Husband Demands Kidney Back or $1.5 Million in Divorce

This summary from Unilad shares one of the most unusual occurrences in divorce proceedings.

A man demanded $1.5 million or his kidney back from his wife during their divorce. Dr. Richard Batista had donated a kidney to his wife, Dawnell, to save her life and their marriage in 2001.

However, when she filed for divorce in 2005, he made the unusual demand as part of the settlement. The court ruled that the kidney was a gift, and Dr. Batista’s request was rejected. Organ donation is legally considered a gift in the United States to prevent organ sales. Dawnell’s attorney emphasized that human organs are not commodities.