So, in March of 2019 bad boy actor Nicolas Cage is in Las Vegas with Erika Koike, his young-enough-to-be-his daughter girlfriend of one year. They get drunk, as you often do in Las Vegas, and decide it would be a grand idea to tie the knot. So, what did they do? Exactly that!
Four days, yes four days, after the wedding Cage applied for an annulment, Friends fans know exactly what the deal is there. It's not the shortest celebrity marriage, considering Britney Spears and Jason Alexander lasted less than two days, but it comes darn close. With a new spouse attached to his name, Erika officially became Nicolas Cage's fourth wife.
The divorce from Koike was great tabloid fodder, and rightfully so since we were all confused. Words like drunk, fraudulent, drug dealer boyfriend and criminal record cropped up a lot when the annulment came about, leading to Erika claiming spousal support, sending Nicolas beserk. So let's look at the history of the make-up artist and the Hollywood star, the Vegas wedding, and the nasty divorce. It's a fun ride.
Nicolas Cage first tied the knot with Patricia Arquette in 1995. Following their 2001 split, Cage moved on to Lisa Marie Presley, whom he married in 2002. In 2004, Cage married for the third time, after splitting from Presley, of course, to Alice Kim, however, the two didn't last. In 2019, Nicolas Cage married his girlfriend, Erika Koike in Las Vegas, however, the actor made headlines after he filed for an annulment four days later. This marks one of the shortest celebrity marriages, ever! While their divorce was a messy one, so much that Koike demanded spousal support. It didn't take Nicolas Cage too much time before bouncing back and tying the knot to his current wife, Riko Shibata. Luckily for Cage, his money won't run out anytime soon, considering the actor has made it clear he will not be retiring from acting, ever!
Updated on February 20th, 2023 by Abigail Thomas: Fans are never surprised when celebrity marriages do not last, even when they only last for a couple of months. Many celebrities have had extremely short marriages, including Kim Kardashian, and sometimes fans believe they are simply publicity stunts. Nicolas Cage certainly takes the prize for shortest marriage with his 4-day marriage to Erika Koike. The two dated for a year before randomly tying the knot in Las Vegas, and they certainly did not last. Cage clearly loves to get married, as he has been married a total of five times, including his current marriage to Riko Shibata. The actor made an epic return to the spotlight in 2022 with the film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which earned critical acclaim.
Nicolas Cage Drunk And Married In Vegas
If ever there were three words that spell disaster, "drunk", "Vegas", and "married" fit the bill. And Koike was not all she appeared to be. Alice Kim, Cage's wife number three was a bona fide waitress in a restaurant Nicolas frequented. But Koike's claim to the title of "makeup artist" is a little tenuous, as according to IMDb she has all of one film credit (and that was a short).
By the time they got to Vegas and marital unbliss, the two had been together around a year. They did their best to fly under the radar but were first spotted vacationing in Puerto Rico in April of 2018. After that, they were snapped on their way to having dinner in Los Angeles. Nicolas's outfit that night totally channeled his inner pimp. And Erika, as usual, looked as if she were either bored or annoyed.
When the two hit Vegas in March of 2019, there was (surprise, surprise) a lot of partying and drinking. Well, we are dealing with Nicolas Cage, aren't we? Well, next thing you know it's March 23rd and the two are filing for a marriage license. They tied the very loose knot the same day.
And they said it wouldn't last. It didn't. Four days later Nicolas and his lawyers file for an annulment. Now, we get to the fun bit. Here's why Cage said the marriage wasn't valid and (even better) what came out about Koike and her past.
Nicolas Cage's 4-Day Marriage
Cage filed for an annulment claiming the marriage wasn't valid for several reasons. First of all, he claimed he was too drunk to know what he was doing. Okay. That's fair enough. Then there was some vague talk of Koike having a drug dealer "friend." On top of that Cage claimed fraud because Koike had not disclosed "to [Cage] the full nature and extent of her relationship with another person." In other words, Koike has a bit on the side.
But the real corker was the revelation she had deceived Cage because she had not fessed up to her criminal record. According to People, Koiki had pled no contest to DUI charges in Los Angeles in 2008 and 2011. She was given probation, the usual community service gig, and told to attend AA meetings. More dirt was dished on Erika. Seems that in 2016 she had another DUI charge in Vegas. And the best bit? In 2006 she had been charged with domestic violence against her then-husband. The domestic violence charge was dismissed. But it all ended badly with a messy, messy divorce in 2014.
Erika Koike Claps Back At Nicolas Cage
Erika lashed out at Cage, saying she wanted a divorce and (guess what?) "spousal support". After all, he was a rich Hollywood star. She actually claimed a payout for a 4-day marriage? She sure did. There was something about their having been together for a year or so and her losing work to be there for her beloved. Sure.
Anyway, Nicolas was livid. But after much legal wrangling, Erika did get her divorce. And spousal support? It's all hush-hush on both sides. Chances are she walked away with something. Afterward, Erika went off to do more makeup and Nicolas returned to making very bad films because he needed the money so desperately.
The actor wasted no time in moving on. Cage is now married to Riko Shibata. She's almost half his age. They tied the knot in March 2021 and have been married ever since. Cage's fifth wife!
Will Nicolas Cage Retire From Acting?
While Nicolas Cage has been in the spotlight for decades now, it doesn't appear as if he's going anywhere, anytime soon! The actor revealed that he doesn't expect to retire, ever. While most actors wither out of the limelight eventually, Cage is set to remain active in the industry.
The Face-Off actor revealed that acting keeps him in a positive state of mind, and he believes it is far "healthier" than choosing to retire. During his interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cage went on to make it clear that he is "never going to retire" from acting. His most recent success was the 2022 film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and has an impressive six upcoming projects.