Mary Kay Letourneau and Former Student/Husband Vili Fualaau May Be Officially Separated by August

Most couples schedule a romantic date on Valentine’s Day, but Mary Kay Letourneau and her former student-turned-husband Vili Fualaau have always been a little different. And this year, after filing for legal separation, the two celebrated the holiday by having their case sent to arbitration, meaning they are legally bound to work with a negotiator to come to agreeable terms about their split — and then stick to them. Thanks to a new Radar Online report, we now know this process is likely to be finished by August 1, 2019, though it could be done even earlier.

Deal of the Day

Only $12! — (And No One Will Know They Aren’t Designer) View Deal

According to court documents obtained by the site, “An arbitration hearing shall be held before the Arbitrator no later than August 1, 2019 unless the Arbitrator rules otherwise. … The arbitrator shall issue a final Arbitration Decision setting forth the Arbitrator’s decisions on all issues needed to resolve a legal separation.” If Letourneau and Fualaau don’t agree to the Arbitrator’s terms and confirm the ruling, their separation case will go back to court and be heard by a judge instead.

Fualaau was the first to file separation paperwork, which Letourneau originally contested, asserting that she “believes in reconciliation, is reconciling, and reconciliation.” However, after the couple attempted to romantically reunite in November 2018, it seems they’ve finally gotten on the same page again and called it quits. That may bode well for their pending arbitration — but it’s also possible that the parents-of-two may butt heads over the finer legal details.

The circumstances of the couple’s separation have been murky in the past. In a May 2017 interview with Radar Online, Fualaau explained that his past filings for legal separation had nothing to do with his romantic relationship with Letourneau and more to do with the fact that he wanted to become a distributor for “Cigaweed” marijuana cigarettes. “There is a piece of paper that is filed but that doesn’t depict what is going on,” he told Radar. “If you really want to know what happens, wait one year from now and see if the paperwork is still filed.” Now, it seems their split is the real deal.