Associated Press

Santo Domingo:

A judge approved a divorce Tuesday for salsa singer Marc Anthony and former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres. Judge Maritza Capellan had reserved judgment Thursday after hearing the arguments of Ana Ramos, a lawyer for Anthony. Court documents revealed her decision on Tuesday. “It’s fitting to accept this divorce by mutual consent,” the judge said in her ruling. The ruling says the two agreed to keep confidential the terms of their breakup, and Torres agreed not to publish any “diary, memories, letter, history, photograph, interview, essays, article or fiction about what has happened.” If either violates the confidentiality agreement, he or she would have to pay US$10,000.

The ruling also says Anthony is to pay Torres US$3,500 a month, plus child support of US$6,500 a month for each of their two young sons. To insure those payments, the ruling says, Anthony is to keep a life insurance policy worth no less than US$3 million. Reached in New York, a spokesman for Anthony, Gerald McKelvey, declined comment. Anthony was present during the hearing last week on the motion filed May 25 by both him and Torres, a Puerto Rican crowned Miss Universe in 1993. The Dominican Republic offers quick

divorces to foreigners as long as one of the spouses is present. Singer Diana Ross and her husband of 14 years, Arne Naess, were divorced in the Dominican Republic, as were boxer Mike Tyson and actress Robin Givens, as well as pop singer Mariah Carey and Sony record executive Tommy Mottola.

Born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, Anthony’s real name is Marco Antonio Muniz. Anthony and Torres married in Las Vegas in 2000. They split up in July 2002, but never legally separated. They renewed their wedding vows at a lavish ceremony at a cathedral in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in December 2002. They have two young children, three-year-old Cristian and nine-month-old Ryan. According to the court ruling, the two are to have joint custody of the boys, though they are to live with their mother. Anthony agreed to cover school tuition for his sons, along with health care and other costs. It also says Torres is to keep homes in Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, while Anthony will keep another home just outside San Juan, plus others in Long Island, New York, and New York’s Catskill Mountains.

According to the document, Anthony also agreed to turn over cars — a BMW and Lincoln Navigator — to Torres within a month.