Celebrity Divorce

TMZ has learned not only are Larry King and Shawn Southwick having second thoughts about filing for divorce ... they've agreed to go to therapy to try and save their marriage.

Sources intimately familiar with the situation tell TMZ, Shawn and Larry both say they love each other and both would like to figure out how to work things out, but there's one little thing standing in the way ... Shawn believes Larry is still shtupping her sister.

That aside ... we're told when Shawn and Larry met up at their son's baseball game last night, they genuinely connected and expressed their love. They plan on speaking today and they have both agreed to meet with a marriage counselor on Monday.

That said ... no one has withdrawn divorce papers yet. In a bizarre twist, mega-divorce lawyer Robert Kaufman showed up again to the King mansion this morning, but he wasn't speaking with Shawn because she was still sleeping -- he was speaking with Shawn's dad.

As of the time of this post, Shawn is still connected to her present lawyer, Joe Mannis.

As of last night the current Mrs. Larry King still had the high-powered Joe Mannis as her lawyer, but it's certainly interesting for there to be a second interview in a case like this.

Oh, and if you're thinking about a possible King reunion after last night's little league show -- Kaufman doesn't seem to be buying it.

The Background: Several years ago Shawn accused Larry of having an affair with her sister, Shannon Engemann. Sources connected with Larry claim Shawn threatened to leak the story to the media, unless Larry signed a document, giving up his interest in their Beverly Hills estate, along with two other homes in Utah.

The Undue Influence: Sources say Larry took the document to his attorney, mega-divorce lawyer Dennis Wasser, who ordered him not to sign it. Larry, we're told, actually went to Shawn's lawyer, who referred him to a former partner -- and that attorney eventually gave Larry the green light to sign the agreement. We're told Wasser, who had no idea this went down, was furious.

The couple approached each other at the field in Beverly Hills and engaged in a warm 3-second hug. At one point, Larry complimented Shawn's perfume saying, "That smells good ... I know that smell"

Larry then thanked Shawn for something that occurred earlier in the day, saying "I want to thank you for today ... it was the best half-hour of my life." It's unclear what Larry was referring to.

Sources tell us earlier this week, Shawn discovered evidence that Larry has continued to give Shannon expensive gifts -- very expensive gifts.

We're told Shawn was assured by Larry that the gifts had stopped -- but she found evidence to the contrary.

Our sources say Shawn is a "wreck."

As for her meeting today with attorney Robert Kaufman, we're told she has not hired him -- she is sticking with the lawyer who filed divorce papers on her behalf, Joe Mannis ... at least for now.

Attorney Robert Kaufman -- who has handled divorces for Jennifer Aniston, Rupert Murdoch and Mel Gibson -- just showed up at Shawn Southwick's home in Bev Hills.

Sources tell us Shawn's lawyer is still Joe Mannis, a tough celeb divorce lawyer. But, we're told, several friends of Shawn told her she should at least meet Kaufman.

Sources tell us Larry -- who was married 7 times before tying the knot with Shawn -- did not demand a prenup. As one source close to the situation tells TMZ, "She is a tall, good-looking blonde and that pretty much explains it."

Larry's net worth is reportedly estimated at $144 million. He's in the middle of a CNN contract reportedly worth $56 million over 4 years.

In California, earnings accumulated during a marriage are split 50/50. Shawn and Larry have been married for nearly 13 years.

Ouch.

Sources say Larry called into the world famous Bev Hills deli for a special delivery -- breakfast for his boys back at the mansion.

Larry stormed out of the Bev Hills pad yesterday morning and went immediately to his lawyers to launch the divorce case. But even with all the madness, Larry has his priorities straight -- his boys, and scrambled eggs.

Larry was not at the house today. He's staying at the swanky Peninsula Hotel in Bev Hills.

One source intimately familiar with the situation tells us Larry bought wildly expensive gifts for Shannon Engemann, including a $160,000 car and "tons of gifts from Cartier." We're told Larry used his credit card to purchase many of the gifts. The credit card bills were paid by Larry's business manager.

We're told Shawn started looking at the statements, saw a Cartier diamond necklace, and then told a friend, "He never gave me a diamond necklace."

So began 5 years of never-ending drama. Friends tell TMZ there were numerous instances where the couple was fighting, sometimes physically. One friend recalls an incident outside of Nate 'n Al in Beverly Hills a year and a half ago where the couple was "punching each other."

As we first reported, several years ago Larry attempted to save their marriage by transferring 3 homes -- including the one in Beverly Hills -- into Shawn's name alone, to show his commitment to the marriage.

Friends tell TMZ Shawn went into a "deep depression" for a long time and literally wouldn't leave the house.

Ironically, in the last two weeks, friends felt things were "calming down" between Larry and Shawn.

Kate's lawyer, Mark Momjian, tells TMZ ... although Kate is making good money now -- we're told hundreds of thousands of dollars on "Dancing with the Stars" -- "she won't let him off the hook for child support, no matter how much money Kate makes."

Momjian says Jon has a responsibility to work and must pay child support commensurate to his salary. If that means getting a job at a restaurant, some of his paycheck should go to the kids, regardless of what Kate makes.

Momjian says, "He will have to contribute. It's every parent's responsibility."

NFL star Chris McAlister is at the center of a nasty legal war with his wife -- who claims Chris kicked her out of their home when she refused to get an abortion.

Marlene McAlister has just filed court documents to end her 13 month marriage to the former Pro Bowler -- claiming she hasn't seen or heard from the guy since September 2009 ... 5 months before their daughter was born.

In the docs, filed Wednesday in L.A. County Superior Court, Marlene claims she's also "struggling financially" because Chris stopped paying his court-ordered spousal support and medical expenses.

Marlene is also asking the court for sole custody of their 2-month-old daughter -- with Chris only getting supervised visitation -- because, according to the docs, "[Chris] has a volatile temper."

In her divorce documents, Shawn is specifically asking the judge to declare the following her separate property -- their Beverly Hills mansion, a house in Provo, Utah, and a house in St. George, Utah.

TMZ broke the story ... Larry transferred these home to Shawn several years ago, after Shawn confronted him about having a relationship with her sister, Shannon -- a claim Shannon denies. We're told Larry made the transfer to show Shawn he was committed to the marriage.

In Larry's legal docs, he's asking the judge to void the transfers ... though he does not state the legal grounds.

Larry left the law offices of Dennis Wasser and then went to The Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel, where he picked up his car and drove away.

Larry had nothing to say about Divorce #8.

The document was signed more than 2 years ago. Our sources say the marriage was on the rocks because Shawn believed Larry was cheating. We're told they signed the agreement transferring the properties -- including their Beverly Hills mansion -- to Shawn "to show her he was committed to the marriage."

Shannon says Shawn has been accusing her of fooling around with Larry for months. She says Shawn has repeatedly pointed to the fact that Larry gave Shannon numerous gifts as evidence. But Shannon says, "This is so ludicrous. She's singling me out, but Larry has been nothing but generous to our entire family, including me."

Shannon says it's true ... Larry has given her gifts for Xmas and her birthday. Shannon was not specific, but Shawn reportedly believes Larry bought Shannon a $160,000 car, among other things.

Shannon said, "Shawn has left me threatening messages." After the National Enquirer published a story suggesting an affair, Shannon says, "Shawn left me a message ... 'If you dare sue the Enquirer I will pull out every last receipt that proves you had an affair with Larry.'"

Shannon adds, "I'm tired for taking the rap for things. I did not have an affair with Larry. He's been like a father to me."