Dwight Howard's Wife Demands $20K Legal Fees as Messy Divorce Intensifies

When a marriage ends in court, money becomes the first battleground—and Amy Luciani just opened fire with a demand for temporary alimony and $20,000 in legal fees from NBA star Dwight Howard, 40.

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Luciani (real name Amber Howard), 35, is arguing that she sacrificed her career to be Howard’s stay-at-home wife throughout their marriage. Now unemployed and financially dependent on the basketball player, she’s claiming she can’t afford basic living expenses or legal representation without his support. The filing states she dedicated herself entirely to“the care and well-being of the family”while Howard served as the family’s sole breadwinner—a common arrangement that’s now become the crux of her divorce strategy.

Here’s where it gets complicated: this is the third time the couple has filed for divorce after just one year of marriage. Back in March, Howard filed citing the marriage as“irretrievably broken”with“no hope of reconciliation.”But the real tension erupted weeks later when Howard obtained a protective order against Luciani, claiming she stalked him and threatened violence. He even cited a readily accessible gun in the home as a safety concern. Luciani denied the allegations, telling Us that Howard was“pulling any string of retaliation to cover up another one of his many wrongdoings.”A judge ordered her to stay 100 yards away from Howard and his five children (whom he shares with five different women). Howard has since dropped the protective order—his attorney, Gillian B. Fierer, framed it as a step toward“amicable resolution”in the divorce process.

Now Luciani’s legal team is pressing the court for a hearing at“the earliest convenience”to address her temporary alimony and five-figure legal fee demands. She’s arguing that Howard’s financial condition is“far superior”to hers and that she has“no other access to funds.”The judge hasn’t yet ruled or set a hearing date.

What unfolds here is a textbook modern marriage collision: one partner stepped out of the workforce to support family life, the other built a lucrative NBA career. When it crumbles, the stay-at-home spouse suddenly finds themselves without income, without work history, and facing legal battles they can’t afford—all while the higher-earning spouse controls the resources needed to fight back fairly. Whether the court sees Luciani’s demands as reasonable support or as overreach will signal something important about how financial sacrifice in marriage is valued when things fall apart.