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With a £75million divorce looming, Madonna couldn't resist launching a thinly veiled attack on her soon to be ex husband Guy Ritchie as she took to the stage in Boston last night.

Before she sang 'Miles Away', which Madonna previously claimed was inspired by Ritchie, she told the audience: 'This song is for the emotionally retarded. Maybe you know some people who fall into that category. God knows I do. His name is Guy and he is retarded!!!' The lyrics hint at a couple growing apart: 'When I'm gone you'll realize/That I'm the best thing that happened to you.'

She also opened the show, which took place just hours after her spokesperson confirmed the split, with her track I'm Not Sorry, telling the 20,000-strong crowd: 'That's right, I'm not sorry.'



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'They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time. A final settlement has not been agreed upon yet.'

Madonna had been sending Guy messages their marriage was over months ago when she began moving some of their art collection, including a Dali and portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte by Jacques-Louis David from their London home to their New York residence.

The singer is understood to have already offered Ritchie their country estate Ashcombe House, which is worth some £12million, plus a lump sum of as little as £15million.

But legal experts estimate that he could fight for up to £75million, comprising half the estimated £80million they have earned between them over their ten-year relationship, a further regular maintenance payout and properties.

Such an amount would dwarf Britain's largest divorce settlement so far of £48million, paid by insurance magnate John Charman to wife Beverley in 2006.

Madonna, who has an estimated personal fortune of £275million, has already lined up a fearsome legal team including the so-called 'Steel Magnolia' Fiona Shackleton and Nicholas Mostyn QC, the lawyers Sir Paul McCartney employed for his vicious two-year divorce battle with Heather Mills.

However friends of Ritchie's argue that, after a combative marriage, we can expect a peaceful divorce. Those hoping for a high-profile spat will be disappointed, they say.

'He won't take a penny,' one of his drinking companions told the Mail.

Sombre: Madonna returning to her New York apartment on Tuesday night hours before the announcement

The sticking point, as the couple begin their life continents apart, could be custody and visiting rights for their children - Lourdes, 12 (Madonna's daughter from a previous relationship), Rocco, eight, and David Banda, the African Malawian kid.

In recent months, Madonna has grown close to Lourdes's father Latino stud, Carlos Leon.

Latino personal trainer Leon has been overseeing renovations on the singer's New York apartment.

He was adamant Madonna and Ritchie's split should affect Lourdes's 12th birthday on Tuesday.

A source tells The Sun: 'Carlos was livid that the divorce was spoiling the atmosphere around Lola's birthday.

'Carlos, Lola and pretty much all of the girls close to Madonna are happy about the split.'

In happier times: Madonna, Guy, Rocco and Lourdes attend a London film premiere in January 2007

The Mail has learned that Madonna and Ritchie called time on their marriage after months of arguing over a wide range of issues.

The rows culminated in an almighty fall-out last Friday in which the singer gave her husband an ultimatum to move from London to New York with her. Ritchie, 40, reacted furiously and refused to relocate - sealing their fate.

'Guy just went mad saying there was no way he was moving abroad away from his roots and family on a whim just because Madonna desired another of her notorious image changes,' a well-placed source told the Mail last night.

'Madonna was incensed, telling him "either you're in or out".'

It was the tipping point in a long battle which has seen them become increasingly alienated, to the point where they were communicating through their PAs.

Family ties: Madonna with Lourdes and with the African kid, David.

'It has become so bad that they cannot be in a room together for more than a few minutes without having a shouting match,' the source said.

'Over the weekend they spoke more calmly and admitted they had only been staying together for the children and had been living a lie.'

Cracks in the marriage were apparent in June, when they attended marriage counselling with Kabbalah elders near their home in London. They emerged with a plan they hoped would save their marriage.

Both pledged to reduce their work schedules and not to be apart for more than a week at a time. They also pledged to support one another's interests and when necessary, career choices.

Ritchie had reportedly become increasingly disillusioned with the Kabbalah - a mystical offshoot of Judaism, which Madonna has followed since 1997.

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'Guess what, everyone! I've been chosen to handle the Madonna divorce.'

A friend told The Sun: 'Guy's initial support and interest in Kabbalah turned to annoyance and hatred.

'Guy doesn't believe Kabbalah is on a par with Christianity. He thinks it's a lot of hokum - which infuriated Madonna, who believes it is a solution for many of the world's problems.

And Madonna also agreed to postpone her plans for another adoption until next year. However, Madonna apparently broke the rules almost immediately.

'Madonna just completely ignored what they had agreed, focused on her new world tour, focused on herself and just shut Guy out. It was almost as if she was saying to him "You're not my boss".'

And she is said to be pushing ahead on the adoption of the three-year-old Malawian girl.

The couple have also argued about their religious beliefs.

Said the source: 'Madonna believes the reason she is a world icon is that she has somehow been chosen to channel messages to the masses.

'She feels her destiny has been preordained. Guy on the other hand thinks that's a load of b*******.

'Kabbalah to him is about spiritual enlightenment and being one with yourself and the world.'

And in recent months, Guy's confidence in his career has grown, with the success of his latest film RockNRolla.

'Guy has felt emasculated throughout the marriage,' the source said.

'But getting into a major project that has done so well has really given Guy a major confidence boost. And it has been that confidence which allowed him to stand up to Madonna and tell her he was not going to put up with her any more.'

In the end, it was Madonna's plan that the family should move to America which sealed their fate.

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Madonna denied an affair with baseball star Alex Rodriguez, who split from wife Cynthia in July

One well-placed source said: 'Madonna told him that she had tired of Britain and the British press who had crucified her over the adoption of David Banda.'

By that time, she had already been spending increasing amounts of time in New York - and that brought its own dangers.

There have been rumours of her growing closeness to the U.S. baseball player Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod), and she has been spotted dining with him recently in New York.

'Madonna has a growing closeness with A-Rod. It's nothing sexual, it's what you might call a non-physical affair,' the source said. 'But the point is that Madonna clearly feels A-Rod nourishes her in some way that Guy cannot.'

Perhaps worst of all, the couple have not shared a bed in almost a year, the source claims.

Significantly, the couple are already getting on with their different lives in Britain and America.

Yesterday, while Guy was directing his latest film, about Sherlock Holmes, at a closed studio in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, while Madonna performed a concert in Boston as part of her current world tour.

What's at stake?

Over their time together the couple have together amassed an estimated £80 million with Madonna's successful albums and world tour bringing in the main part of those earnings.

Guy could argue that he should get half of that - some £40 million - since he has supported her in her career and that she would not have been so successful without his unerring backing.

On top of that, Guy's legal team might argue that he should be entitled to properties in London, New York and even Los Angeles to enable him to enjoy meaningful access to the couple's children. He could argue that the properties should be worth as much as the properties they currently own in the three cities - which have a combined value of some £35 million.

Their main London residence in marylebone, left, was bought in 2001 for £7million while this £6million property next door, right, houses Madonna's gym

Their £12million Wiltshire country home Ashcombe House, left, bought in 2001 and their ten-bedroom Beverly Hills mansion, right, was bought for £8million

Guy could therefore walk away with £75 million - the largest settlement in British legal history. The current record divorce settlement is £48million, paid by insurance magnate John Charman to wife Beverley in 2006 after 29 years of marriage.

Guy could increase the amount if he can persuade a judge that his earning power has been damaged by the marriage.

In the marriage he became involved with such things as failed film projects with as the disastrous movie project Swept Away which starred his wife - and a complex bid to adopt Malawian boy David Banda - that left career and earning power damaged.
His most famous and successful films, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, both came out before the couple married and every film since has been critically panned.

The Kabbalah Hotel in London, left, was bought for £1.6million in 2005 while the Punchbowl in Mayfair cost them £2.5million

The Kabbalah Centre in the West End cost £3.6million,left, while Madonna's New York penthouse, right, is worth £2million

Madonna's lawyers - Fiona Shackleton and Nicholas Mostyn - will no doubt argue, as they did for Paul McCartney that it was Madonna's unique special talent as a pop superstar that kept the money rolling in through the marriage, and had little to do with Mr Ritchie's continuing support as her husband.

The issue of custody and access to their three children is also extremely complex.
Madonna is on tour in Boston with all three children, looked after by a team of nannies, while Mr Ritchie directs his new Sherlock Holmes film in London.
But they both could argue that they should equally share care of all three children alternately in New York and London.

Madonna may argue that because Lourdes has a good relationship with her father, Madonna's former fitness trainer and Latino stud Carlos Leon, that she should not longer be required to have to contact with Guy. Lourdes will be able to decide whether she wants to keep having contact with Guy.

Guy may argue that because Rocco is his son who he spends more time with than Madonna, that he should live with him in London and at their Wiltshire estate, Ashcombe House.

David Banda was adopted by both Guy and Madonna but conceivably, Malawian authorities might deem that his recent adoption should now be under review because the marriage is over and that little David might end up in the less than satisfactory circumstances of living between New York and London between adoptive parents who have now split up.

A court might also deem that the three children should not be split up and should remain with their mother. Courts most often side with mothers deeming them the primary carers. That might therefore mean that Guy has a fight on his hands to get meaningful regular access to his beloved Rocco.