MELBOURNE - Chris Evert's former husband says his former best friend, Australian golf great Greg Norman, stole his wife.
The romance destroyed Andy Mill's 18-year marriage, News Ltd newspapers said.
Mill said he was broken-hearted by the betrayal.
"Greg Norman at one time was my best friend and
a year-and-a-half ago I would have taken a bullet for this guy," he said. "But I didn't realise he was the one who was going to pull the trigger."
Mill, an Olympic ski champion, lost his marriage when Evert filed for divorce last November, citing "irreconcilable differences".
Evert, a former tennis champion, and Norman were romantically linked in media reports since late October.
The reports came at the time Evert revealed her separation.
Mill, 53, said his December 4 divorce and multimillion-dollar settlement was "the worst day in my life".
Evert, 52, was named the primary caregiver of the couple's three sons. Mill has "reasonable" visitation rights.
Mill said he wanted to keep his family together.
"Regarding the money and the settlement, I would have paid twice that to keep my family in place," Mill said. "The most important thing for me is my family and my kids -- and just trying to keep them grounded. Chris understands they (the boys) need me as much as they need her."
Norman has been in the headlines this week, with his lawyers threatening his soon-to-be ex-wife with defamation.
The Australian golf great and his legal team were infuriated with allegations by Laura Norman's legal team this week in a Florida court.
In her emergency request to Florida's Martin County Court for financial relief, Ms Norman claimed her husband changed the locks on their $US21 ($NZ30.97) million Florida mansion and cut off her credit cards in an attempt to "coerce" and "starve her out" during the ongoing $US300 million divorce proceedings.
The bitterness between the husband and wife of 25 years has generated headlines around the world.
The claims made by Ms Norman this week of being locked out of the Jupiter Island mansion, the cutting off of credit cards and the firing of a housekeeper were splashed across newspapers around the world, particularly in Australia.
- AAP
