Deathbed Divorce for Dennis Hopper?

Dennis Hopper was diagnosed with prostate cancer October 2008 and the public responded with sympathy and concern. Now with death imminent, has Dennis Hopper filed for divorce, intent on preventing his wife, Victoria Duffy, from inheriting his fortune? His fans are perplexed; wondering if this actor slipped into dementia or the role he played as the bike-riding, drug hazed hippie with no societal boundaries in 'Easy Rider'?

According to AZ Central's reprint of Bang Showbiz' article, "Dennis Hopper file for Divorce" Hopper and Victoria have been married for 14 years and have a daughter, Galen, six years old.

Victoria Duffy's Reaction to Hopper's Divorce Filing
Victoria is reported to be furious over her husband filing for divorce. It's reported that she has barricaded herself in their home, refusing to move out in compliance with Hopper's request. She accuses the actor of trying to renege on their prenuptial agreement's financial terms and remove her from his will. The article claims, however, that, "He has offered to pay his wife support and is also requesting joint legal custody of their six-year-old daughter Galen."

Victoria is Hopper's Fifth Wife
This marriage is just one of many Hollywood marriages that end in a financial battle, but one of the few in which the battle occurs so close to end of life. The Huffington Post article ,"Dennis Hopper Divorce Shocker" by Katherine Thomson January 16, 2010, adds that this marriage is the longest of Hopper's five marriages and claims that a friend considers Hopper mentally incapacitated due to the pain medication he is taking.

Dennis Hopper: A Bit of Trivia
-Dennis Hopper began his acting career in the mid-fifties and is best known for his role as Billy in 'Easy Rider' (1969). Many may not know that Hopper had a role in 'Rebel Without a Cause' which aired one month after James Dean's fatal car crash. Hopper played Goon in the movie, one of the gang members, along with Nick Adams, Corey Allen, Steffi Sidney, Natalie Wood and Jack Grinnage, who writes about the experience of working on this film in "One of the Gang, the making of Rebel Without a Cause" on the American Legends website.

-His Filmography is listed on Wikipedia and is extensive. He acted in many films, including 'Giant', 'Gunfight at the OK Corral', 'Apocolypse Now', 'My Science Project', 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', and 'Hoosiers', to name a few. As a director, he directed the critically-acclaimed Colors, receiving an Emmy nomination for the film.

-Hopper has been registered as a Republican for over twenty-five years, however in the 2008 Presidential election, voted for Obama, explaining on 'The View' that McCain's choice of Palin as a running mate pushed him over the partisan edge to the Democratic ticket. Watch him discuss his decision (and his wife's political influence on him) in the You Tube video, "Dennis Hopper on Obama (11-4-08)".

-The movie that Hopper would have most wanted to act in was 'Splendor in the Grass'.

-Dennis Hopper and Victoria Duffy married in Boston, at the Old South Church in April 1996 and their daughter Galen Grier Hopper, was born seven years later on March 26, 2003.

-Interesting Hopper quote: "Like all artists I want to cheat death a little and contribute something to the next generation."

The outcome of Dennis Hopper's divorce proceeding is still in flux. Given Hopper's health and mental condition, hopefully it will be resolved privately and with class. Fourteen years is a long time for this type of ending, especially in light of his health status.

Resources:
Wikipedia: "Dennis Hopper"
AC Central.com
The Huffington Post
American Legends Website
You Tube
Net Glimse