When Robert Griffin III filed for divorce from Rebecca Liddicoat in August 2016, the proceedings attracted immediate media attention given Griffin’s NFL profile and the public circumstances that preceded the filing. The settlement that emerged from those proceedings was substantial, carefully structured, and reflected Liddicoat’s clear priority of securing long-term stability for herself and her daughter over any form of continued public conflict. This article provides a complete breakdown of the divorce terms, the custody arrangement, and what the settlement structure reveals about how Liddicoat approached one of the most consequential moments of her adult life. For the full story of who Rebecca Liddicoat is and where she stands today, see our complete pillar guide on her life after divorce from RG3.
The Filing and Its Legal Grounds
Robert Griffin III filed for divorce in August 2016, with the official date recorded as August 16, 2016. The legal grounds cited were discord or conflict of personalities, a no-fault designation used under Texas family law that attributes marital breakdown to incompatibility rather than assigning specific legal blame to either party. This framing, while legally conventional, was somewhat at odds with the publicly known circumstances of the separation.
Liddicoat had discovered Griffin’s relationship with Florida State athlete Grete Sadeiko through social media, a disclosure that created a very public and painful context for the proceedings. The decision to proceed on no-fault grounds was likely a strategic one that minimized the potential for prolonged adversarial litigation while still allowing Liddicoat to negotiate from a position of documented personal harm.
Custody of Reese Ann: The Central Priority
The custody arrangement was the most significant element of the settlement from Liddicoat’s perspective. She received full physical custody of Reese Ann Griffin, who was born in May 2015 and was approximately one year old when the divorce was filed. Full physical custody meant that Reese Ann’s primary residence, daily caregiving, and core developmental environment would be entirely within Liddicoat’s household.
This arrangement reflected both Liddicoat’s clear commitment to providing her daughter with stability and the practical reality of Griffin’s NFL schedule and the associated demands on his time and location. Griffin’s career required significant travel, training obligations, and media commitments that made consistent primary caregiving logistically difficult regardless of personal desire. The custody terms acknowledged this reality while formally establishing Liddicoat as the primary parent.
The full physical custody arrangement also gave Liddicoat the practical authority to make day-to-day decisions about Reese Ann’s education, healthcare, social environment, and exposure to public media, decisions that Liddicoat has exercised in ways consistent with her broader commitment to family privacy.
Financial Settlement: The Lump Sum and Monthly Support
The financial terms of the settlement were substantial by any measure. Liddicoat received an estimated lump sum payment of $1.1 million, a one-time transfer that provided immediate financial security independent of Griffin’s future earnings or career trajectory. Lump sum structures in high-profile divorce settlements are often preferred by the receiving party when the paying party’s income is subject to significant variability, as is consistently the case for professional athletes whose contracts and career longevity are never guaranteed.
In addition to the lump sum, the settlement established monthly child support payments of $36,000. At that rate, the annual child support obligation totals $432,000, a figure calibrated to Griffin’s NFL earning capacity at the time of the settlement and designed to maintain Reese Ann’s standard of living at a level consistent with her father’s financial circumstances. Child support obligations are typically subject to modification if either party’s financial situation changes materially, though no public modifications to this arrangement have been reported.
The combination of the lump sum and ongoing monthly support gave Liddicoat a financial foundation that enabled her subsequent entrepreneurial activity without the pressure of financial dependence on Griffin’s continued career success. This independence was clearly a priority in how the settlement was structured.
Property Division: The Texas Home
The settlement also addressed the couple’s Texas home, which was valued at approximately $3 million at the time of the divorce. Liddicoat received a 50 percent share of the property’s value, consistent with Texas community property law, which generally treats assets acquired during marriage as equally owned by both spouses regardless of which party’s income funded the acquisition.
The Texas home represented a significant asset both financially and practically, providing Liddicoat with a stable physical environment in which to raise Reese Ann without requiring relocation during an already disruptive period. Remaining in an established residence allowed continuity for their daughter during the transition and reinforced the stability that Liddicoat was clearly committed to providing.
What the Settlement Structure Reveals
The specific terms of the Rebecca Liddicoat divorce settlement, taken together, tell a coherent story about her priorities and her approach to negotiation. The emphasis on full physical custody over any shared arrangement, the preference for a substantial upfront lump sum alongside ongoing support, and the retention of the family home all point to a strategy oriented around security, stability, and autonomy rather than maximizing total financial extraction or prolonging adversarial proceedings.
Liddicoat navigated the settlement process with a focus on outcomes rather than public performance. There were no reported counter-filings, media statements, or escalating public disputes. The proceedings moved toward resolution with a speed and composure that reflected professional legal representation and a client who understood what she wanted and why she wanted it.
Legal Protections for Reese Ann
Beyond the formal custody and financial terms, the settlement’s approach to Reese Ann’s privacy and welfare reflected Liddicoat’s broader values. Full physical custody gave Liddicoat the legal standing to control Reese Ann’s exposure to media and public attention, a consideration that would become increasingly relevant as Griffin continued his career in both professional football and broadcasting.
Liddicoat has exercised that control consistently since 2016, maintaining Reese Ann’s life entirely outside of public platforms and media coverage. The settlement terms provided the legal framework; Liddicoat’s personal philosophy provided the motivation to use that framework deliberately.
Financial Independence as the Foundation for What Came Next
The divorce settlement gave Rebecca Liddicoat something more important than the specific dollar amounts it contained: it gave her a stable financial platform from which to build an independent life on her own terms. The lump sum, the ongoing child support, and the property equity collectively provided the resources and security that made her subsequent entrepreneurial and philanthropic work possible without financial pressure. Understanding the settlement is therefore not just a matter of tracking numbers. It is the foundation story of how she rebuilt, and the structure of that foundation goes a long way toward explaining the confidence and direction visible in the life she has constructed since. For the full picture of how that life has developed, read our guide on how Rebecca Liddicoat rebuilt her life after RG3.
