Maggie Grace's Secret 2025 Divorce: WA Court Upheld Wedding-Day Prenup

'Lost' actress Maggie Grace quietly dissolved her marriage to Two Bit Circus founder Brent Bushnell in Washington — filing in May 2025 and finalizing on August 13, 2025 — with the uncontested joint petition upholding a prenuptial agreement the couple signed on their May 2017 wedding day, waiving all spousal support, and disclosing a previously unknown second child, according to TMZ.

The story matters far beyond celebrity gossip. It is a near-textbook example of how Washington's community-property and no-fault framework processes an uncontested divorce quickly and privately when spouses agree — and a live test of whether a prenup signed on the actual day of the wedding survives judicial review.

Why this matters legally

A prenuptial agreement signed on the wedding day is fully enforceable in Washington so long as it meets the state's two-part fairness test — substantive fairness and full, fair disclosure — regardless of how close the signing was to the ceremony. The timing of the Grace-Bushnell signing in May 2017 makes this case a useful illustration because critics often assume a last-minute prenup is automatically suspect. It is not.

Washington courts evaluate prenuptial agreements under the framework established in In re Marriage of Matson, 107 Wn.2d 479 (1986), which asks first whether the agreement is substantively fair, and if not, whether it was entered voluntarily with full knowledge of the other spouse's assets. An agreement can be lopsided and still enforceable if both spouses understood exactly what they were giving up. Because the Grace-Bushnell petition was uncontested and neither party challenged the 2017 agreement, the court had no adversarial reason to set it aside, and it stood. The result is that this couple's prenuptial agreement governed their property split rather than the default community-property rules.

How Washington law handles this

Washington is one of nine community-property states, meaning assets and debts acquired during marriage are presumptively owned equally by both spouses and divided "justly and equitably" — not necessarily 50/50 — under Wash. Rev. Code § 26.09.080. A valid prenup overrides that default. When Grace and Bushnell's 2017 agreement was upheld, it displaced the community-property presumption and let each spouse keep what the contract assigned.

Washington is also a pure no-fault state. Under Wash. Rev. Code § 26.09.030, the only ground for dissolution is that the marriage is "irretrievably broken," and courts do not weigh who caused the breakdown. There is a mandatory 90-day waiting period from the date of filing and service before a court can enter a final decree — the filing-to-finalization gap of roughly three months in this case is consistent with that statutory floor.

Spousal support (called "maintenance" in Washington) is governed by Wash. Rev. Code § 26.09.090, which lets spouses waive maintenance entirely by agreement. Grace and Bushnell sought no spousal support, a common outcome when both parties are financially independent and a prenup addresses the issue.

Custody in Washington is structured through a mandatory parenting plan under Wash. Rev. Code § 26.09.187, which requires courts to allocate residential time based on the child's best interests. Grace reportedly received primary residential placement with a graduated weekend schedule for Bushnell — a phased arrangement that Washington courts frequently approve for younger children. Parents estimating how a schedule translates to overnight percentages can use our parenting time calculator for Washington.

Finally, Grace's request to restore her name to Margaret Grace Ives is routine. Under Wash. Rev. Code § 26.09.150, a party may ask the court to restore a former or birth name as part of the dissolution decree at no additional cost, avoiding a separate name-change petition.

Practical takeaways

1. Sign your prenup early, but know it survives even if you don't. Washington enforces wedding-day prenups when disclosure was full and the terms are fair. Still, signing weeks in advance reduces any argument that a spouse felt pressured, so build in time whenever possible.

2. An uncontested joint petition is the fastest, most private path. Grace and Bushnell's divorce stayed out of public view for nearly a year because there was no litigation to generate contested filings. Couples who agree on terms can finalize in as little as 90 days.

3. Understand what a prenup can and cannot control. In Washington, a prenup can waive spousal maintenance and divide property, but it cannot pre-decide child custody or child support — those are always determined by the child's best interests at the time of divorce.

4. Full financial disclosure is non-negotiable. The single most common reason Washington courts void a prenup is hidden assets. If you sign an agreement without a complete picture of your spouse's finances, you may be signing away rights based on incomplete information.

5. Plan for the details, including your name. Requesting a name restoration inside the dissolution is free and immediate; doing it later as a standalone petition costs additional filing fees and court time.

If you are weighing a prenuptial agreement, negotiating an uncontested divorce, or trying to understand how child custody works in a community-property state, mapping your options early makes a real difference. You can build a personalized divorce roadmap to see the likely steps for your situation, or find a divorce attorney licensed in Washington to review your specific facts.

This article discusses recent news and provides general legal commentary. It does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique. Consult a qualified family law attorney for advice specific to your situation.