Ronnie Wood met with solicitors yesterday (02.10.08) – fuelling rumours he is heading for divorce.
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie – worth an estimated £40 million - had a four-hour meeting with his legal representatives in London, a day after his wife of 23 years Jo met her own solicitors for talks.
Ronnie, 61, is said to be determined to keep seeing 20-year-old Russian Ekaterina Ivanova, the girl he fled to Ireland with during a drink fuelled frenzy in July, even if it means the end of his marriage.
A legal source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Jo still hopes Ronnie will come back. Ronnie is adamant he wants to be with Ekaterina permanently. He met his lawyers to work out what he stands to lose."
After his drunken stint in July, Ronnie entered rehab at the Life Works Community centre in Surrey, UK, for treatment for sex, drugs and alcohol addiction.
While at the centre he was reported to have said: "I love my wife - but I have a girlfriend and I love her too."
Ronnie was expected to try and patch things up with Jo, 53, when he left the facility, but reportedly kept seeing Ekaterina during his time in rehab and the pair have been pictured together since.
Devastated by her husband's behaviour, Jo is believed to have consulted her lawyers at the weekend.
A source said: "Jo feels humiliated, spurned and furious that her best friend has treated her like that. She has spoken with her legal team and they've made it clear she is in a terrifically strong position.
"She knows there is little argument that she has saved his career and life from the drugs and alcohol many times."
Ronnie's manager, Jamie – Jo's son from her first marriage – was at the Wednesday (01.10.08) meeting with his mother, where he was reportedly asked to divulge information about Ronnie's assets.
Ronnie' s bandmate Sir Mick Jagger consulted the same law firm when he divorced Jerry Hall, which cost him £7 million and a house worth an estimated £6 million.