of revenue from the tours has also declined.

“Kenny’s income has steadily declined substantially since 2018.”

His legal team – led by high-profile divorce attorney Laura Wasser – did not specify how much the musician was worth.

At the time of his divorce, it was widely reported that he was worth $50 million.

He has paid his ex-wife $3.9 million since 2013, his lawyers noted.

“Lyndie is 57 years old and, to Kenny’s knowledge, in good health,” his lawyers wrote in their first suit.

“Lyndie has refused to become completely self-sufficient for almost 10 years.

“Kenny shouldn’t have to carry the burden of her refusal to do that.”

His lawyers note that she founded a clothing company, Bleusalt, but refused to hand over the financial documentation related to the company.

In May 2022, Forbes interviewed her and described it as a “thriving fashion label” of “Malibu-inspired chic essentials.”

She told the magazine, “I’ve always been obsessed with beautiful cashmere and head-to-toe outfits from Loro Piana and Bamford. Luxurious clothes that looked good on the beach in front of a campfire and just as good when you were at Nobu for dinner.

“So once I found and perfected the fabric for Bleusalt, the inspiration was already fully realized in my everyday life and aesthetic.”

He aims to stop or substantially reduce benefits.

He is also asking the court to end the requirement that he keep payments from a life support policy, which was guaranteed under the divorce.

Kenny G is the best-selling instrumental artist ever and will be performing in Las Vegas next month.

With 11 platinum albums and eight others that have reached multi-platinum status, Kenny G is one of the most successful recording artists, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

He appeared on The SpongeBob Movie soundtrack and collaborated with Kanye West and Katy Perry.

In 2021, HBO made a documentary about his life and music, Listening to Kenny G.

The following year, he appeared in a Super Bowl ad for the beer Busch Light – his second Super Bowl ad, having appeared for Audi in 2011.

In 2022, he told Forbes that he didn’t mind being mocked because he was everywhere.

“If I’m the butt of the joke, if it’s funny, I love it,” he says, remembering how Wayne’s World movie had a dentist trade Novocaine for his music, how in South Park his music made “everyone shit his pants,” or how Saturday Night Live made fun of him for a duet he did with Frank Sinatra.

“It doesn’t bother me because it’s really funny.”