Mel Owens enjoyed a happy married life with 19 years younger, Fabiana Pimentel. The duo remained as spouses for nearly two decades before their divorce was finalised in December 2024. Following the split, Mel began a new relationship with Peg Munson on The Golden Bachelor. The 66-year-old former NFL linebacker chose her from among 23 lovely ladies, being smitten by her beauty and bold, lively personality. As Mel looks to start a new chapter of life with Peg, unresolved issues with his ex-wife over their divorce settlement continue to trouble him. Read to know about Fabiana’s legal stance as Mel failed to pay the settlement amount.
Demands Mel Owens’ former wife, Fabiana Pimentel, made regarding the divorce settlement
Following Mel Owens and Fabiana Pimentel’s divorce settlement after a lengthy process, a California judge ordered him to pay her an almost USD 1 million (USD 978,887.67) equalisation payment. 47-year-old Fabiana also requested an additional USD 25,000 to cover her attorney fees. She claimed that Mel made only a single partial payment of USD 40,000 over the year, leaving the rest unpaid, despite his decent income. The longer Mel delays the payment, the bigger the interest he will have to pay. As of September 2025, the accumulated interest amounted to USD 978,887.67, based on the USD 257.53 per day amount Mel is accruing. Fabiana stated:
“To date, he has made only a single partial payment of USD 40,000, leaving an unpaid balance of USD 940,000 – exclusive of the interest that continues to accrue.”
Fabiana Pimentel demanded that Mel Owens sell their marital home to pay the remaining divorce settlement amount
Fabiana revealed Mel Owens’ monthly income, stating that he earned an estimated USD 20,000 per month from retirement income. Besides that, the NFL star also received a hefty paycheck from his venture on The Golden Bachelor season 2, though the exact amount is not known. Her intention in sharing the information was to prove that Mel Owens was financially capable of paying the remaining divorce settlement and legal fees. In her legal filing, Fabiana Pimentel requested that their former marital home be listed for sale immediately as her ex-husband, Mel Owens, failed to make the settlement payment he owed her.
According to court documents, the divorce agreement included a stipulation that if Mel Owens missed the agreed-upon payment deadline (within 14 days of the hearing on the RFO), the marital residence would be put up for sale immediately. Fabiana had agreed to waive her rights to ongoing spousal support and claimed the home in exchange for this one-time, lump-sum payment. Now, Mel is under threat of losing his home amid his engagement to Peg Munson and plans to start a new life. The marital home, where Mel currently resides, is located in Aliso Viejo, California, and was purchased in 2008 for USD 840,000.
Mel’s California residence is estimated to be valued at over USD 2 million. The beautiful house has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a pool in the backyard and a built-in barbecue, making it a desirable option for home buyers. Notably, during the divorce proceedings, Mel Owens retained assets totalling over USD 2.75 million, including his and Fabiana’s Orange County home. As his ex-wife made the legal request to sell the house, she claimed to have made ‘repeated good faith efforts’; however, Mel’s ignorance of her attempt led her to take the matter to court. Additionally, Mel was behind on the mortgage payment for the house, further troubling Fabiana. She stated:
“Making matters worse, I recently learned that he is now at least one month delinquent on the mortgage, thereby compounding my financial exposure and placing me at further risk as a co-obligor on the loan.”
