More than a year after Cars front man Ric Ocasek died of natural causes at the age of 75, his wife of several decades, supermodel Paulina Porizkova, is once again expressing skepticism about the strength of their marriage leading up to his death. In an Instagram post from November 7, Porizkova attempted to clarify “some misconceptions†that have been surrounding her since Ocasek’s passing. The couple, who share two grown children, initiated divorce proceedings in 2017. However, despite the separation, Porizkova believed that the couple remained on great terms — they still shared a home together in New York’s Gramercy Park neighborhood, for example, and attended the Cars’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early 2018. “If you follow me because you believe I’m a tragic-romantic widow bereft of the great love of her life, you may want to unfollow,†she wrote. “While my love for my husband was steady and my trust in him absolute, I was clearly delusional. I believed I knew him. I believed we had the same definition of ‘love.’ Grieving him is an equal amount of heartbreak and rage.â€
“If you follow me because the fall from supermodel to pauper makes me more relatable, also unfollow,†she continued. “I’m not penniless. I’m not allowed to share my situation since we’re in litigation, but I’m still an incredibly privileged person with nothing to cry about except for my own stupidity.†Porizkova’s comments, especially in regard to litigation, come amid a lingering legal battle over Ocasek’s estate. Earlier this year, Porizkova revealed that the musician had rewritten his will to exclude her, which she likened to a “betrayal†and “incredible hurt†that came as a shock. “It’s made the grieving process really, really tricky,†she told CBS’s Sunday Morning at the time. “I’m never gonna get an answer, and that sucks.â€
According to documents obtained by the New York Post, Ocasek’s will was updated weeks prior to his death. Ocasek stated that he wrote Porizkova out “because she has abandoned me†amid their divorce proceedings. Meanwhile, the Post reports that Porizkova is still seeking part of Ocasek’s estate, which is valued at about $5 million. She is requesting one-third of his estate under New York Surrogate’s Court law, which stipulates that she is entitled to that percentage unless it can be proven that Porizkova indeed “abandoned†Ocasek. She has subsequently sold and moved out of their Gramercy Park home amid the litigation and has been open about the ongoing depression she has experienced since Ocasek’s death.