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C.J.: Humphries-Kardashian trial? Maybe in April

By C.J.

December 11, 2012 at 4:09AM

It's looking as though 2013 will see a Kris Humphries-Kim Kardashian divorce trial.

It also looks as if you can disregard media reports that Kardashian has offered to settle with Humphries, from whom she filed for divorce on Oct. 31, 2011, after 72 days of marriage and one of the most outrageously expensive non-royal weddings ever seen on television.

"I read in [newspapers] that they've made an offer to settle," said Humphries' attorney, Lee Hutton III, last week. "We have not heard that [from Kardashian's lawyers]. Right now it looks like it's going to go to trial in April 2013. We don't have a firm date at this time."

Hutton said that Kardashian has not yet submitted to a deposition.

As for reports of depositions being taken from Kardashian's mom, Kris Jenner, and Kim's current boyfriend, Kanye West, Hutton declined to confirm that.

Although a source told me a few months ago that Humphries had the necessary leverage to get an annulment rather than a divorce from Kardashian, no resolution to the case has occurred.

Enstarz.com (which sometimes goes by Enstars) reports that "West is furious about the fact that Kardashian is still legally married to Humphries." The website maintains that Humphries' "legal team has delayed the proceedings by seeking an annulment rather than a simple divorce settlement. Humphries claims that the 72-day marriage was a fraud because Kardashian married him only for publicity."

Two things: If Kardashian hasn't even deigned to supply a deposition, it looks as though she's the one dragging this out and trying to have it her way. Futhermore, while Kardashian seems unacquainted with the concept of having principles, I'm pleased that, so far, Humphries is sticking to his guns and balking at what looks like a sham marriage counting against his marriage history.

Adrian's like Bo; Ponder's no Aikman

More documentation of my oft-stated belief in the nexus between sports and gossip, as the "FOX NFL Sunday" crew dished about the personal life of Christian Ponder, who might have miscalculated by getting engaged to ESPN's Samantha Steele in the middle of a so-so season.

The personal shots at Ponder were interspersed with the footbally stuff.

"You talk about Adrian Peterson; he had knee surgery this off-season. I'm sorry to say he's going to have to have back surgery here pretty soon because he's carrying this football team," said Jimmy Johnson.

Johnson coached Troy Aikman, and I gather Ponder does not remind the coach of his old QB. Johnson was appalled by the halftime receptions stats of the Vikings and its QB.

"Really, they've got six completions. The only way they could move the ball is hand it to Peterson. But he is great," said Johnson.

Howie Long piled on: "It's one dimension. I know it, you know it. The stadium knows it. The Bears know it. I was reminded last night of how great Bo [Jackson] was. It's been a long time since I've seen anyone close to that. This guy [Peterson] is as close to Bo as I've seen."

Then Terry Bradshaw had a question for Johnson. "Ponder needs to get married. Is that what you're [selling] tough guy?" said Bradshaw. "That's good."

Earlier, Bradshaw remarked that he was glad Ponder got "the love bug" out of the way. In other words, now that Ponder has proposed, maybe he'll play better.

"Maybe his wife can teach him how to throw," said Johnson, as Long and Michael Strahan groaned and Bradshaw intoned, unconvincingly, "That's not funny."

'Male spinster' is a click magnet

One magazine's "Gray Marriage" is another's "Male Spinster."

And many women, who've been shocked to see marriage documents identifying them as a "spinster" while the man is more glamorously accorded the "bachelor" handle, probably think it's about time.

Minnesota Monthly senior editor Tim Gihring wrote an essay in the November issue about getting married later in life. The Monthly essay had the benign "Gray Marriage" headline about Gihring getting married at 40 this summer at the American Swedish Institute to Lucy Lyon. When Salon.com printed the essay, it kicked the headline up a notch with the title: "I Was a Male Spinster."

That catchy head is probably the reason the essay was a lead story the night it was posted in late November.

"I wasn't expecting either of those things," Gihring said of leading the website and being tagged a "spinster." "Pretty funny."

The Salon essay begot a lengthy commentary by the Atlantic magazine online and additional web commentary from the Sydney Morning Herald and PsychCentral.com.

"I was interviewed last week by the Irish national radio station Newstalk, and tonight I am responding to a broader follow-up for Atlantic about being single later in life, how it felt, what kind of pressures there were to get married," Gihring said Monday. "Seems people love debating the notion of whether it's OK to be single later into life and the Clooneyesque notion that all older bachelors are incorrigible cads."

George Clooney has not always been a cad; he was married to Talia Balsam.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen Thursday mornings on FOX 9.