Jan Smit and his wife, Liza Plat, are separating after 14 years of marriage. The Volendam singer’s manager confirmed the split, sending shockwaves through the Dutch entertainment world.
The sudden separation has sparked speculation, with some in Volendam suggesting Liza is being blamed for the marriage’s failure. According to Evert Santegoeds and Jordi Versteegden of the podcast Strikt Privé, “That is remarkable, because the story is that he has someone else and she is getting the blame. Then the question is again: why does he have someone else?”
Adding another layer to the story, Santegoeds also discussed Liza’s mother’s involvement with the couple, stating, “His mother-in-law does everything, that’s the big story. The mother-in-law has been running that household in recent years and was rewarded with a gorgeous Toyota by Jan. Because Jan felt so embarrassed that his in-laws were so involved, he thought: I should pull out my wallet.”
Jan and Liza have two children together, Emma and Senn. A specific reason for the divorce has not been publicly disclosed, though Santegoeds indicated “something” occurred in early January. He also revealed that Jan had spent several weeks in a vacation home in Brabant, even conducting performances from that location.
The split raises questions about the couple’s finances. According to Paul van Riessen, former head editor of Quote, Jan Smit is worth approximately €13 million. Mark Teurlings, a divorce lawyer, noted that if the couple was married with community of property, “that means you basically divide everything 50/50, so all assets are divided in half.”
Van Riessen also pointed to Smit’s ongoing income streams, including 56 scheduled performances through the end of the year and business ventures in Spain. “If there is something in Spain, that must also be divided. If there is something in the Netherlands, that too. The location basically doesn’t matter for the division,” Teurlings explained.
The news of the separation follows reports that Jan Smit had “had enough” of his wife, according to sources cited by Mediacourant.nl. The site also suggests the split could be a costly one for the singer.
This high-profile divorce adds to the ongoing fascination with celebrity relationships and the complexities of navigating personal life in the public eye.
