Martina Navratilova may have a scandal on her hands. The pro tennis player’s longtime lover, Toni Layton, has been threatening to air Navratilova’s proverbial dirty laundry if she doesn’t receive a bigger split settlement. The women were together for eight years and Layton claims she had an integral impact on the course of Navratilova’s career, which has earned the Wimbledon winner millions. Said Layton’s lawyer, “Layton was offered a measly, flat $200,000 for eight long years of 24/7 work and support for the enrichment and betterment of [a] multimillionaire athlete. The offer was an insult. Navratilova is using Florida’s failure to recognize gay marriage to her advantage.”
Thus, says Layton, she deserves more than the $200,000 Navratilova offered her when they broke up. If she doesn’t receive additional funds, Layton has promised to spread Navratilova’s secrets, she told the New York Post: “There are a lot of skeletons in Martina’s closet. It is more like a storage facility full of them, and I know them all.” Layton’s lawyers insist that she’s not a gold digger; they are simply taking a stand for gay rights.
Florida, where the women live, does not recognize gay marriage or civil unions, thus limiting compensation for jilted partners. Layton’s fight, claim her lawyers, can benefit others, as well. “We are standing up for gay rights in this case,” said lawyer Raymond Rafool. “Toni has the right to obtain a fair settlement the same as if she were the spouse in a traditional marriage.”
Navratilova’s lawyers said they do not comment on personal matters.
