History Main / PrenupBlowup

* Played straight in ''Series/CornerGas'' when [[spoiler:Oscar and Emma]] decide to get married, and [[spoiler:Lacey "convinces" Oscar]] to ask for a prenup.

*** It's mostly Trey's mother who is determined to leave Chalotte with nothing from the marriage. Trey is happy to let Charlotte have what she wants, while all she wants is to keep their apartment.

* On ''{{Newhart}}'', Stephanie's father wanted Michael to sign a prenup. Stephanie didn't care one way or the other, but when Michael was uncomfortable with signing, Stephanie began to doubt his love for her.

* You can propose to your [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend childhood friend]] Misha in MetalSaga. If you do, she asks if you'd like to save the game beforehand, which prompts your character to reply: "Ah, a prenup." Then the [[MultipleEndings game ends]].

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* Used in ''ShakespeareRetold - The Taming of the Shrew''. Bianca, a supermodel in this version of the story, asks her gorgeous-but-penniless fiance to sign one. He is insulted, and refuses. Katherine, Bianca's older sister, tells her that if she doesn't trust him enough to marry him without the prenup then she shouldn't be marrying him at all.

* Frasier and Lilith fought over this on ''{{Cheers}}''. She refused, and the wedding proceeded.

*** Though his divorce was nowhere near as bad as his brother Niles' would be later on in {{Frasier}}.

* In ''{{Frasier}}'', Niles during his divorce describes the depths to which Maris would stoop for the trial.

* Happened on ''DiffrentStrokes'' when Dixie Carter joined the cast. The prenup was discarded and they married anyway.
* ''TheGoldenGirls'': Stan asks Dorothy to sign. This ends the engagement.
* ''LALaw'': Stuart asks Ann to sign (in this instance, she refused, and they got married anyway.)
* In one ''TheLoveBoat'' episode, this was part of a subplot: a man getting over a very economically taxing divorce tries to court several women on the boat who immediately shun him when he asks for them to sign a pre-nup (while ''dating''.) Eventually he decides not to do it for the woman he ends up falling in love with... who at the end of the episode asks ''him'' to sign one, having also been through a similar divorce.
* ''TheNanny''. Maxwell asked Fran, Fran freaked out. In a slight subversion, upon reflection, she decides it is just a piece of paper that she would never need to use anyway, and so offers to sign it. However, in the interim, Max decides he doesn't need it and instead gives her the adoption papers for his children.

* Subverted on ''{{Seinfeld}}'': Kramer suggests this as a way for George to make Susan break up with him. Susan just laughs, because she's the one with the money.
* Appears on ''SexAndTheCity''. Trey springs a prenup on Charlotte late in the wedding process, which is considered pretty bad form. The agreement contains an unusual clause that, in the event they divorce, gives Charlotte an increasing percentage of $500,000.00 for every year that she and Trey were married. Charlotte negotiates with Trey's mother to increase the payout to One Million Dollars. ("I'm worth a Million", she says.)

Standard device to break up an engaged couple, or to introduce a conflict for them to overcome.

A couple is engaged. The man asks the woman to sign a prenuptial agreement. She is so offended that she breaks off the engagement, or threatens to. Usually the prenup is introduced by the one with more money -- often at the urging of misguided but well-meaning friends -- and the fiancee will react badly because the prenup is, by its very nature, a sign of mistrust. In more idealistic shows, the prenup will be discarded and the wedding will go on.

This sometimes is also used to foil the plan of a GoldDigger. She might admit to being after nothing but money, and someone convinces the guy to demand one to unravel her plan.

A prenuptial agreement is a document signed before a marriage which specifies division of assets. This comes into play primarily in the event of a divorce, but may also govern distribution of wages and ownership of non-joint accounts during the marriage. Prenuptial agreements came into public consciousness in the United States in the 1980s, and most examples will come from that time period.

* On ''Series/BostonLegal'', Magnum P.I. was trying to rekindle a pairing with Shirley, though he was a newlywed. The new bride was suspicious of her husband despite his assurances that he was faithful. In a [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments Crowning Moment of Awesome]], Shirley suggested a "Post-Nuptual" agreement, whereby he loses everything if he cheats. Given his assurances of fidelity from just a moment ago, he should be eager to sign, right?!?

* On ''TheBigBangTheory'' , Bernadette's father wants Howard to sign a prenup.
* In ''HowIMetYourMother'', Barney and Quinn break up after a fight over ridiculously long and idiotic pre-nups, when they realize they don't trust each other.
* On BostonLegal, Magnum P.I. was trying to rekindle a pairing with Shirley, though he was a newlywed. The new bride was suspicious of her husband despite his assurances that he was faithful. In a CrowningMomentOfAwesome, Shirley suggested a "Post-Nuptual" agreement, whereby he loses everything if he cheats. Given his assurances of fidelity from just a moment ago, he should be eager to sign, right?!?

[[AC:{{Stand-up Comedy}}]]

In more cynical ones, the woman might be an admitted gold digger, who plans to marry him ''for the sole purpose'' of getting half of everything in the divorce. The prenup will usually be the first thread that unravels her entire plan.

A prenuptial agreement is a document signed before a marriage which specifies how property will be divided in the event of a divorce. Prenuptial agreements came into public consciousness in the United States in the 1980s, and most examples will come from that time period.

* ''L.A. Law'': Stuart asks Ann to sign (in this instance, she refused, and they got married anyway.)

* Used in ''Shakespeare Retold - The Taming of the Shrew''. Bianca, a supermodel in this version of the story, asks her gorgeous-but-penniless fiance to sign one. He is insulted, and refuses. Katherine, Bianca's older sister, tells her that if she doesn't trust him enough to marry him without the prenup then she shouldn't be marrying him at all.

* Rom and Leeta on ''StarTrek:DeepSpace9'' briefly break off their engagement when she refuses to sign a Ferengi prenup-for pretty good reason, since it would've handed all her property over to him.

* Played straight in ''CornerGas'' when [[spoiler:Oscar and Emma]] decide to get married, and [[spoiler:Lacey "convinces" Oscar]] to ask for a prenup.