Max Clifford: Wife Jo seeking divorce from disgraced publicist husband

The wife of the disgraced publicist Max Clifford is seeking a divorce after her husband was convicted for sex attacks earlier this month.

Jo Clifford, who is almost 20 years younger than the 71-year-old, has reportedly enlisted the help of top divorce lawyer Raymond Tooth and is in the process of trying to get a divorce from the jailed publicist to the stars.

The pair married in April 2010 after Mrs Clifford worked as Mr Clifford’s PA, but Mrs Clifford was a notable absence throughout Mr Clifford’s trial and has not spoken in public since his conviction.

Clifford became the first person to be sent to jail as part of Scotland Yard’s Operation Yewtree investigation, when on May 2 he was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault against four teenage girls between 1977 and 1985.

Despite refuting the allegations made against him, Judge Anthony Leonard decided to sentence Clifford to eight years behind bars, saying that he had” groomed and degraded” his victims and his actions in court showed that he “showed no remorse.”

Now it is believed his wife Jo is in talks with the lawyer Raymond Tooth, the divorce lawyer noted for his ability to negotiate multi-million pound settlements for his clients, to begin formal divorce proceedings.

Tooth, who is known as ‘Jaws’ due to his uncompromising nature, has previously been involved in a long list of high profile divorce settlements which include socialite and actress Sadie Frost during her divorce from actor Jude Law.

Speaking to The Daily Mail, Tooth confirmed the split.

He said: “They are divorcing. There are no disputed matters. Everything has been sorted out amicably so it’s all done.’

According to reports, the decree nisi, the piece of paper that needs to be signed by a judge to prove confirm that a petitioner is entitled to a divorce, has still not be signed and it is not until this happens that formal court proceedings can begin.