Springsteen Named "Other Man" in NJ Divorce

Rock star Bruce Springsteen has been publicly accused of having an affair with a married New Jersey woman named Ann Kelly. The accusations appear in a divorce petition filed by Arthur Kelly of Red Bank, New Jersey in Monmouth County Superior Court on March 27.

A spokesperson for Springsteen has directed media to a previous statement the musician made about his 18 year marriage to Patti Scialfa. In the statement, Springsteen wrote of his marriage that “our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married.”

Kelly’s divorce papers said: “The defendant (Ann Kelly) has committed adultery with one Bruce Springsteen, who resides in Rumson, New Jersey, and Colts Neck, New Jersey, at various times and places too numerous to mention.”

Springsteen was divorced from his first wife Julianne Phillips amidst rumors that he was cheating on her with Scialfa.

It is unusual for divorce paperwork to name names with regard to adultery. However, in New Jersey, it is actually required by law.

Most states offer a simple no-fault divorce option in which neither spouse must place blame on the other, asserting only the the marriage is irreconcilable. In New Jersey, though, a couple must live in separate homes for at least 18 consecutive months in order to qualify for a no-fault divorce.

New Jersey does have eight statutory grounds or causes to file for an at-fault divorce. Adultery is one of them.

New Jersey Court Rules require that the plaintiff in an adultery divorce case state the name of the person with whom the affair was committed. If that person’s name is not known, the complaint must state available information describing the person, including details of the time, place and circumstances of the adultery.

So, Arthur Kelly may be mad but he wasn’t necessarily being petty when he named Springsteen in the legal documents. Just following the rules.